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ANABUKI Eitaro  (Owner of Anabuki-tei residential hotel)

ANABUKI Eitaro

My Hometown, Tourism & Me

Hello, everyone. My name is ANABUKI Eitaro, and I am a hotel owner and manager. My wife and I renovated our family home in Takamatsu City, which I inherited from my grandfather, and which we now manage as a vacation house rental.

My grandfather's house built in 1970 My grandfather's house built in 1970

I live in Takamatsu City, which had a prosperous history as a castle town. Traces of this time can still be seen today in the shopping street, which is considered to be the longest in Japan.

Bustling shopping street lined with shops Bustling shopping street lined with shops

With its central location and the fact that many of my classmates had parents who owned shops here, the shopping street essentially served as a playground for us on weekends. I have fond memories of how much fun it was to see my friends and their parents on my way home from school every day and how I couldn’t leave without stopping by.

Islands viewed from the city of Takamatsu Islands viewed from the city of Takamatsu

Another feature of Takamatsu is how close it is to the sea. Some of my classmates commuted to school from Megijima Island across the sea, and I remember feeling quite envious that they were able to take a ferry to school.

The city of Takamatsu viewed from a ferry The city of Takamatsu viewed from a ferry

I wonder how surprised the islanders at that time would feel today, with modern art pieces dotting the islands in the Seto Inland Sea and tourists from all over Japan and the world visiting this area to admire them.

The Walking Ark on Ogijima Island The Walking Ark on Ogijima Island

But, not everything is good; there are still some challenges.

As people involved in the tourism industry, we cannot ignore, for example, the adverse effects of overtourism (rapid rise in tourists) on the lives of local residents.

Crowded boats and buses and an increase in the amount of garbage brought to remote islands where there is a lack of infrastructure, in particular, have become matters of life or death.

My parents' house reborn as a villa hotel My parents' house reborn as a villa hotel

As a child raised in this area, I want to do something about this situation, and it is with this desire that I am now engaged in my own work.

The tourism industry was depleted after being forced into a period of stagnation for three years due to the long-lasting effects of COVID-19 pandemic. However, if we look at this in a new light, it was also a turning point in the shift from a business model that focused on “quantity” to one that emphasizes “quality.”

I am committed to helping transform Takamatsu into a sustainable city from the perspective of tourism to create an area that is friendly to both local residents and tourists.

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