Staying on Shodoshima Island - An inviting labyrinth - video Dailymotion

The Manila Times

Staying on Shodoshima Island - An inviting labyrinth  Shodoshima, in Kagawa, is a small island in the Seto Inland Sea, with a population of about 30,000. A mild climate and beautiful scenery make it a popular tourist destination with over 100,000 overseas visitors a year, but convenient access meant most visitors came and left the same day. To encourage overnight stays, a group of students at Kagawa University proposed making guest houses out of unused homes in an old part of town that’s a fascinating maze of narrow alleys. Their project is now receiving enthusiastic support from the islanders.  VIDEO BY MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF JAPAN  Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe    Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net    Follow us:  Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook  Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram  Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter  DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion    Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital    Check out our Podcasts:  Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify  Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts  Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic  Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer  Stitcher: https://tmt.ph/stitcher Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein   #TheManilaTimes #Japan #overnight #guesthouses #staycation #touristdestination

Transcript

00:00 [ Music ]

00:10 >> Shodoshima is a small island in the Seto Inland Sea in western Japan.

00:15 It's just an hour's ferry ride from Takamatsu City in Kagawa.

00:22 The island has a population of about 30,000.

00:26 Shodoshima's mild climate and beautiful scenery attract many tourists,

00:33 including over 100,000 overseas visitors each year.

00:36 So this is a popular tourist destination.

00:41 The problem is not enough visitors stay here.

00:46 Access to the island is so convenient that most people make it a day trip.

00:53 How to encourage more tourists to stay overnight on Shodoshima?

00:57 A group of Kagawa University students made this their project.

01:03 They looked for new, unique aspects of the island that might encourage overnight visits.

01:09 One of the group, Anri Tada, has been visiting Shodoshima with her family since childhood.

01:17 >> I have lots of memories of our family trips to Shodoshima.

01:24 When you actually walk around the island, two things strike you.

01:27 The old town with its odd winding lanes and the amazingly complicated scenery

01:32 of its coast and mountains.

01:33 It's a unique place.

01:35 The island's long history is reflected in the layout of its main town,

01:41 where the centre is a maze of narrow alleyways.

01:44 It's said that back in the 13th century, the town was deliberately planned this way

01:51 in order to confuse any invading forces.

01:55 Tada and her fellow students decided to focus on making this maze-like area

02:02 entertaining for visitors.

02:05 They produced a map to guide walkers through the lanes.

02:13 Exploring these alleyways, you'll get a real feel for the island's history.

02:20 Another part of the students' plan involved utilising abandoned old homes.

02:25 Surely these could be converted into overnight accommodations?

02:30 However, the town had no tradition of using private homes as guest houses,

02:37 and their first task was to convince the locals it was a good idea.

02:44 First we had to find out how many empty houses were available

02:48 and how much repair would be needed.

02:51 And then we had to persuade the neighbours.

02:53 We couldn't simply decide to go ahead by ourselves.

02:56 Tada's perseverance eventually paid off.

03:00 Going round and explaining the plan to local residents,

03:03 we gradually won their support.

03:09 Now the work began of transforming their chosen old house.

03:13 To keep costs down, the students did most of the work themselves.

03:20 After much effort, their first guest house was ready for visitors.

03:28 Following the handout map, the first visitors make their way

03:31 through the town's back lanes, searching for the new guest house.

03:47 Designed centuries ago to thwart invaders,

03:49 the maze of alleyways now adds to the fascination of this old town.

04:00 I think people will have such fun solving the puzzle of actually finding our guest house

04:05 that they'll want to stay longer than just one night.

04:07 I hope they'll take away unforgettable memories of their visit here.

04:12 The challenge for Tada and her fellow students has just begun,

04:16 but their energy and fresh ideas are already inspiring the town.

04:20 [ Music ]

Staying on Shodoshima Island - An inviting labyrinth

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