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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

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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 ]

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