Yohei Osaki: Enchanted by the Kumano Kodo

Attracting visitors to the Kumano Kodo was a struggle during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a "World Heritage Pilgrimage Route" that saw a 3,500% increase in foreign tourists over seven years, it was also one of the regions most heavily impacted by entry restrictions.

Based on my marketing experience at theme parks, I was excited by the desire to contribute to this region and the inns along the Kumano Kodo. Attracting customers to urban facilities is different from doing so in rural areas. That is precisely why I felt a great sense of fulfillment, thinking that my next field of challenge lay deep in the mountains of a World Heritage site.

I actually visited the Kumano Kodo many times, walking it with colleagues, friends, a partner, and alone, feeling my heart being moved each time. My deep engagement with this region began when I joined a real estate company in Osaka that builds and operates accommodations along the Kumano Kodo.

I believe this path, where 1,500 years of human activity—a blend of nature, history, and faith—can be felt, is at times a place for introspection, at times a trail for a sense of achievement, and at times a path of meditation that evokes a mystical sensation. People from all over the world are enchanted by this path, yet most Japanese people, who are closest to it, are unaware of its charm.

I feel a great sense of fulfillment in developing the accommodation brand SEN.RETREAT along the Kumano Kodo.

First is the strong realization of the economic impact that an inn has on the region. This may be unique to rural areas. For example, if SEN.RETREAT can attract guests during the off-season for trekking or during the pandemic, it provides economic benefits to linen suppliers, firewood suppliers, catering companies, cleaning staff, and others. Therefore, it is easy to take pride in influencing the community. Second is that the noble cause of spreading regional culture aligns with the act of attracting guests to the inn. This feels like "The Analects and the Abacus." SEN.RETREAT has been featured on television several times, and each time, the culture and charm of the Kumano Kodo are conveyed along with it.

In a survey conducted recently, awareness of the Kumano Kodo reached 79%, but only 3.8% of people have actually stayed overnight. The Kumano Kodo is a World Heritage site that still has immense potential for growth. "Creating a strong brand for the Kumano Kodo" is my role as a branding specialist, and I believe it is something only we, who are enchanted by the Kumano Kodo, can do. I hope to continue revitalizing the region in the spirit of "learning while teaching, teaching while learning."