My hometown is located in an absolutely beautiful and picturesque area in Southern Japan, just as you can in this photograph, but it is no tourist attraction. It is virtually unknown even within the country. The good news is that, just like yesterday when I drove around the area, the whole place could be mine with no other souls to be seen nearby. I had such a great time being there, appreciating its beauty for myself. The bad news, however, is that because of low name recognition, the area has got no solid and viable economic base to sustain its livelihood. In other words, local economy can not sustain itself. That's why people have left the town looking for better opportunities, leaving behind only old folks. Well, I don't want to see too many people visiting the place, but we definitely need some people, who can appreciate our landscape, to help our local economy. I don't think it is a mission-impossible. There's got to be a way, I believe.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
No Tourist Attraction
My hometown is located in an absolutely beautiful and picturesque area in Southern Japan, just as you can in this photograph, but it is no tourist attraction. It is virtually unknown even within the country. The good news is that, just like yesterday when I drove around the area, the whole place could be mine with no other souls to be seen nearby. I had such a great time being there, appreciating its beauty for myself. The bad news, however, is that because of low name recognition, the area has got no solid and viable economic base to sustain its livelihood. In other words, local economy can not sustain itself. That's why people have left the town looking for better opportunities, leaving behind only old folks. Well, I don't want to see too many people visiting the place, but we definitely need some people, who can appreciate our landscape, to help our local economy. I don't think it is a mission-impossible. There's got to be a way, I believe.
