Yoshino Town
Toshiaki Higashi

As the chairperson of Mt. Yoshino Tourist Association, Toshiaki Higashi puts his heart into attracting tourists to the area with 115 spots to visit from ryokan hotels and restaurants to shrines and temples. Hiring people in their 40s to executive positions, organizational reform is a mere part of Higashi’s unstoppable advancement.

All ogres of Nara gather around Mt. Yoshino in winter.

Higashi is in his happi, a traditional Japanese workman’s coat. “I wear it at least 360 days a year.” Higashi passionately talks about Mt. Yoshino’s tourism promotion. He switched the promotional strategy from attracting the tourists to its cherry blossoms to “year-round tourism.” He actively plans events to be held during the season like winter when much less people visit to generate the bustle all through the year.
Such events include “Onibi Festival” which is one of the religious services offered in February by Kinpusenji Temple. Its aim is to entertain people with games food and drink together with Oni (ogres). “As a result we have more lodgers now. There will be a series of summer festivals to be held in the precincts of temples and shrines for the first time. Visitors can enjoy songs and dances as well as traditional Noh performances like Japanese good-old fairs.”
Higashi runs an inn “Taikoban” as well as guesthouses. He is a pioneer who opened the first inn in Mt. Yoshino in 1973. “I started an inn that offers a room with two meals for 1,600 yen at that time. Since then for over 40 years, I saw and experienced the changes in business style in this area,” says Higashi. “The most important thing is to love what you do. I love to serve customers and never felt it was hard. I always do what I like to do and enjoy it,” Higashi speaks excitedly.
Half of the annual lodgers in Mt. Yoshino are repeaters. “Many visitors reserve for the next year when they leave. Moreover, they don’t try different inn but come back to the same one. Having many repeating customers means there are charms in the region and there sure are in Mt. Yoshino.”
Higashi loves people and festivals by nature. “I run around to promote the town with this happi coat on. Some scolded me to behave like a chairperson, with more dignity and restrain myself from doing itsy-bitsy stuff,” his hearty laugh echoed.

Interviewed in April, 2019
Writer : Hideko Takahashi / Photographer : Hiroyuki Tamura