The New Normal interview series: Travel as a symbol of world peace

‘Ever since I launched Jiyujin magazine [in 2000], I’ve been thinking about the value of media and what constitutes a fulfilling lifestyle. Editing a magazine, selling food and operating hotels may seem quite unrelated at first sight, but I think of them all as elements of “real media” – tools for pursuing the essential value of things and presenting them as components of a new lifestyle.

‘Our accommodation business has obviously been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. Still, we kept both Satoyama Jujo and Hakone Honbako open for business until the end of April, trying to reduce physical contact with our guests as much as possible while seeking to make their stay as enjoyable as possible. It’s been a day-to-day process of trial and error, and we’re constantly trying to come up with new solutions. I’m proud to say that I’ve never fired an employee in the 31 years I’ve been running this company, and am doing all I can to keep it that way.

‘To be honest, I’m extremely disappointed that the Japanese government is asking businesses such as tourism and restaurants to shut down without clarifying how compensation will be handled. The negative impact that policy has had throughout the economy couldn’t have come as a surprise. It’s only been a month and the tourism and restaurant industries are already fighting to survive, with other industries possibly soon to follow. I wonder why Japan, a country that’s always prioritised economic development, now appears to be abandoning the economy and causing it irreparable damage. It’s like a herd of lemmings jumping off a cliff.

‘Maybe that’s an unconscious reaction to something. You often hear people say that epidemics occur because of excessive population growth around the world, but perhaps the Covid-19 pandemic is ultimately nothing but a trigger for a bigger rethink – something waking us up to the fact that humanity itself is being plagued by a disease of some kind. If that isn’t the case, I’d have a hard time explaining the current tendency to ignore the economy.

‘Tourism is the ultimate “peace industry”. Just like expensive restaurants, demand for tourism exists only in times of peace and prosperity. To reverse the argument, stopping these types of economic activity can lead to the destruction of peace and prosperity.

‘We didn’t yet operate hotels when the Great East Japan Earthquake struck in 2011, but the disaster decimated our food business. Transportation was halted and consumption dropped, so we had a really hard time – especially with fresh produce, which can’t be preserved. The market was still there though, so we were able to stay positive and look towards the future. But this time I’m worried about future markets disappearing, about peace itself being lost. That’s a lot scarier than just taking on a bit of debt.’

‘I do hope that once the pandemic is over, people will seek to build a more sustainable world and live closer to nature. But it’s more likely that we’ll see increased income disparity, and greater concentration of wealth in the hands of the few. That’s because the coronavirus crisis isn’t bringing the world together; it’s dividing it.

‘When physical contact between people becomes risky, there’s no doubt that more physical rifts will open up. For example, people are split on whether to go out or not, on how they feel about the restrictions on business, and in terms of economic fortunes. Rifts are also opening up between competing interests within the government. The possibility of food-related rifts is probably growing too.

‘We thought humanity had learned its lessons after going through two world wars. After the end of the Cold War, we were supposed to be heading towards a more peaceful world. Sustainable development was the name of the game, and people were thought to have become more tolerant of opposing ideologies. Unfortunately, the coronavirus crisis has exposed a wide range of conflicting positions and much factional division. I see this as a clear decline in our social abilities and in the organisation of society. It’s a very depressing thought.

‘What cheers me up, soothes me and provides encouragement in these dark times? It’s nature, the landscape I see before me. That sight and the workings of nature are exactly as they used to be. The cherry trees in front of my office are in full bloom, the daffodils and rapeseed flowers are blooming too, the birds are singing, and the bright leaves of spring are getting greener every day. The natural world is of course completely unaffected by Covid-19. Human beings are making a lot of noise right now, but perhaps nature is already fed up with our absurdity. I’m caught up in that same absurdity and unable to break free. Looking at myself in such a state after gazing out over nature, where life goes on as if nothing has happened, makes me wonder what sets us apart.’

‘How should we pull ourselves together and go on living without losing sight of what constitutes a human and fulfilling life? I recommend moving to the countryside, away from the big city. You might earn less money, but you’ll also be far less dependent on money for happiness. You’ll be able to live a different lifestyle and see the world in a new way.

‘Sixteen years ago, I made the decision to move my company from Nihonbashi in Tokyo to Minami-Uonuma in Niigata prefecture. Even back then I knew that editing a magazine was something that could be done remotely. We had no problem conducting meetings with people in Tokyo over IP phone, and could exchange text and photos online. The reduced intensity of contact meant that fewer people in Tokyo would offer us work, but that also encouraged us to think long and hard about other ways to make money. The result was new ideas and insights, new products and places, new relationships – a wider world, as it were. 

‘With 16 years of experience, I can say that the countryside is what really drives the Japanese economy. The economy doesn’t revolve around Tokyo. First, food isn’t made in Tokyo, it’s brought in from elsewhere. Second, people are moving to Tokyo from other parts of Japan – the countryside provides the capital with a workforce. Both food and people, the fundamental components of the economy, come from the countryside.

‘That’s why I’ve decided to stick to the path that my work sets out for me. I’m confident that this path will lead to the kind of ideas and insights that’ll be valuable in the new post-coronavirus world. And I’d like to help build a society in which Tokyo and the rest of Japan can converse as equals, a society in which the countryside is put first for the sake of a better future. Those goals could be advanced by the current pandemic.

‘We’ll also see change in the ways we use time and money. The shift from tangible to intangible goods has been well documented, and now we’re seeing another shift towards experiences. In our time, anyone can come up with their own definition of true satisfaction and fulfilment. I don’t know whether the post-pandemic revolution will be peaceful or not, but I do think that people’s values will change in significant ways. Whether those changes will be positive is up to us.

‘Something I tell my employees a lot these days is how truly important it is not to condemn, attack or discriminate against people, even when divisions between us lead to conflict and clashes between opposing values. If we can all be considerate of differences, tourism just might see a relatively quick recovery.

‘We’re in a difficult situation right now, but I still feel the age of the countryside approaching. I’m looking forward to more people moving out of the big cities, bringing new ideas with them and building new communities.’