"Although it is not bustling like in those days, this town still has many charms."

An interview with Mr. Atsushi Nakajima, the owner of 'Guest House WELKAME'

"The oldest child of mine is Haruka, the middle one is Nozomi, and the younger child is Haruto. Guess these meanings. All of their names originate from railways. I have a root in railways. I want my kids to love traveling. I am already educating them about travel.”
Mr. Atsushi Nakajima, the owner of Guest House WELKAME, told me like this with his friendly Sanuki dialect at the end of the interview.

He began to travel by himself when he was in elementary school. He went across Japan, Ayers rock, across the US and South Korea, he also went to Russia. Mr. Nakajima had experienced many travels. Then, after ten years planning period, he started Guest House WELKAME in 2015 for revitalizing the town in Marugame, where he loves. How is Marugame looks like for Mr.Nakajima, who has seen many towns thorough travelings?

He often visited Marugame station to look at trains when he was little. The boy who loved railways began to love traveling.

It's fantastic! So many photographs of your trips. The motorbike caught my eyes. Is this your hobby?

It's traveling rather than a motorbike, which I prefer. Initially, I liked the railways. I had lived near Marugame Castle, and the station was in my living area, and I often visited there to look at trains. In those days, it was not an elevated railway so that I could watch them easily.

Then you began to travel by train?

When I was in the third grade of elementary school, I asked my parents that I want to visit relatives in Tottori prefecture. My parents said, "Sure," and encouraged me to do that. It was the first trip for me by myself. I still remember that I transferred trains. I don't know why, but my expectancy was stronger than my fear.

When did you begin to ride a motorbike?

Before riding a motorbike, I went around Shikoku by a mountain bike when I was in junior high-school and high-school. After that, I started to ride a motorbike. I began to travel abroad after I grew up. I rented a motorbike on site, I've been to Ayers rock, I had been going around the US, South Korea, and I've also been to Russia and so on.
I'm not crazy about riding a motorbike, but I have a desire to visit places by myself. A motorbike is a means of transport, if anything. Before I got a driver's license, that was trains or a bicycle. That changed gradually. Now I have the guest house; I hardly go anywhere. However, the guests who visit me make me happy.

You have a lot of energy! You have been to so many places. What was the trigger which brought you to travel?

Curiosity. I visited Wakayama prefecture when I was in junior high-school to look at "The monolith of Kozagawa," the biggest rock in Japan. Then I came to think, "I want to look the biggest rock in the world someday." That brought me to Ayers rock. The monolith in Wakayama was my starting point.
After that, just a desire to look at something always motivated me to travel.

To let many people know the charms of this town

You have looked around Japan and the world. What was your motivation to start a guest house in your hometown Marugame?

Experience in the Aso rider house in Kumamoto when I was a student motivated me. The first generation owner, called "Jaken-san," is an amazing person. Meeting people and exchanging information in the guest house enriched my travel. I came to think that I also want to create a place like this. After becoming a company employee, I had visited many kinds of accommodations during my holidays. I had been thinking about the plan for ten years.

Why did you choose this area?

At the time I was visiting to look at trains in my childhood, this area was very bustling, so now I feel a little sad. It may be difficult this town will become like those days, but I hope people could enjoy this town even just a little bit by staying at my guest house.
So it had to be in the center of the town. I had been looking for a place, during a walk, for two or three years before opening the guest house. The reason why WELKAME is providing a bed without meals is I want my guests to use the whole town. There are not only restaurants but also a good-old public bath, "Jyohoku Onsen" near here. There is the Castle, and the port is also near here, which means you can visit islands. The trains take you other prefectures in a short time.
Though this town is not bustling like in those days anymore, it still has many charms, I think.

That makes sense! I've noticed your hospitality and your suggestion to your guests how to spend the time were thoughtful. I understood why you are doing that.

Right. Of course, I know Marugame, I also have traveled Shikoku and the islands. I ask my guests about the purpose of their trip, and I recommend places and routes if I have information. I guess I am taking advantage of my travel experiences.

Besides this area, where do you usually recommend to visit?

The islands. I recommend the islands of Seto inland sea. Many people live like being pressed for time these days. However, you can feel time passes so slowly when you visit an island. I hope people enjoy that. It is so different from the town even though islands are also included in Marugame City. It takes just less than one hour so that people can visit there during everyday life. A 30 minutes trip from here takes you to the islands soon. That's a good point.

Visitors and locals. The whole town makes the future.

Was anything happened, like "I did't expect this!" after you started the business in this town? Do you have any different impression of this town compared to the beginning? And please tell me about how you communicate with your neighbors?

t's not different from my expectation so much. It was almost the same as what I exact thought.
Because I was living around here, I have acquaintances, and I didn't have any problems communicating with my neighbors. If someone comes from outside of the town, it would be more challenging than my situation to build relationships, though. I am fortunate.
Quite few pilgrimage guests are what I didn't predict. Additionally, more and more guests stay in my guest house. I didn't expect it either, in a good way. Not only new guests but also repeat customers often stay. Thanks to them, I was able to open Annex.

I'm sure you have good relationships with your guests.

That's right. Because I am riding a motorbike, I often have guests who ride a motorbike.
Today, I have a guest from Sapporo who rides a motorbike, and it is the third time for him this year. People who visited this town once and came back again and see me makes me really happy.

So, in the end, would you tell me about WELKAME's future and your prospect of this town.

I am planning the third guest house. Now I am working on the opening in 2020, of course, it is going to be near here. At this time, I am thinking of a different type of guest house. Guests who will stay in the third guest house can enjoy the port town in Marugame, that is not available in the first and second guest house, I suppose.
It would be nice if more shops will be opened. Due to I don't serve a meal, I would be glad if I could recommend more restaurants and places. I hope the whole town will be revitalized.

You love Marugame, don't you?

I do love Marugame. I want everyone to get excited as I did in my childhood. So I am going to extend the area I work on, not to change the area though.

During the interview, he was greeting the guests, making their reservation for restaurants, giving information to them. I felt his love for his hospitality. His love for the guests was also love for this town, people working in this town, and his family.
I expect that he keeps making a place where "relation and bond with people" are born, and revitalizing the town for the future. Thank you very much.