After dealing with a natural disaster, this part of Japan is now struggling to prevent financial disaster as well.
In late June and early July, a large swathe of southwestern Japan was devastated by floods and mudslides following a series of heavy downpours, leaving over 200 dead and more than 40 missing, after millions of people in 23 prefectures were urged to evacuate.
One of the hardest hit areas was the Mabicho district of Kurashiki in Okayama Prefecture, where dozens of people were killed and thousands of houses were affected after nearly 30 percent of the town became flooded with water from the Oda River, which broke its banks in the early hours of 7 July.
Scenes of devastation in the area were broadcast on TV news programmes around the country, but what hasn’t been as widely publicised is the state of the area now, particularly in the Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter, which is one of the region’s most popular sightseeing spots.
According to Yuurin-An, a cafe and guesthouse in the historical quarter that suffered nothing more than a roof leak during the crisis, the canal-lined district escaped severe damage and is perfectly fine and open for business, but there’s one problem: now there are hardly any visitors.
After receiving successive cancellations, the owners became so concerned about the reputation of the area that they decided to take action, printing out a notice to let everyone know the area was fine, and handing the leaflets out to visitors.
倉敷美観地区にこれまで通りたくさんの人に来てほしい、風評被害を起こさないでほしい、という願いから私たちはお客さんにこの紙をお渡しし始めました。 来た方は分かるのですが、美観地区は全く変わりがありません。 それを口頭で、SNSで、… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
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有鄰庵（ゆうりんあん） (@yuurin_an) July 11, 2018
The notice says “Please let people know that it’s business as usual in the Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter!” and goes on to explain the cancellations received after the disaster and the importance of the district as one of the representative tourist areas of not just Kurashiki, but Okayama Prefecture as a whole. In order to help preserve the future of the area, and Okayama itself, they ask that people post photos of the historical quarter on social media with the hashtag #美観地区は元気だったよ (bikan chiku wa genki datta yo, which translates to “The Bikan District was healthy!”).
This photo from Yuurin-An shows that the Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter really is fine and open for business as usual.
現在の美観地区。 美観地区は晴れていて、元気です！！ これから怖いのが風評被害。実際に有鄰庵では来週末のご予約もキャンセルが相次いでいます。 確かに今日はまだ沿線が止まってしまっていますが、電車が復旧すればほぼ前と変わらない状態… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
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有鄰庵（ゆうりんあん） (@yuurin_an) July 08, 2018
After sending out the request online, people were quick to act and show their support for the area.
“I hesitated to attend an academic conference here, but everything was normal in the area around Kurashiki Station.”
学会とはいえ来るのためらったけど。倉敷駅周辺は通常通りです。 #美観地区は元気だったよ https://t.co/ecLyQuqbDY
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しょうへい (@sh_try) July 11, 2018
“It’s concerning that less people are here. There’s no damage in the Bikan District and at Korakuen (one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan, located in Okayama). By all means, please stop by.”
人が少なく心配になる。 美観地区や後楽園は被害ないんです。 是非遊びに来てください。 #美観地区は元気だったよ #岡山県 https://t.co/LcmXWIT00l
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COZ (@peac3s1gn_k) July 14, 2018
“We stopped by Kurashiki and saw no real change in the area, apart from the colour of the water in the river. We finally got to eat the parfait with a whole peach in it, which was delicious and fresh, and made a small donation by buying a peach juice afterwards.”
ちょっくら行ってきました美観地区❗川の色以外はいつもとあまり変わらない感じ。 念願のまるごと桃パフェをたべました、みずみずしくて美味しかったです😍 あとささやかですが募金して白桃ジュースも頂きました🍑 #美観地区は元気だったよ https://t.co/wECqRb5o6R
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桃山ひなせ＠ダンまちリュー外伝漫画④発売 (@mokibidango) July 13, 2018
“We came to Kurashiki. The Bikan district was unchanged, but there was noticeably less pedestrian traffic. We got some delicious things and bought a lot of souvenirs.”
倉敷に来ています。美観地区はいつもと変わりなく、でも人通りはかなり少ない気がします。美味しいものをいただいて、お土産を沢山買いました(*^^*) #美観地区は元気だったよ https://t.co/IP0LKsNSFB
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ありす (@nightingale_809) July 13, 2018
“I went to the Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter today. The financial damage there is real…it was a weekday, but I only saw about one visitor every ten minutes…the denim burger was as delicious as always, and I had fun going around the stores picking out some Bizen pottery. Somehow I felt like crying.”
今日は倉敷美観地区へ行ってきたよ。風評被害って本当にあるんだね...平日だけどいつもの10分の1くらいの観光客しか居なくてさ...相変わらずデニムバーガーは美味しかったし、露店のお店見て回るのも、備前焼選ぶのも楽しかったよ。なんだ… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
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岡山においでよする燭台切さん (@Okayama_SDKR) July 12, 2018
The situation in the area, and the support it’s currently receiving from visitors, is enough to bring a tear to anyone’s eye. If you were intending to visit the Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter, then rest assured that you don’t need to cancel your holiday plans, and if you’re looking to support the region, you might want to book a trip there soon. And if you do visit, don’t forget to post your photos online with the hashtag #美観地区は元気だったよ!
Source: Net Lab
Featured image: Twitter/@uurin_an
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