Mr.Koji Matsuda
●52 years old living in Eniwa City ●2 years of residence ●Hometown Tokyo
*interviewed in June ,2021
It is a base for travel to Hokkaido.
Aiming to be a convenient and familiar inn.
When I work hard for many years and come to a certain age, people suddenly wonder if it’s okay to stay like this in their lives, and there are moments when they think again of dreams that should have been in place until then. Mr.Koji Matsuda( hereafter abbreviated title) who lived in Yokohama is one such person. I heard how the gusset called Eniwa is now trying to realize a dream.
In your 50s, try what you want to do!
——— Mr.Matsuda has been enjoying traveling to Hokkaido since he was in his late 20s. Under such a time, what is the decision to emigrate?
Matsuda: I worked for a major railway company in the Tokyo metropolitan area for 32 years. From the late 20s, I bedded to enjoy traveling to Hokkaido every year, and from my 30s I bedded vaguely to Hokkaido. Every time I got in my car, I came by ferry and got off at Tomakomai and Otaru, and from there I went around Hokkaido for about 2 weeks. At first, I ran along the sea, and from there I gradually decided on a base in southern and eastern Hokkaido. I stayed in many small hotels, and the feeling of home was comfortable, and I bedded to have a dream that I would like to do such an inn in Hokkaido someday.
However, I still had difficulty making up my mind in my 30s and 40s. But when I turn 50, I can see where I stand and where I am. That’s why I thought, “Let’s cherish my feelings at that time.” When I actually got to that age, my dream had not changed. There was an early retirement system at the company, so I was able to take that as an opportunity. At the age of 50, I decided to do what I wanted to do when I still had physical strength.
The living environment is comparable to Yokohama.
——— to This Eniwa City after traveling to Various Cities in The City of Eniwa?
Matsuda: I went to a migration consultation held by local governments in the Tokyo metropolitan area. I heard various gussets, but the response of Eniwa City was very good. After that, I was able to get to know him while I was in the face for a few years, and I was able to listen to Eniwa’s story in more detail and have a sense of closeness. I wasn’t confident that I could respond to the extreme changes to Yokohama, where the urban functions I had lived in until then, but I decided to move because I was close to Sapporo and New Chitose Airport, and I decided to move because I had no problem with the living environment. To be honest, I have traveled to Hokkaido many times, and Eniwa was only a passing point. However, when you actually live there, the cherry blossoms of The Izarigawa Dam are beautiful in spring, and the autumn leaves of the Garden Valley are a masterpiece in autumn. It is also a base for travel, and I think that it is a very livable gusset that combines relaxation and convenience as a place of life.
It is an inn where you can say, “I’m here again.”
——— I heard that I’m preparing for my dream now. What kind of inn would you like to stay in?
Matsuda: My dream of traveling to Hokkaido since I was in my 20s and doing a small-scale inn that I met is finally becoming a reality. I think that it will be open at the start of autumn at the earliest. Accordingly, I am now running west to prepare various things. Basically, we want to make it an inn where about 6 people can stay in 3 rooms, so we create rooms based on the concept of the season so that you can feel comfortable.
Eniwa is a turning point when you visit various parts of Hokkaido, including eastern Hokkaido. Even for those who come by car or motorcycle, Eniwa is a passing point. I want to be such a Minshuku that attracts such travelers to this garden. When I was young, every time I visited every year, I said, “I’m here again,” and the warmth of the small inn where I stayed. You can enjoy communicating with people you don’t know, such as “The flowers over there were beautiful.” I think that is also the power of the inn and the character of the owner. We will do our best to become such a Minshuku. Even is a travel inn. When you open it, please come and visit us!