As Japan continues to experience exponential growth in tourism, tourists are more frequently leaving the major cities and venturing out into the various islands, hidden away prefectures and charming outer regions. Fukuoka prefecture, in the southern part of Japan is where Odyssey has its first planned historical building acquisition, specifically in the port town of Port Moji. Odyssey’s strategy to acquire and convert this one-of-kind historical building with the help of famed interior designer Hashimoto Yukio, will create a stunning boutique hotel that will support the recent gentrification of the area and the city’s rise as a popular tourist destination.
It is also encouraging to see that Odyssey’s efforts, coupled with Hashimoto’s clout, will have an effect on the prefecture as a whole and not just the town. As seemingly never-ending numbers of international tourists flock to Japan’s shores and domestic tourists continue to explore their beloved homeland, its no surprise that the industry is thriving and expanding to all corners of Japan.
A recent broadcast on the NHK television network on the Japan Railway Journal named ‘Nishi-Nippon Railroad: Fine Dining on an Even Finer Tourist Train’ is an insight into the potential for growth in the tourism industry in the under-marketed and under-invested regions of Japan. In March 2019 the Rail Kitchen Chikugo opened a route which ends in the town of our future acquisition – Port Moji; this route lets tourists see more of the prefecture of Fukuoka while sampling local cuisine on the way. The news broadcast reveals how much tourists thoroughly enjoy the experience and Port Moji.
The unique tourist experience mentioned above is another reason why the Japanese tourism market continues to grow and expand across Fukuoka and, indeed, the country. Odyssey’s strategy continues to be to identify growing areas and work with local experts and talent and we see this news story and the new railroad as yet more confirmation of our predictions and winning strategy, as Port Moji’s growth into another amazing tourist getaway continues.
If you would like to see the entire story please watch the video here –} 
For the specifics of Port Moji please jump to 22:30 in the video.