特集

Let's meet people in Kamikatsu vol.6 Hiroki Tamura

Let's meet people in Kamikatsu vol.6 Hiroki Tamura

Kamikatsu Town, in Tokushima Prefecture, was the first municipality in Japan to make a zero-waste declaration in 2003.
Each household uses composting for food scraps. Other garbage is brought to the town's zero-waste center by the residents themselves and sorted into 45 separate categories, resulting in a recycling rate of over 80%.
But Kamikatsu has other characteristics and attractions besides their “zero-waste” related activities.
There are many places, experiences, and tours that allow visitors to fully experience and enjoy the town's nature and culture.
The key factor is the "people" of Kamikatsu. Here are some of the people who are the lifeblood of Kamikatsu and who make the region more attractive.

Text/Yuuki Bando (National Government Licensed GuideInterpreter)


In Vol. 6, we introduce Hiroki Tamura of BIG EYE COMPANY, which operates the "Kamikatsu Zero Waste Center" and "HOTEL WHY.” Although he is busy dealing with guests, he is planning to start a new hands-on tour soon. We spoke with Mr. Tamura to learn more about his work and his new initiative.

“The work I was planning to do before I joined the company and the work I am doing now are completely different, but in a word, this is a ‘workplace where I never get bored.’”

Hiroki Tamura, who speaks with a smile, is a staff member of BIG EYE COMPANY, which operates the “Kamikatsu Zero Waste Center” and “HOTEL WHY.” He has been working for the company since before the opening of the center.

“In fact, making the work schedule was the first job I did after I joined the company (laughs). In the beginning, this building wasn't even finished yet.”

Mr. Tamura was born and raised in Kamikatsu. After graduating from a technical college, where he studied information engineering, he worked for a manufacturer in Aichi Prefecture that produced equipment for cars and motorcycles. After working for a manufacturer for a little over 10 years, he felt that he had done all he could do, and decided to help his family's business.In 2019, he returned to Kamikatsu, his hometown. While helping his family's construction business and the cultivation of "Yukou," a rare citrus fruit, he learned that the "Kamikatsu Zero Waste Center" was looking for a staff member to manage the center.

“It was not at all that I decided to join the company only after seeing the openings. I was curious about the company, so I sent a question through the inquiry form. And then...I found myself working there (laughs). At the time, there was a plan to repair and sell broken and unusable items brought to the Zero Waste Center. I thought this would be interesting.... I felt that my experience and knowledge from my previous job could surely be put to good use."

One can catch a glimpse of Mr. Tamura's skills on this old radio cassette player (←maybe this is a dead language now...) placed on the front counter of HOTEL WHY. You can hear a slightly muffled sound with a gentle touch from this player which has a rich Showa-era atmosphere. This is a broken player brought to the Zero Waste Center by a resident of Kamikatsu, and Mr. Tamura repaired it and made it usable. It is still working and plays music .

However, the main work at the Zero Waste Center is not just repairing things that have been brought in.... In addition to the work schedule, he also prepared documents for procedures, and set up a web reservation form for hotel accommodations. And the main work is to respond to inquiries and customer service for the Zero Waste Center and HOTEL WHY, which keeps him extremely busy.

Under such circumstances, there is one project that Mr. Tamura has conceived and is currently working on. It is a guided tour using rental e-bikes (sport-type electrically power assisted bicycles) based at the Zero Waste Center.

“The budget of the town of Kamikatsu allocated for the introduction of E-bike rental bicycles here at the Zero Waste Center. However, we thought it would be a little dangerous and unkind to simply rent bicycles to visitors from outside Kamikatsu.... Because Kamikatsu has many ups and downs, especially on downhill slopes, where the speed a biker reaches can be quite high. Therefore, I decided to make a plan to rent bikes with a guide. This is partly because I myself am a road bike enthusiast and have been riding for many years."

This tour is currently in preparation, but Mr. Tamura hopes to make it something that residents can participate in.

“We would like to have Kamikatsu Town residents serve as guides for the bike rental tours. I think participants will feel more comfortable with the idea of having someone who lives there guide them through the local area that they live in and know well. This mirrors the image of the "Volunteer Taxi1" program that Kamikatsu Town has adopted. I would like to create a system in which people from all walks of life can get involved, and those who are involved can receive a reward for their efforts.”

To this end, they would first like to have the tour guides test ride the e-bikes and hold training sessions for the townspeople to make sure they are well prepared. Several people who are familiar with cycling, including Mr. Tamura himself, are expected to serve as tour guides.

There are two types of e-bikes available. One is compact and easy for anyone to ride, and the other is a cross bike, which is great for those who love cycling and are used to riding bicycles on a regular basis.

“There are many people who come to Kamikatsu for the purpose of coming to the Zero Waste Center. However, I feel that many of them leave on a day trip, and it is a pity.... I want people to know Kamikatsu not only as a zero-waste town, and I would like them to stay in Kamikatsu a bit longer. I would like them to stay at least one night, preferably two, to fully enjoy Kamikatsu.”

In addition to Mr. Tamura, who was born and raised in Kamikatsu, there are many local residents who can introduce spots in Kamikatsu that a tourist is sure to miss on their own. This guided tour will serve as a deeper connection between the inside and outside of Kamikatsu. Since the tour will be conducted by bicycle, you will surely be able to enjoy the beautiful scenery that will slowly flow by. We hope you will discover many unknown charms of Kamikatsu. We are looking forward to the start of the tour.

■ Kamikatsu Zero Waste Center
7-2, Aza Shimoniura, Oaza Fukuhara, Kamikatsu-cho, Katsuura-gun, Tokushima
Hours available for tours: 9:00 - 17:00
(Closed on the 1st Tuesday of the month and 12/31 - 1/2)
▶︎ https://why-kamikatsu.jp/

*1 Volunteer taxi: The official name is "private paid passenger transportation.” A taxi service in which ordinary townspeople volunteer to use their own vehicles. The taxi service was created with the idea that everyone, including the elderly, should be able to live conveniently and comfortably.
▶︎ https://hida-mari.com/volunteer-taxi/

For more information on tours using volunteer taxi, check " Let's meet people in Kamikatsu vol.1 Sonoe Fujii"
▶︎ https://www.east-tokushima.jp/feature/detail.php?id=273