[Guide Profile]#1 Mikiho

Mikiho Hotta(Founder of KD tour & Jp-inbound.llc)

33 years old mom and living in Kawasaki Daishi area.

Born in Gifu (Central part of Japan), Japan, 1986 .

Speaker of Japanese, English, and Bahasa Indonesia.

Publisher and Editor of Kawasaki Daishi English Map.

-About Mikiho

What to proud of my hometown Gifu is the great nature .Great green mountain, fresh blue river, green green rice fields. but they were quite boring for me when I was young. I look out to oversea.

At 2002-2003, I was in Malaysia as a exchange student of Rotary International youth Exchange 1 year Program ( to Negeri Semibilan, Seremban) as high school student.

I faced to multicultural & mixed culture of Malaysia, and start getting into the mixed culture of South east asia.

After going back to Japan, and graduate from Nanzan University (Nagoya, Aichi), I move into Jakarta, Indonesia and start out as a jornalist for 3 years.

As journalist, translater, and guide of English- Indonesia- Japanese as a freelance.

I got married with the man who I met in Jakarta, adn we bought the apartment in Kawasaki, because it is near to Haneda Airport and Tokyo. I got a daughter in 2015.

-Why Mikiho recommends KD area?

My daughter goes to a daycare beside of Heikenji temple since 1 years old.

It means, I go there 2 a day every weekday. (for transfer. No bus for daycare)

Then, I found things that interesting, heartwarming , sometime weired.

What I love this area is the mixture of "neighborhood community " and " tourist attraction ".

Biggest tourist attraction is Heikenji temple; the visitor of 3 days of Newyear is 3million. At Nakamise street, you can enjoy candies that has over 100 years and snacks, wearing kimono and so on.

Every weeekend, there are so many tourst from all over Japan to Heikenji.

but on weekday, you can see Japanese local life as it is.

Several todding children step with walking ropes, and local people chatting with walking dogs, schoolgirls and boys with randoseru having quarrel. --ordinary life and day.

I think, you can not see these sight in Asakusa, Roppongi, Odaiba, Shibuya, and so on.

- The reason why I start KD tour....

When I was in South east asia, I oftern asked "where are you from Japan?".

that time, I thought no one knows the name of "Gifu"; and I am shame of being from so such a boring place. I every time I answered " I am from Nagoya, near Toyota".

But now! Most of travelers from overseas to Japan know "Gifu"!! Yes, now Gifu was famous!

Now I am ahamed of myself of those days.

One day, after move into Kawasaki, I get to know a young Japanese lady. she was brought up in Kawasaki Daishi area, and usually worked in US. She says that she was same as me. When she was asked hometown, she answerd "Tokyo". " There is nothing to attracitive. Especially for foreign toursit, here is boring."

I thought, she was me.

And my daughter also can be like her.

If she goes abroad and be asked "Where are you from?", what is her answer?

I don't want my daughter like me. For civic pride of her, and next generation, I would like to define this area's position and promote.