KOBE, Jul 30 (News On Japan) - Awaji Island, approaching 30 years since the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake next year, is experiencing a remarkable revival. Once designated as a 'disappearing city' due to its ongoing population decline and extensive damage, the island is now 'boiling' with activity.
Major personnel services company Pasona Group has relocated part of its headquarters to the island, prompting many employees to move there. Alongside this, new leisure facilities are rapidly opening, transforming Awaji into a major tourist destination in the Kansai region.
Additionally, various accommodation facilities are being established within the island. Pasona is also constructing large hotels aimed at inbound tourists and the affluent, in anticipation of the Osaka-Kansai Expo next year. Moreover, Bar Ni Bar Bi, a company known for developing eateries on idle regional land, has ventured into Awaji Island. They are attracting visitors from both inside and outside the island by creating a new restaurant district that utilizes local ingredients in areas where there was once nothing.
Source: テレ東BIZ