I often sit on the beach with my husband and discuss all the things that could be done, with little effort, to help revitalize these Seto Inland Sea islands. Although we run a successful island business and work hard to attract foreign tourists, still, if we had just one more pair of hands, a few more legs to run around for us and a tad more yen to invest, there is so much more these two Western residents could do to help.

So when our local City Hall reached out to solicit my opinion on a plan to bring more European, North American and Australasian travelers to these islands, I felt optimistic.

Our city doesn't have the best reputation for putting their money into worthwhile tourism pursuits, so the charms of this particular area of the Seto Inland Sea remain hidden. In fact, Shiraishi Island is often called a "hidden gem" by those who wander off the beaten track and hoof it out here. Due in part to our invisibility, this small dot on the map with just 500 people is in danger of losing its unique culturebecause it is not being preserved. Sadly, I seem to be one of too few people wanting to do something about this.