Miwa was born in Kushiro, Hokkaido. After graduating from university in Kyoto, she worked at cafes in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka. The six years she worked as a manager at a cafe were fulfilling, but after seeing the world’s spectacular views on TV and in books, she decided to leave the company and explore the world. She went to Canada and the United Kingdom on a working holiday, worked at restaurants and hotels with people from all over the world while traveling on her days off.
After 3 years, she returned to her hometown of Hokkaido and worked at hotels in Akanko Onsen and Niseko, where she enjoyed interacting with customers from other countries. Now she enjoys her life in Sapporo with delicious food and comfortable climate.
Including part-time jobs, she has been working in hospitality industry such as restaurants and hotels for about 20 years. By interacting with people from various regions and nationalities, she learned that there are many customs and cultures in the world that she was unaware of, and she realized that being interested and knowing others leads to understanding. Living in various places, talking with new people, and learning about many different cultures are all great assets. She thinks it’s important to understand that everyone is different, learn their values, think about what I can do, and take action. She would like to continue to be curious and learn about people and the world.
● Her favorites: The great nature of Hokkaido
When she returned to her hometown, she once again felt the greatness of Hokkaido’s nature, and she realized that Hokkaido can’t compete with the majesty of the Canadian Rockies or the endless snowy landscape of Iceland. In particular, she would like people to come and see the spectacular natural scenery of her hometown, eastern Hokkaido. “The environment in which I was born and raised was natural to me, but after I left my hometown, I realized that there was something special about it that wasn’t found in other areas.” When she was in high school, she would ride my bicycle past the Kushiro Marshland and encounter a deer or fox, which was a part of her daily life, but now she realizes how majestic and precious those views are.
Backpacking around Europe, she encountered many spectacular views. she felt a new sense of sight and smell that she had never encountered before. She wants as many people as possible to experience the moving experiences through travels, which can’t be conveyed through photos or videos. She would like many people to come to Japan and Hokkaido and experience new scenery and the local culture.
● WHY DO YOU LOVE WORKING IN TRAVEL?
She believes that through her travels she encountered new values, was moved by them, and grew by breaking her own expectations, so she wants many people to have that experience. Having lived in many different places, she has realized the charm of Hokkaido, and want to contribute to revitalizing the local area. As a person from a local area, she would like to spread information about the local area that is not yet well known.
