Our man in Tanabe

Brad Towle promotes Tanabe, Wakayama to the world

Tanabe City in Wakayama prefecture is hometown of Benkei, the legendary giant, Hongu Taisha, one of the sacred shrines on the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage route, isolated hot springs, and Brad Towle, possibly the only foreigner employed by a Japanese tourism bureau. Formed in 2006, the Tanabe City Kumano Tourism Bureau is responsible for promoting the city as a travel destination and Mr. Towle's roles include a variety of things from inter- national promotion to translating menus.

Located in central Wakayama prefecture between Wakayama City and Shirahama, Tanabe City is the hometown of several famous historical figures, such as Ueshiba Morihei, the founder of Aikido, and Benkei, a warrior monk chronicled in numerous plays and stories. The Tanabe City Kumano Tourism Bureau promotes the city as the hometown of these figures as well as a great spot to start hiking Kumano Kodo, an ancient pilgrimage route that crisscrosses the prefecture and was recently designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

While Tanabe has a lot to offer, most visitors to the area make a beeline for Koyasan and the areas around the sacred mountain. The Tanabe City Kumano Tourism Bureau was formed to promote their area to individual travelers and small groups, domestically and internationally.

"Basically, my job is to collect, translate and disseminate information in regards to travel and tourism in the Tanabe City area." Brad Towle said. Besides producing maps and guides for travelers in English and Japanese, the Bureau has also produced audio guides for visitors. "This audio guide was written to not only decipher Kumano's cultural landscape, but also to give an introduction to Japanese culture," Mr. Towle said, and added that the guides are free for download at the Bureau's website.

"Another favorite project is our restaurant menu translation one." Which, according to Mr. Towle, requires him to visit restaurants in the area of JR Kii-Tanabe station, sample food and then translate the menus into English. "Every one of these (restaurants) will have an English menu so that visitors can experience delicious Japanese food in an authentic environment: the ultimate way to enjoy the rich culinary traditions of Japan," adding "so in the line of duty I am forced to spend my evenings eating great food!"

Prior to his job at the Tourism Bureau, Brad Towle lived and worked in Hongu as an ALT in the JET program. After going back home to Canada in 2002, where he became a professional guide in the Canadian Rockies, and working at the Canadian Pavillion at the 2005 World Expo in Aichi, he was contacted by his former supervisor in the JET program. "He asked if I would be interested in heading up the International Promotion and Development section and it was an offer I couldn't refuse."

"I am in charge of international promotion. Our city is small and ... without the capacity of other resorts in Japan ... Therefore our bureau's promotion is focused on small groups or independent travelers from western countries." Mr. Towle said. "Some of our promotion pro- jects include, international travel marts, traveling to Europe to visit agents and make presentations." Another task on Mr. Towle's list is working towards a joint promotional project with Santiago de Compostela in Spain, the only other pilgrimage route in the world to be listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site.

Despite his busy schedule, Mr. Towle still finds time to travel and chronicle his adventures. A link to his page can be found on the tourism bureau's web site. "... I have been cursed to roam the world." Mr. Towle jokes, referring to his travels from the Canadian plains to Sweden and Japan "Between jobs I spend my earnings on travel" he adds and likely learns a few things along the way to make travel better for others cursed to roam the world.

Text: Charlie Harrington
Photos: Courtesy of Tanabe City Kumano Tourism Bureau