Photo/Illutration The former site of a public lodging facility in a seaside area of the Tomocho district in Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture, is seen in November 2024. (Provided by the city government)

FUKUYAMA, Hiroshima Prefecture—Hoshino Resorts Inc. plans to build an accommodation facility off Tomonoura Bay, a picturesque locale features in the blockbuster film “Ponyo” by anime maestro Hayao Miyazaki.

The company, which operates hotels at home and abroad, reached a basic agreement with the Fukuyama municipal and Hiroshima prefectural governments on using the site, a former public lodging facility, on Sensuijima island.

The Fukuyama government expects the accommodation facility to open within four to five years and hopes it will serve as a tourism hub for Tomonoura and the entire city on the opposite shore.

If realized, it will be the first facility in the prefecture managed by Hoshino Resorts.

The uninhabited island in the Tomocho district is about 6 kilometers in circumference and is part of the Setonaikai National Park.

The public lodging facility, built in 1960, closed down in 2021 after falling into disrepair.

Since September 2023, the city has solicited proposals for the integrated use of a 20,000-square-meter area owned by the municipal and prefectural governments. It comprises a vacant lot left after demolition of the facility, a nearby campground and a sand beach.

Hoshino Resorts was the only applicant.

The Fukuyama government gave the company preferential negotiating rights in March 2024 and held consultations with the company and the prefectural government.

Development on the site is restricted under the Natural Parks Law, the Cultural Properties Protection Law and other regulations.

City officials said they had been examining the feasibility of Hoshino Resorts’ proposal. They have yet to reveal details of the project, at the request of the company.

But when they solicited proposals, they required applicants to create a facility mainly intended for travelers seeking high value-added experiences and inbound tourists. The proposed plan should provide a casually approachable nature tourism destination and share the culture and history of Tomonoura with visitors, the officials said.

“It was a proposal in light of our requirements when we solicited ideas,” an official from the tourism promotion division at the city government said. “We think details of the business plan will be released as the project progresses.”

The officials said they expect the project will take at least two years to design and prepare, and two more years for construction.

“We want to build a facility that utilizes the charms of Sensuijima’s location close to Tomonoura, and offer visitors a chance to enjoy the nature-rich national park and feel the lifestyle of local people,” a Hoshino Resorts representative said.

The company operates accommodation facilities centered on five brands, including high-end Hoshinoya inns.

It remains unclear under which brand the planned facility will operate, the company said.

“We can promote Sensuijima even further at home and abroad with a resort for overnight stays,” Fukuyama Mayor Naoki Edahiro told The Asahi Shimbun.

He also referred to the Tomo Mirai Tunnel slated to open nearby in late fiscal 2024, which ends in March.

“When the tunnel serves as a hub to explore the area after it opens and when Hoshino Resorts joins the sightseeing route in the southern part of the city, its charms will drastically increase,” the mayor said.

Related News