Ai Kaneda of Arrow Links

Reporting on Ofunato's charm

Ms. Kaneda and her colleagues often heard that people moving to Ofunato for work struggled to familiarize themselves with their new home. So, in June 2015, they set up "Ohfunako", a website promoting Ofunato's charm from a female perspective.

Ms. Kaneda spoke about the website's creation. “Sometimes the locals take it for granted,but there are lots of great places, and it's good to help people discover them. I want the locals to take pride in their town." Ms. Kaneda and her colleagues report on Ofunato's charm by actually visiting and experiencing the things they give coverage to.

Not just a disaster site

"By leaving Ofunato and living in a huge city, I ended up rediscovering my home town," said Ms. Kaneda, who is content with her decision to return.

She also has ideas for the Ofunato City government. "It can seem like the reconstruction is just about putting up buildings, but I think that everyone has a different opinion on what reconstruction means. Rather than just thinking of this as a disaster site, I want to contribute to the reconstruction any way I can. Instead of just developing new things, we should revamp what's already here, and get everyone in town involved."

Profile

Ai Kaneda
Head of Contents Division
Arrow Links

Originally from Ofunato.
Attended junior college in Hokkaido after graduating from high school. After working in Hokkaido and Tokyo, she returned to Ofunato in 2005.
In 2014, she joined Arrow Links to do administrative work and web creation. On the side, she runs a website called "Ohfunako" that promotes the town's charms.