Kazuki Hirota of Horaikan Hotel

Kamaishi to host the 2019 Rugby World Cup

Hirota was working in Chiba Prefecture when the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami hit. Following this, he moved to Kamaishi, where he had relatives, and currently works in Horaikan Hotel.

He also organizes English conversation classes for elementary and junior high school students in order to allow them to communicate with foreign tourists and puts a lot of effort into community activities, as Kamaishi looks forward to the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

“The stadium site is still just an empty field, but I am confident Kamaishi will be able to make it in time, so I’m hoping the whole community will cooperate to achieve this goal,” he says.

Raise a glass of Kamaishi wine as a toast to their reconstruction

Hirota is also involved with Wain de Kanpai Project, a local initiative to create vineyards in the tsunami-affected region so that when the 2019 Rugby World Cup rolls around people can toast Kamaishi’s successful reconstruction with local wine. “I think the reconstruction is moving forward step by step,” he said, when asked what he thinks about the future of Kamaishi. “People may continue to move out of town, but for the sake of those who want to stay, I hope Kamaishi can become the kind of place in which they continue to live.”

The coming of the 2019 Rugby World Cup to Kamaishi, as well as projects involved in the lead up the event, are providing support for both Kamaishi’s reconstruction and the continued viability of the region for the future. We hope that these will continue to improve life in the coastal region more and more going forward.

Profile

Kazuki Hirota: Horaikan Hotel Staff
Hotel Services and Rugby, Wine and Agriculture Officer

Originally from Matsudo City in Chiba Prefecture.

When he was a schoolboy, he often spent his summer holidays in his mother's family home in Yamada, Iwate. When he was in high school he played rugby, and after graduating university he started working at a company in Chiba.

Spurred by the disaster, in October 2011 he moved to Kamaishi. Currently he works on promoting rugby and on a project to produce wine in the region, as well as working as a staff member in Horaikan Hotel.