Abstract

Japan’s first organized group tour? It was a pilgrimage to Ise by train!

Celebrating 120 years of Nippon Travel Agency Co.,Ltd.!

An inspiring novel about a travel agent’s life, depicting the struggles and dedication of Shinsuke Minami, who devoted his life to “taking care of travelers.”

Travel memories are treasures that can never be taken away.

Set in the Meiji era, Shintarō Minami, the village head of Kusatsu in Shiga Prefecture, supports the opening of the local railway station and starts selling bento meals to travelers. His son, Shinsuke, carrying on his father’s aspirations and driven by gratitude to the local community and the railway, organizes group pilgrimages to Ise Shrine and Zenkoji Temple—unintentionally marking the beginning of organized group travel in Japan.

Eventually, he envisions turning travel services into a business… This is the life story of Shinsuke Minami, founder of Nippon Travel Agency, and a gripping tale of ambition, perseverance, and the dawn of modern Japanese travel.

Author’s Information

A novelist. After graduating from Nihon University College of Art with a degree in Film Studies, she worked at CBS/Sony and later at the Directors Guild of Japan. During this time, she studied under Edo-period genre painter Kazuma Mitani, learning about the customs and culture of Edo. In 2003, she won the Shogakukan Bunko Novel Award for Aki no Kingyo (Autumn Goldfish). Her 2018 publication Gainamon: The Life of Takayuki Matsuura received multiple honors, including the 3rd Hokkaido Yukari no Hon Grand Prize, the 25th Nakayama Yoshihide Literary Award, and the 13th Funahashi Seiichi Literary Award.

Her other works include the Kuniyoshi School Ukiyo-e Stories series, Dozeuya Sukeshichi, Yūgi Jintsū: Itō Jakuchū, and Nipponchi! Kuniyoshi School Meiji Ukiyo-e Stories, among many others.