On behalf of the Shikoku Tourism Ambassador STU48, an idol group based in the seven Setouchi prefectures, Hyodo Aoi participated in the 10th “One Day Hospitality Pilgrimage Walk” and walked the pilgrimage route.
“Kasumini!!”, an extracurricular activity unit of STU48, formed of members who love Shikoku. The Shikoku Tourism Ambassador was formed of members who love Shikoku and spreads the charm of Shikoku through tours, events, social media, and more. In 2024, on behalf of the members who were appointed as the official “Shikoku Tourism Ambassador,” Hyodo Aoi participated in the “One Day Hospitality Pilgrimage Walk,” hosted by the NPO Pilgrimage and Hospitality Network.
In an interview before departure, Hyodo said, “Everyone is cold, so please don’t let your body cool,” and said, “This is my first time doing pilgrimage, but of course I’ll be able to inspect and beautify the pilgrimage routes. I thought it was a good event to build up physical strength. As idols in the Setouchi area, as tourism ambassadors in Shikoku, and from Shikoku, I hope that by sending out the news, we idols can make it even more exciting and spread it all over the country and the world. “We would like to pilgrimage while enjoying conversations with the participants.”
At the starting point departure ceremony held at the Yakuri Cable trailhead station square in Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture, participants were among the many top members, including Kagawa Governor Ikeda Toyoto, Takamatsu Mayor Onishi Hideto, and Shikoku Transport Bureau Director Kono Jun. He gave a greeting. Also, Hyodo, who was tasked with starting to speak, gave a cheerful speech, “What is the sky in Kagawa? Aoi! Hyodo? Aoi! Today, let’s do our best without getting hurt,” and the participants responded, “I’ll do my best.” A heartwarming yell back. Before you leave, you can act like soup and leave with a warm body! ! On the way, we climbed while receiving explanations from stone monuments and Jizo statues, and Hyodo also enjoyed a conversation along the way, asking questions about what he saw. In the places where the entertainment venue was waiting, we also talked about idol activities while having yokan and warm tea, and interacted with local people.
At Yakuri-ji Temple, in addition to visiting the main shrine, we also paid sutras to the seal book and draw fortune tickets. It was said that there weren’t many great luck at Yakuri-ji Temple, but Hyodo won Daikichi and also got the fortune-telling number! Participants got excited conversations such as, “It’s the Auspicious Eight of the End” and “It’s the Auspicious Eight of Yakuriji Temple.” Hyodo, who conducted an inspection and beautification activities on the pilgrimage road with participants on the day, said, “Thank you for your kindness to contribute to the revitalization of Shikoku. All of the Shikoku people are gentle, and their spirit of hospitality and love. It was filled with excitement and touched my heart. I wanted to liven up many of us with the aim of making Shikoku Pilgrimage registered as a World Heritage Site.”
The Shikoku Transport Bureau is engaged in activities aimed at effectively promoting tourism promotion in Shikoku by introducing Shikoku nature, history, food, culture, etc. widely domestically and internationally. STU48 is a company that operates Shikoku Transport We will cooperate with the tourism policies that the Bureau is taking, and will spread the appeal of Shikoku all over the country and around the world.
