Noto DMC, a B2B travel company, was founded in 2020 after half a year of the corona pandemic crisis.
The Noto region, where beautiful nature is fused with lifestyle and culture, is currently facing various challenges due to the aging of the population and other factors.
We are engaged in a number of projects with local people and businesses with the objective of introducing all of its unknown landscapes and cultural treasures to people all over the world, and to protect the region through the power of tourism.
The Inbound tourism team is composed of 3 main members very fond of the Noto peninsula culture.
Hajime Koyama
Inbound tourism team Director
Originally from Osaka, moved to the Noto Peninsula eight years ago. As an environmental consultant, he was fascinated by Noto’s way of life, which successfully incorporates nature’s bounty. He used to guide cycling tours on Noto Island to introduce the Noto way of life, but decided he wanted to do more to promote the Noto Peninsula as a whole and founded the Noto DMC with his friends in 2020.
Chie Takazawa
Born in Nanao City in Noto. She went to university in Tokyo, where she then worked in brand marketing, planning, and logistics in the food, cosmetics, and entertainment industries. After the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake, she met people involved in community development, which made her rediscover the potential of her native Noto. She returned home in 2019 with a desire to introduce Noto’s lifestyle wisdom, scenery, rich culture, and dietary habits to as many people as possible and encourage them to visit.
Romain Lebrun
Originally from Belgium, studied and evolved in the tourism industry, mainly working in hotels. He settled for good in the Noto Peninsula in 2018 after 4 years living in Japan. He cycled around most of the country and, seduced by the area, he eventually settled down in a small village nearby Wajima. He considers the Noto Peninsula an amazing place for cycling and is enthusiastic in introducing the sustainable local culture and crafts through bicycle or walking tours.
Our mission
While Japan has been benefiting from an incredible surge in popularity, its flagship destinations have been spoiled by mass tourism and its negative effects. We at Noto DMC believe that slow tourism should be privileged above mass tourism, and we aim to focus on authentic experiences meeting with local people, witnessing their daily life and interacting with them.
How we can help
The Noto Peninsula is somehow an isolated rural area, and has been slow in preparing for inbound tourism while it has been neglected by foreign visitors. As such, language barrier can become an issue as it can be hard for the visitor to find relevant information for transportation, accommodations and sightseeing. Noto DMC helps organize tailor-made tours for groups or individuals, while making sure the customers make best use of their time. As they are located on the peninsula themselves, they would be available to assist directly on the spot when needed.
Unique activities
Noto DMC has been working in developing tourism attractions throughout the Noto peninsula, and consequently we have also been making many interesting encounters. In order to make the area more attractive to a foreign customer base, Noto DMC is proposing exclusive activities and visits that visitors would normally not have access to.
What kind of tours
The Noto Peninsula boasts an amazing range of attractions. It is recognized for its agricultural, fishery and forestry systems and techniques, many of them one can still witness nowadays. It has developed unique crafts locals are still very proud of. It has amazing natural sights and is a popular cycling destination. There is just so much that anyone can benefit from a trip in the area. Noto DMC can assist you on organizing thematic tours based on all of these assets.
Accommodation
There is a large range of family-owned guest houses and farm stays. These hosts tend to be locals proud of their heritage, or people from other prefectures who grew fond of Noto. Some of them are farmers, some are fishermen, yet others are chefs convinced by the high quality and variety of local ingredients. These small accommodations present different stages of comfort: some can be rustic houses that have kept their authentic features, some have been renovated to provide more comfort to the customers. What they have in common is that all of them are willing to share their love for the local culture. As it can be hard for such small accommodations to have visibility on the internet, Noto DMC is willing to help in providing guests for positive cultural exchange, while the customers will enjoy immersive experiences with their hosts.
Incentives
The Noto Peninsula is praised by Japanese people for its delicious food and beautiful seascapes, and accordingly has developed luxurious resorts and high-end accommodation. Yet as they are still surrounded by the great nature and culture of Noto, they can be great bases to explore the area. Noto DMC can assist in organizing seminars and incentives for unforgettable experiences, while witnessing the wisdom of the locals and sustainable lifestyle.
