HIROSHIMA -- On the last day of the Heisei era on April 30, Itsukaichi Wharf in Saeki Ward, Hiroshima, was in a celebratory mood over the arrival of Britain's Queen Elizabeth luxury cruise ship and its about 2,000 passengers.
Local residents in pink jackets emblazoned with the words "Saeki-ku Omotenashi-tai" -- "Saeki Ward hospitality team" -- welcomed passengers and crew of the 90,900-ton cruise ship.
Toshiko Sawada, 78, said with a smile, "Let's wear a kimono!"
Sawada leads the team's four-member "Misuzugaoka Group," which offers visitors the chance to try on kimono for free. The members show overseas visitors how to gracefully wear a kimono using simple English phrases and gestures.
Cruise ship passengers were initially puzzled by the overture but became transfixed once they donned colorful kimono, posing in front of a mirror and taking souvenir photos of their new look.
Lauris Sheriff, a 68-year-old tourist from New Zealand, praised the kimono for its ability to fit any body type, while a 30-year-old Latvian employed in the ship's restaurant said she felt a connection with the women who fitted her.
This year marks the 130th anniversary of Hiroshima Port, which consists of five wharves located mainly in Hiroshima that offer public docking.
Until recently, only Ujina Wharf in Hiroshima's Minami Ward could accommodate cruise ships, and even there the water was not deep enough to handle ships larger than 100,000 tons.
In response, the prefectural government refurbished Itsukaichi Wharf in 2015, spending 200 million yen to transform it from a loading pier to a wharf capable of receiving 220,000-ton cruise ships.
Residents of Saeki Ward saw the new wharf as an opportunity to welcome tourists to Hiroshima. Many came together to form the hospitality team in 2016.
The team currently lists 127 individuals and 49 schools, companies and other entities as registered members.
Members set up special venues on the wharf to welcome the large cruise ships that come about 10 times a year, introducing tourists to aspects of Japanese culture such as the kendama, tea ceremony and calligraphy. Members also serve as volunteer tour guides.
Aiming for repeat visitors
Sawada and the others signed up for the hospitality team to make use of their experience fitting people in kimono. They received donations of unused kimono from neighbors and made changes to the obi belts and other parts so they could be put on quickly.
According to the city government, 1.782 million foreign tourists visited Hiroshima in 2018, a record high for the seventh year in a row.
The Atomic Bomb Dome, Itsukushima Shrine and other World Heritage sites in the prefecture are popular with cruise ship passengers, but the team aims to get tourists to spend more time in lesser-known spots and return to the city in the future.
Companies that plan cruises and others say a major criterion for selecting ports is whether they offer "heartfelt hospitality."
"We can promote the charms of Hiroshima all the more because we have the hospitality team," said Shunji Komatsu of the prefectural government's port and harbor promotion division.
Cruise ships have visited Hiroshima Port more frequently. Port calls totaled 32 in fiscal 2015 when Itsukaichi Wharf was renovated, 51 in fiscal 2016 and 48 in both fiscal 2017 and 2018. The number is expected to rise to 63 in fiscal 2019, nearly twice the 2015 figure.
Members have also felt a renewed sense of purpose since joining the hospitality team.
"I want to keep studying English and learn new methods of folding origami," said Yuiko Tutchimoto, 63, who teaches the art of folding origami peace cranes.
Hideki Takamura, 75, takes photos to record the team's activities. "The expressions on the faces of team members are brighter and more energetic than ever before," he said.
Sawada and the rest of the team hope that visitors are touched by the warm welcome and want to come back to Hiroshima.
More visits by cruise ships
Cruise ships made 2,928 port calls nationwide in 2018, up 5.9 percent from the year before and the highest figure on record, according to an interim report by the tourism ministry.
These ships brought 2.44 million foreign tourists to Japan in 2018, and the government aims to increase that number to 5 million in 2020.
Local governments that manage ports are keen to invite cruise ships because they carry a large number of passengers whose spending creates a ripple effect in the local economy when they disembark for shopping or tourism.
Citizens groups and others hold events at Shimizu Port in Shizuoka and Akita Port in Akita to welcome cruise ships.
Meanwhile, five cities including Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture, and Yasugi, Shimane Prefecture, recruited local residents to join a group welcoming cruise ship passengers at Sakai Port in Tottori Prefecture. Participants offered tourists an overview of the local culture through performances of the dojosukui folk dance and other activities.
-- Hiroshima
The city faces the Seto Inland Sea in southern Hiroshima Prefecture. The city prospered as a castle town starting in the medieval period, and today relies mainly on auto parts and other manufacturing. The population was about 1.12 million as of the end of May.
The site of the world's first atomic bombing, the city has been an ambassador for world peace and for abolishing war and nuclear weapons. Many people visit the Atomic Bomb Dome, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and other sites related to the atomic bombing each year. The city also has Mazda Stadium, home to the Hiroshima Toyo Carp professional baseball team.
Twenty-three people were killed in Hiroshima and the city suffered extensive damage during the torrential rains that hit western Japan last July. It is now working on reconstruction efforts.
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