「IN THE NEWS!」
いつもどうりで止まらないぐらい話しました！ナイスエディトありがとうございました！
Andy teaches English at elementary and junior high schools in Kashiwazaki City. He is traveling around the city by bike while working. Recently he is planning cycling events. "Near the sea and the mountains, this truly is a charming city. I want people to attend events and more people to come to Kashiwazaki. I want to promote the appeal of Kashiwazaki"
Born in Manchester, UK, Andy came to Japan in 2001. "I wanted to work in a foreign country once, but I knew very little about Japan, and I didn't speak any Japanese," he recalls. In between his work, he went out into the city and interacted with the people of Kashiwazaki, making many friends.
While fascinated by the scenery of Kashiwazaki, he competed in a number of national cycling races. He also competed in the 2016 UCI Gran Fondo in Niseko, Hokkaido and World Championships in Perth, Australia.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, many tournaments were cancelled. He was practicing a lot and so he wondered, "If I hold an event here, will people come?"
He formed an executive committee in Kashiwazaki. He has held three events so far to tour the beautiful coastline and mountain village scenery by bicycle. Due to his name recognition as a bicycle racer, famous athletes have visited, from both inside and outside the prefecture.
More than 20 years of living in Kashiwazaki, "Cycling was the first thing I did to relax on my days off. I was fascinated by cycling thanks to a bicycle I received from my predecessor."
"Its a completely different landscape, Takayanagi's scenery was like the scenes in the movie The Last Samurai." At first, he intended to return to the UK in a year or two, but he decided against it because he and his family in Kashiwazaki were encased in the beautiful surroundings. He lives with his wife and two sons. “I came to think that there is no better place than here,” he laughs.
“The people of Kashiwazaki are kind. Some of my former students grew up and decided to continue living in Kashiwazaki. They are helping me now."
Having lived in Kashiwazaki for more than 20 years, he is a popular person who is approached by both children and adults at event venues and asked to shake hands and take pictures. From this month, he started to guide his own tours once a month at the hot spring lodging facility "Takayanagi Jonnobi Village" (Takao, Takayanagi-cho, Kashiwazaki City).
"Through events and tours, I want visitors to interact with local people and enjoy the scenery that impressed me so much. I want to convey the charm of this region to many people."