businesstraveller.com
UPFRONT
JULY/AUGUST 2019This 19-room floating hotel, called Guntu, ferries guests through the
tranquil island-dotted waters of southwestern Japan’s Seto Island Sea.
A combination between a modern yacht and a traditional Japanese
ryokan inn, Guntu promises guests “complete, uncompromised luxury
and serenity”.
The vessel-cum-hotel was designed by Japanese architect Yasushi
Horibe. The “refreshing and comfortable interior forms a cocoon for
guests to relax in” and Horibe’s design “exudes Japanese culture”.
The 19 suites are designed in four di erent styles, each complete with
a private terrace for “uninterrupted views of the stunning oceanscape”.
Whilst on board, Guntu guests will indulge in traditional Japanese
massages and enjoy the “exquisite, fresh cuisine” from the devoted chefs- from sushi to Western favourites infused with a Japanese style. guntu.jp
RELAX on a Japanese f loating hotel
NEVER BEEN TO...
THE OKI ISLANDS
FLY IN TEN MINUTES TO
MELBOURNE AIRPORT
COME 2023, passengers familiar with hour-long commutes from
Melbourne’s CBD to its airport could have the option of f lying
there in just ten minutes.
Uber has chosen the city as its third o icial pilot city for its “aerial
ridesharing” programme Uber Air. Test f lights are scheduled to
begin in 2020 and commercial operations in 2023.
e programme will “open up urban air mobility and help alleviate
tra ic congestion on the ground using shared air taxis,” the company
said. Passengers will be able to travel across a number of landing
pads called “Skyports” for f lying cars on the tops of buildings, for
the same price as an UberX trip over the same distance.
Uber says congestion now costs Australia A$16.5 billion
(US$11.3 billion) annually. This amount is forecast to rise to about
A$30 billion (US$20.5 billion) by 2030.
Eric Allison, the global head of Uber Elevate, said heavy reliance
on private car ownership would not be sustainable with the growth
of major cities, and Uber Air can help reduce road congestion. “The
19km journey from the CBD to Melbourne airport can take from
25 minutes to around an hour by car in peak times, but with Uber
Air this will take around ten minutes,” he said. uber.comONLY four of these Japanese islands are permanently
inhabited in this archipelago in the Sea of Japan, though
they have seen habitation since the Palaeolithic era. During
the late Heian period (794-1185), due to its remoteness Oki
Province came to be known as a place for political exile. In
1221, Emperor Go-Toba was sent to Oki, and died in exile on
the islands. In 1332, Emperor Go-Daigo was also sent into
exile there, but later managed to escape and regain control
of the country.
Due to their geological heritage, the Oki Islands were
designated a UNESCO Global Geopark in September 2014.
Getting to these islands from Tokyo isn’t easy. It takes
a whole day’s journey by train to Matsue, then a roughly
three-hour ferry from there the following morning. But you’ll
be rewarded by a charming set of islands that feel detached
from the rest of the world. If you go in the o season, it’s
unlikely you will bump into many other tourists.
travel-oki-islands.net