Japanese couple stuck in Africa tapped as envoys for Tokyo Games : The Asahi Shimbun

Japanese honeymooners stranded by the COVID-19 pandemic in Cape Verde since February have resorted to filming videos to attract tourists to the island, hoping that it might convince authorities to grant them work visas.

So far, no luck.

But though it took a little while, the efforts of Rikiya and Ayumi Kataoka haven’t gone unappreciated.

The island state’s Olympic committee recently asked the pair, whose around-the-world trip was cut short when COVID-19 travel restrictions prevented them from leaving the country, to serve as its official goodwill ambassadors.

Rikiya, 29, and Ayumi, 30, were trying to fly on to Spain when the EU restricted entry of non-European citizens.

Since Rikiya mostly makes his living by creating videos that show the attractions of various countries he has visited, the pair started making promotional videos in Cape Verde with the hope of obtaining work visas.

Rikiya’s videos, in which he visits unexplored areas where tourists rarely tread, have enabled him to pursue his dream of “continuing to travel for the rest of my life,” he said. 

Though the residents of Japan’s capital said they were amazed at what they called the Olympic committee’s “unimaginable” offer, they now envision a future where they’ll root for athletes from the small country that they say has become their “second homeland” at next year’s Tokyo Games.

Leonardo Cunha, the committee’s Tokyo 2020 Chef de Mission, explained why the organization reached out to the couple.

“The Cape Verde Olympic Committee invited them to be ambassadors because the Olympic Games are to be set as a beacon of hope for humanity,” Cunha said. “And their story begins with struggle and uncertainty to finish in the biggest global event that will mark the will of humanity against the biggest challenge faced in this century.”

Cunha added he expects Rikiya and Ayumi to stage a campaign to raise Cape Verde’s profile among Japanese.

While the Kataokas have yet to be given work visas, they have been granted special permission to remain longer in the country during the pandemic. A seaside hotel has offered them free lodging provided that they make promo videos for it.

Rikiya has long had the urge to travel, something he got from his grandfather, who took him along as a small child on trips in Japan and abroad.

Rikiya landed a job at a major company after graduating from college but left the firm in just three months after being assigned to a section that never sent employees overseas.

In November 2018, he proposed to Ayumi and presented her with an airline ticket to tour the world instead of a wedding ring, suggesting that they “marry and travel the globe together.”

Their honeymoon trip started in December 2019, and the newlyweds arrived in Cape Verde in the North Atlantic, 500 kilometers west of the African continent, in February this year.

The Kataokas stayed there two weeks, only to find themselves in for a much longer stay after their Spain-bound flight was canceled as travel restrictions kicked in over the pandemic, with the EU deciding to turn away citizens of non-EU states in mid-March.

They then made up their minds to stay in Cape Verde “until summer.” But one problem with that plan was that the short-stay visas they got when entering the country only allowed them to stay there for a month.

Thinking that shooting and sharing promo videos of Cape Verde might enable them to earn labor visas for their contribution to local tourism, the Kataokas created drone and other footage showing the colorful appeal of the island’s scenic beauty, and fired off emails about their activities to local news outlets, asking them to publicize it.

In response, a media company showed up, saying it hoped to learn not just about their videos but also wanted to find out about the Kataokas themselves for an article.

After the article detailing the endeavors of the Japanese couple to draw global attention to Cape Verde was published, the call came from the state’s Olympics committee, proposing that the Kataokas work as friendship ambassadors, with the Tokyo Games next year in mind.

Rikiya and Ayumi said they like the local way of living in Cape Verde, where people don’t worry about being a little late and embrace the idea of “no stress.”

“The staple food is rice and security is good here,” Rikiya said. “I’ve never felt more attached to another place than this country. I want to go see the Tokyo Olympics to serve as a liaison between Cape Verde and Japan.”