Plaque Honors Japanese Man Who Deepened Otama, Machu Picchu Ties; Former Mayor Helped Develop World Heritage Site

By Ken Nitta / Japan News Staff Writer

15:24 JST, June 25, 2025

OTAMA, Fukushima — Ten years after the villages of Otama and Machu Picchu in Peru became sister cities, a ceremony will be held in October to honor a Japanese man who was instrumental in forging ties between the two municipalities.

Yokichi Nouchi, who hailed from Otama, traveled to Peru in 1917 at age 21 and settled in the Peruvian village known for its World Heritage site. Nouchi (1895-1969) laid the foundations for the village’s development into a world-famous tourist spot by clearing away dense forest with his colleagues, helping to build water and electricity infrastructure and opening Machu Picchu’s first hotel in 1935. These achievements paved the way for Nouchi to be appointed Machu Picchu’s mayor in 1948, a position he held for three years.

Thanks largely to their connections to Nouchi, Otama and Machu Picchu established a sister city relationship in 2015. Exchanges between the municipalities, including mutual visits by residents, have continued since. A museum in Otama displays items including a letter Nouchi sent to his younger brother back in Fukushima, but there are no facilities in Machu Picchu that honor Nouchi and his achievements.

Plaque to be displayed

In 2024, a group of volunteers from Otama decided to make a plaque that would be left in Machu Picchu to commemorate Nouchi’s deeds and mark 10 years since the villages signed their agreement. Around 30 people were involved in the organizing committee. In December, the committee turned to crowdfunding to fund the stainless steel plaque. Within about two months, over ¥1.85 million had been raised, exceeding the ¥1.5 million target.

Measuring 36.4 centimeters by 51.5 centimeters, the plaque features a portrait of Nouchi and his accomplishments written in Japanese, English and Spanish.

It was created by Sanwa Corp., a metalwork company in Otama.

“I hope this will help visitors to Machu Picchu from around the world to learn more about its relationship with Otama,” said Sanwa President Yuichiro Saito, 57.

The plaque will be placed at the foot of Machu Picchu’s Inca ruins, with the commemorative ceremony scheduled to be held there on Oct. 26. “I hope this will help children in both villages understand more about his contribution to Machu Picchu and lead to further exchanges,” said Fumitaka Nouchi, a 77-year-old relative of Nouchi and a representative of the organizing committee.

Julio Tenorio, first secretary at the Peruvian Embassy in Japan, said Peru recognizes the plaque as a symbol of the bonds between both nations, and the results of many exchanges that have been conducted over the past 10 year