Introducing Takeyuki Morita

Takeyuki Morita is a Travel Management Tutor at ITC’s Botany Campus. Takeyuki tells us why he decided to move to New Zealand from his hometown of Okinawa, Japan.

I originate from Okinawa, the most southern part of Japan where the climate and culture are very different from the rest of Japan (It used to be a different country and is now well-known as “Hawaii in Japan” – yes the weather is hot and the beaches are beautiful!)

I graduated from Yokohama National University in Business Administration and worked as a manager in a restaurant which had fifty staff. Although I enjoyed the working environment my dream to live overseas pushed me to fly to Aotearoa! After travelling all over the country from Cape Reinga to Stewart Island I fell in love with the natural beauty and relaxed lifestyle of New Zealand and decided to become a Kiwi!

I have a wide variety of tourism industry experience including working as a cleaner in a small motel, a tour-guide for visitors in Auckland, a banquet supervisor in a luxury hotel, manager in a travel agent and backpackers whilst living in New Zealand. Other non-tourism related roles I have done are tutoring, cooking, building and a bit of acting for TV commercial and filming! After all my varied experience I find that the tourism roles are always very pleasurable – no matter what job you will take!

I have a PhD in Tourism Management from Auckland University of Technology (AUT), where I’ve spent years learning about how tourism connects people, cultures, and communities. During my studies, I achieved top results in my Master’s degree and even had my research published and presented overseas! My PhD focused on how martial arts tourism can help bring people together and strengthen local communities — showing that tourism isn’t just about travel, it’s also about culture and identity. 

Outside of my studies, I’ve been teaching Shorinji Kempo, a Japanese martial art, here in New Zealand for over 20 years. I’ve also represented New Zealand in Shorinji Kempo demonstrations on several occasions — an experience that’s allowed me to share our culture and meet incredible people from all over the world. Through martial arts, I’ve made friends in more than 20 countries and had the chance to visit many of them while travelling. 

Martial arts and tourism have both given me amazing opportunities to learn, travel, and connect with people from different backgrounds. If you’re someone who loves to explore, meet new people, and experience different cultures, the tourism industry could be perfect for you. Programmes like Disney or IWH through ITC are a great way to start your journey!