Residents of Japanese islet hit books to impress South Korean visitors

A small island in the southwestern Japanese prefecture of Oita has never been a tourist hot-spot, but last year the island saw an unexpected, but not unwelcome, influx of South Korean hikers.Despite the current icy diplomatic relations between Japan and South Korea, many of the 680 Onyu Island locals want to take the opportunity to build friendships."We want to show our hospitality in their native language," said an Onyu resident. "It may not be a big deal (for the South Korean tourists), but we hope to see smiles on their faces."What brought the approximately 300 South Koreans to Onyu Isla…READ FULL ARTICLE