Toshio Motoya

Toshio Motoya (元谷外志雄, born 1943) is a Japanese essayist, publisher and real estate entrepreneur who is the president of APA Group, which includes APA Hotels & Resorts, one of Japan's largest hotel chains.

Motoya founded the APA Group real estate business in Ishikawa Prefecture in 1971. Its hotel division operates more than 70 properties across Japan. Motoya's wife Fumiko is president of the hotel chain and is widely recognized in Japan, with her image appearing on billboards displayed prominently near major train stations around the country. At least four of the company's hotels in 2007 were temporarily shut down after it was discovered they failed to meet Japan's stringent earthquake safety standards, and that an architectural firm had used flawed data in its safety assessment of the buildings' designs.

A vigorous supporter of Liberal Democratic Party Prime Minister Shinzō Abe and fierce critic of former Democratic Party of Japan Prime Minister Naoto Kan, Motoya is linked with right-wing political causes in Japan, and views the country's involvement in World War II in a generally positive light.

Motoya publishes a magazine called Apple Town, portions of which are translated into English, which is distributed through the APA Group's network of properties and which focuses on economic and foreign policy issues. In the magazine Motoya, under the pen-name Seiji Fuji, has written essays urging increases in Japan's defense budget and suggesting that Japan's movement against nuclear power generation, which gathered momentum following the Fukushima nuclear accident, is part of a plot by the United States.

Motoya also expressed his political views through the website distribution of Apple Town magazine. In an interview series named "Big Talk", Motoya expressed his view that "Japanese aggression, the Nanking Massacre, and comfort women" were "fabricated stories" or "fictitious". Under the pen-name Seiji Fuji, Motoya also published a book named Theoretical Modern History: The Real History of Japan. In the book, Motoya reiterated his belief that the Nanking Massacre and comfort women were falsehoods created by China and Korea. In addition, he discussed attracting millions of tourists from countries like China and Korea, and said he "will provide support to the maximum degree" to the Abe administration which can be used against China and Korea on these historical issues. Some Chinese tourist organizations are boycotting the chain.

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