Takashi Miyahara came to Nepal in the 1960s and fell in love with the country that eventually became his spiritual home. While traveling the country, he realized that its natural beauty and cultural characteristics make it one of the world’s most attractive tourist destinations. Not one to back away from what others deem impossible, Miyahara focused on encouraging the country’s independent spirit for development and committed himself to bringing many tourism-related projects to fruition. The most well-known of these is the Hotel Everest View, which is located at an altitude of nearly 3,900 meters and commands a 360-degree view of the Himalayas. A Ray of Light in the Himalayas is an extraordinary story of how this iconic hotel came into being. Mesmerizing and inspiring in equal measure, this is a book about the realization of big dreams. Takashi Miyahara was born in Aoki, a small village in Nagano prefecture, Japan, in 1934. A mechanical engineer turned tourism entrepreneur, Miyahara always loved the mountains. In 1971, he built the Hotel Everest View, an embodiment of his pioneering spirit and desire to work with the Nepalese people to make a difference to Nepal’s economic condition through tourism development. In 1987, he built the Hotel Himalaya, a 4-star property in the Kathmandu Valley, the first foreign direct investment in Nepal’s tourism industry by a major Japanese company. Fifteen years later, he started constructing the Hotel Annapurna View, Sarangkot, on a hilltop and the Annapurna Cable Car leading to it in partnership with other promoters. After years of working in the private sector, Miyahara realized that the changes he wanted to see happen in Nepal could only be achieved through strong political leadership and will. In 2006, he took Nepali citizenship, established a political party called the Nepal National Development Party and wrote a manifesto encapsulating his visions for the east-west railway with north-south branches, tourism development, shifting the capital from Kathmandu to Chitwan, etc. Over fifty years living in Nepal, Miyahara achieved goals that most thought impossible and dedicated his life to the progress and economic growth of his beloved Nepal.