Japanese traveler Daisuke Kajiyama made a long-held dream come true by setting up a guesthouse in rural Japan. He turned an abandoned property into a welcoming retreat, navigating the country's rising number of unoccupied homes, known as akiya, to start this venture in Shizuoka prefecture.
In 2011, Kajiyama returned to Japan with his partner Hila, an Israeli national he met in Nepal after years of backpacking. The couple, with limited funds, searched for a traditional Japanese house, or kominka. They envisioned living in one property and using another for guests.
However, finding suitable traditional homes proved difficult. Kajiyama then shifted his search to the growing number of akiya, or "ghost houses, " which resulted from younger generations moving from rural areas to cities for work, leaving properties behind. Back in 2013, Japan had 61 million houses for 52 million households. This disparity is expected to grow as the population drops from 127 million to roughly 88 million by 2065.
While driving through Tamatori, a village between Kyoto and Tokyo surrounded by green tea plantations, Kajiyama spotted an elderly woman working the fields. He asked her about empty houses, and she pointed to two neglected properties by a river: a former green tea factory and an old farmer's house. Both had sat empty for at least seven years.
Kajiyama requested the woman to contact the owner, who initially claimed the properties were uninhabitable. But the owner didn't completely shut the door, leaving a small opportunity open. After several visits, Kajiyama managed to negotiate an agreement to use the green tea factory as his home and turn the farmer's house into the guesthouse. Due to Japanese home ownership traditions, he couldn't purchase both properties until they were passed down to the owner's son.
In 2013, after getting married, the couple found the location perfect—close enough to a city for commuting, yet deeply rural. The sound of the river near the 90-year-old house added to its charm. Clearing the site of accumulated items was one of the biggest initial challenges.
Despite lacking extensive renovation skills, Kajiyama tackled much of the work himself, utilizing building and farming skills he picked up during his backpacking days. He replaced floors, installed a toilet—what he called a wedding gift from his parents, costing about $10,000. He sourced traditional wood from demolition companies, saving money and maintaining the house's authentic style.
Government financial support helped with the project, allowing Kajiyama to hire a carpenter. He also took advantage of Japan’s working holiday program for extra assistance. To simplify the guesthouse permit process, he registered the property as an agriculture guesthouse, prompting him to learn bamboo farming, aligning with the surrounding bamboo forests.
By 2014, two years after starting work, the guesthouse welcomed its first guests. Kajiyama described the experience as "beautiful, " noting that guests appreciated the revival of the abandoned property. Hosting visitors from places like Australia, the UK, South Africa, and India allowed him to maintain a connection to his past life as a backpacker.
Tragically, Hila passed away from cancer in 2022. Kajiyama stressed her vital role in creating the guesthouse, saying he couldn't have realized his dream without her. "She created this place with me, " he said.
The three-bedroom guesthouse, about 80 square meters, has been open for around eight years. Kajiyama continues to work on it, admitting the project is "never-ending, " with more details to add, and he can't complete work while guests are present.
