Ryunohara is a place for people to reconnect with nature through tea and rice planted with no fertilisers, herbicides, or pesticides. We are located deep in the mountains of Wakayama, Japan, in a village called Ryujinmura.
You can book a stay at Ryunohara Hatago, a 120-year-old farmhouse that has been restored with modern amenities, dine at the main house next door under a kayabuki thatched roof, prance around with the resident goats Deko, Honda, and Makita, and cuddle with our Ryujin chickens (some of only 300 left in the world). Book here: airbnb.com/h/Ryunohara.
We also have a volunteer programme, where you can come stay for 3-4 weeks to work on And if you're interested in booking a stay here: forms.gle/QX1BiR4bo8SkdDJu5
I can just picture collecting sake in the guest room downstairs and hosting people and making food in that kitchen after its remade omg I love this place
Like one other commenter said, de-populationa and low birth rate are very real. The municipal kindergarten my son went to in Wakayama is now permanently closed. This year i visited again for one month, then stayed in rural areas near Iwade and there were no children. :( I love Wakayama, will for sure move to rural Japan again someday, though not sure I can handle the crazy heat there anymore(!) Ganbatte! You are one of the good ones, not just there to 'flip' akiya. Thank you.
I sent you an email regarding the property. I am looking to purchase a few Akiya in Japan, most for business but also some for future residence. I am hoping you will be able to help me answer all my questions! It is a shame that no one has dedicated themselves to the property because the potential is amazing! I am traveling to Japan for three months (I leave August 29th) and hopefully I can book at your Airbnb or even volunteer so I can get a first hand experience! Also I have tried to email you but it seems the email address is working :{ how can I get a hold of you?
Wow, amazing! I remember watching your videos as you were setting everything up and not knowing if was going to work out. Good to hear that things are going so well and people are enjoying the what you've made.
We will be in Wakayama for 4 days 3 nights end of September and want to book your Airbnb but there no vacancy. Contemplating to make a trip to visit the place though.
I'd love to get this place, but it's the visa problem that I run into. This is a dream for me. I'd love to know more about the brewery nearby though--would love to be a part of that somehow. Is there a contact for that? (if they're open to it). I used to do welding, machining, and fabrication for many years and could also do that as well if needed. I grew up in a small town in the southern US and later lived in northern Japan--this place has such a warm familiar feel to it! :)
The depopulation problem IS serious, wherever you go in Japan, and I think you've got the right philosophy about helping to address it. In my own small town in Toyama, just in my neighborhood, we've lost at least five households in the past couple of years--mostly to the deaths of elderly residents. Because we live alongside a very picturesque canal, there are quite a few people from elsewhere expressing interest in acquiring one of the many vacant properties on the canal to turn into businesses (the usual--cafes, restaurants, guesthouses, etc.). The hard part is convincing them that unless they also MOVE and LIVE here themselves, they won't really be benefiting the town as a whole. The town, and the city of which it is part, are not yet in the "danger zone" in terms of depopulation, but we're moving in that direction, and the most urgent need now is for new residents.
Personally i'd love to live in a smaller community like that. My current career path would be working on power systems so I'm hoping i can use that to work within the city for the prefecture itself. Hopefully more people can get away from having to be in the big three cities for work so they can have a more affordable and quiet lifestyle and repopulate these smaller towns.
You’re absolutely right, small towns and villages need people who will move in and live here (which is the difficult part because if there are no jobs nobody will move in, and if there’s no one to hire businesses can’t start up)
I think it is always going to be difficult to look for someone who is going to fit into the house perfectly. Many of those who have plans to move to the countryside probably has specific location requirements or work requirements. A better idea might be to work with other project trying to bring work into local community with the town council and there might be a better fit there.
Yes it’s difficult. The town councils have a lot of paperwork and layers of decision making so unless I have lots of spare time it’s going to be too much trouble to work with the government.
How much in pounds would it cost to live in Japan for a month if I retired there? Does anyone speak English in rural communities, and do they like , accept foreign people in such a traditional place? Would really appreciate knowing this.
Seems like a permanent go to place for your Singaporean friend. Good choice it seems. Many seems to be planning to leave for good or just enjoying their retirement with dignity but surprisingly many foreigners wanting & willing to take their place 🤷🏽
WONDERFUL! Watching right now this your video, I’ve get need to go there... I watching and seeking for places worldwide - the most islands and archipelagos to move (relocate) there on some quiet, peaceful, tranquil, remote place... And there will buy an Akiya in rural Japan would be a great choice, I think. I seen the world... as seaman (seafarer)... I live in an small country Montenegro by name, where now is a tourism madness... I don’t recognize my country any more... Greetings from Montenegro!
WONDERFUL! Watching right now this your video, I’ve get need to go there... I watching and seeking for places worldwide - the most islands and archipelagos to move (relocate) there on some quiet, peaceful, tranquil, remote place... And there will buy an Akiya in rural Japan would be a great choice, I think. I seen the world... as seaman (seafarer)... I live in an small country Montenegro by name, where now is a tourism madness... I don’t recognize my country any more... Greetings from Montenegro!
What a gorgeous home. Unlike anything in the urban areas. And not to mention houses in other countries. Also, quiet affordable. Most can probably invest more to even modernize it completely to some standard, making it an even more of an amazing home. But one thing to note is probably that you need language skills as well as handiworking skills. Living in rural probably means having to say goodbye to most modern convienances.
