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After years of backpacking and traveling the world, Japanese traveler Daisuke Kajyama is finally ready to return home for his long journey. My dream is to open a guesthouse.
In 2011, Kajiyama returned to Japan with his Israeli partner Hila, whom he had met in Nepal, and the two began looking for the perfect location for their future adventures.
But there were some major obstacles in their path. For one thing, Kajiyama had little money to speak of after years of traveling to destinations like Korea, Taiwan, India, Nepal, Guatemala, Cuba, and Canada.
He also became interested in traditional Japanese houses, commonly known as kominka., This is usually passed down through multiple generations.
“I wanted to have a traditional house in the countryside,” Kajiyama told CNN Travel, explaining that he and Hila decided to find two houses adjacent to each other so that they could live in one and use the other as a guesthouse. . We'll run together. “I had a vision.”
When he couldn't find anything that suited his needs, Kajiyama decided to shift his search to include the growing number of abandoned homes across the country.
As young people leave rural areas to find jobs in the cities, Japan's countryside has become filled with 'ghost' houses, or 'akiya'.
According to the Japan Policy Forum, in 2013, the number of houses in Japan was 61 million and the number of households was 52 million, and the population is expected to decline from 127 million to about 88 million by 2065. and this number is expected to increase.
While driving through Tamatori, a small town located in Shizuoka Prefecture between Kyoto and Tokyo, surrounded by green tea fields and rice fields, Kajiyama stumbled across an elderly woman farming and decided to approach her.
“I said, ‘Do you know if there are any empty houses around here?’ And she just pointed,” he recalls.
He looked at the area she had signaled and found two abandoned houses next to each other near the river – a former green tea factory and an old farmer's house.
Both buildings had been uninhabited for at least seven years and required a huge amount of work. Kajiyama asked the woman to contact her owner to see if he would be interested in selling her.
“The owner said it was abandoned and no one could live in it,” he says. “But he didn’t say ‘no.’ Everyone always said no. But he wasn't like that. So I felt there was little chance.”
Kajiyama went to visit the homeowner about five times in person to negotiate an agreement to use the old green tree factory as a home and transform the farmer's house into the guesthouse he had always imagined.
He wanted to purchase both houses, but explained that Japan's homeownership tradition prevented him from purchasing the houses until they were passed on to the current owner's son.
“They said, ‘You have to take all responsibility yourself.’ So we agreed on paper,” he says.
Both he and Hila knew there was a lot of work ahead, but the couple, who married in 2013, were delighted to be one step closer to having their own guesthouse in their ideal location.
“It’s a very good location,” says Kajiyama. “It’s close to the city, but it’s really rural. Plus, people still live and work here. [in the city].
“My house is right in front of the river, so I can hear the sound of the water when I sleep.”
According to Mr. Kajiyama, the process of organizing the 90-year-old house before starting the renovation was one of the most difficult parts because there was so much to organize. However, he was able to repurpose some items.
During his first years, he spent a lot of time interacting with local residents, gaining knowledge about their homes, and helping local farmers with their farming.
Although he didn't have much experience with renovation work, he spent his time backpacking, farming, building, and doing odd jobs renovating people's homes.
He completed most of the work on the guesthouse himself, including replacing the floors and adding a bathroom that was a wedding gift from his parents, which cost about $10,000.
“I’m not really an expert,” he says. I love woodworking and building things, but I don't have any experience in my background.
“Over the years of backpacking, I’ve seen a lot of interesting buildings and interesting-shaped houses, and I’ve collected them in my head.”
Kajiyama was determined to keep the home as authentic as possible by using traditional materials.
He saved money by collecting traditional wood from a construction company that was demolishing traditional houses.
“They have to spend money to throw it away,” he explains. “But to me, some things are like treasures. So I would go and get the material I wanted.
“The house is very, very old style,” he says. “So I don’t think it would look as cool if we brought in more modern materials. It’s completely real.”
He explains that little work had previously been done on the house, which is highly unusual for a house built so many years ago.
“It’s completely real,” he says. “Usually in traditional houses, the insulation isn't that strong, so we modify some of the walls. So you lose your style.”
He said he received financial support from the government, which allowed him to hire a carpenter, and he also benefited from Japan's working holiday program, which allows travelers to work in exchange for food and meals when they need extra help.
After researching Japanese guesthouse permits, he discovered that one of the simplest ways to obtain a permit was to register the property as an agricultural guesthouse.
Since the area is full of bamboo forests, this seemed like a no-brainer and Kajiyama decided to learn everything he could about bamboo farming so he could combine the two businesses.
“This is how I started farming,” he says.
In 2014, two years after starting construction on their home, the couple was finally able to welcome their first guests.
“It was a really beautiful feeling,” Kajiyama said. “Of course this was my dream. But people really appreciated the fact that it was abandoned and I brought it back to life.”
He says hosting guests from all over the world has helped him stay connected to his previous life as a backpacker.
“I stay in one place, but when people come to visit, it feels like I’m traveling,” he says. “Today it’s Australia, tomorrow it’s England, next week it’s South Africa and India.
“People come from all over and invite me to dinner, so sometimes I get to join someone’s family life.”
Sadly, Hila passed away from cancer in 2022. Kajiyama emphasizes that her beloved wife played a huge role in making her dream of having her own guest house come true and she could not have achieved it without her.
“We were really together,” he added. “She created this place with me. She wouldn’t be like this without her.”
The three-bedroom guesthouse, which measures about 80 square meters, has been open for about eight years, but Kajiyama said it is still under construction and does not know when it will be completed.
“It never ends,” he admits. “I think we’re halfway there. It's already beautiful. But since it was initially abandoned, more details are needed. And my creative skills are getting better, so I need time to do that.”
He explains that work cannot be completed at home while guests are there. And while the house is closed for the winter, he spends two months as a bamboo farmer and usually spends a month traveling, which doesn't leave much time for repairs.
“Sometimes I don’t do anything,” he admits.
Offering activities such as bamboo weaving workshops, Yui Valley has helped bring many travelers to Tamatori Village over the years.
“Most of our guests come after Tokyo, and it’s such a contrast,” he says. “They are really happy to share the nature and traditions of our home.
“Most people have dreamed of coming to Japan for a long time, but their time here is very short.
“So they have this really beautiful energy. It's a pleasure to host them in this way and be a part of their vacation time. It's very special [for me].”
Kajiyama estimates he's spent about $40,000 on the renovations so far, and based on feedback from guests and locals, it appears to be money well spent.
“People appreciate what I do,” he added. “That’s why I feel special.”
About Hiroko, the woman who gave him her home 10 years ago, Kajiyama said he was surprised by the changes and how many overseas travelers came to Tamatori to stay in Yui Valley.
“She can’t believe how much more beautiful it is. 1706150072“She never thought it would turn out like this,” he says. “So she really appreciates it. She says ‘thank you’ a lot.”
Yui Valley1170 Okabecho Tamatori, Fujieda, Shizuoka 421-1101, Korea