I spent years in finance. Then I realized rural Japan's rice terraces were an overlooked asset.

This as-told-to effort is based connected a speech pinch Goki Akuzawa, 62, the proprietor of Toronoki House successful Japan. It has been edited for magnitude and clarity

For 8 years, I lived a dual life. I'd walk weekdays successful Tokyo moving connected edifice and existent property investments. On weekends, I'd flight to agrarian Niigata, astir a two-hour train thrust from Japan's capital.

Along the way, I became passionate astir satoyama — a Japanese conception describing the narration betwixt group and the agrarian landscape.

I started spending much clip successful the countryside and yet came crossed an abandoned kominka, aliases accepted people house, connected a existent property website. I traveled to spot it successful person, bought it soon after, and spent the adjacent 2 years renovating it earlier opening it arsenic the guesthouse Toronoki House successful 2018.

In November 2024, I made the countryside my full-time home. I still recreation to Tokyo regularly for business meetings, but I walk astir of my days farming, brewing sake, and welcoming guests.

Getting my commencement successful existent estate

My profession began astatine an architectural and wide contracting patient successful Tokyo. I started retired successful accounting, past building tract management, and later moved to HR development.

Around 1990, erstwhile Japan's economical bubble burst, the institution was looking for personification who could cleanable up each the bad assets. I took connected the job. First, I had to study astir existent estate, truthful I went to the US and earned a master's grade successful edifice administration.

After I graduated, the institution transferred maine to their Sydney office, past later to Los Angeles. After returning to Japan, I sewage hired astatine an finance banking and financial services institution successful Tokyo.

I continued connected that aforesaid way until the financial situation successful 2008, erstwhile I had to laic disconnected my colleagues. It was reliable and took a important toll connected my intelligence health. It forced maine to rethink what creates worth successful existent life.

Finding worth successful the countryside

My turning constituent came a twelvemonth later. I hopped connected a two-hour slug train from Tokyo to Tokamachi, a rural portion of Niigata Prefecture, aft seeing an advertisement for an creation festival.

Being there, adjacent to nature, was cathartic. Soon after, I became mesmerized by life successful the countryside, peculiarly atom terraces. I began visiting accepted villages crossed Japan, Bali, Thailand, and Vietnam, and started to spot them done the lens of an plus manager.

That's erstwhile I realized atom terraces are undervalued assets. It inspired maine to commencement Satoyama Asset Management. Through it, I rented the spot and took complete the cultivation of 2 atom terraces.

My institution grows Koshihikari, a celebrated Japanese atom variety, utilizing integrated methods without chemic fertilizers aliases pesticides. Since galore agrarian villages are shrinking and aging, I prosecute residents to thief cultivate the terraces and support the section economy.

To grow my assets and make usage of vacant properties, I bought an aged farmhouse near a atom terrace successful 2016. I renovated it pinch Karl Bengs, a German designer known for restoring accepted homes and helping revitalize agrarian communities successful Niigata.

Half of the renewal costs were covered by equity from my savings, and the remainder was financed done a indebtedness from a authorities financial institution.

When guests enactment astatine the farmhouse, I return them to spot the atom terraces and different artworks astir the area. We stock meal together and often extremity up talking precocious into the evening astir life successful the village.

Two years later, I wanted to adhd much worth to the atom terraces beyond simply trading rice. So, I applied for a donburoku — traditional, unfiltered liking — brewing licence successful November 2020 and sewage it astir 5 months later. A twelvemonth aft getting my license, I opened a small liking brewery, utilizing atom grown successful the terraces.

I negociate everything successful the guesthouse isolated from for repast preparation. The inn tin accommodate up to 10 people, but I support occupancy debased truthful I tin tally it myself.

Living a balanced life

When I bought the location and began renovating, I had to explicate my intentions to neighbors. People successful the Japanese countryside tin beryllium conservative, truthful arsenic an outsider, it was my responsibility to make them understand what I was doing. This holds existent for anyone, whether a foreigner aliases a Japanese person. Relationships pinch residents successful agrarian communities are important.

Before, my life wasn't balanced. I worked agelong hours and done the weekend. Looking backmost now, it seemed for illustration a crazy lifestyle. Spending truthful overmuch clip successful the countryside has improved my value of life.

In Tokyo, occurrence is often measured by growth, efficiency, and financial returns. In the countryside, it's measured done relationships, health, and a consciousness of community. The opposition betwixt these 2 taught maine that wealthiness and happiness aren't ever the aforesaid thing.