This essay as told is based on a conversation with Koyo Murata, 25, founder and operator of Villa ASO guest house in Taiki, Mie Prefecture, Japan. His words have been edited for length and clarity. I grew up in a quintessential rural town in Japan with about 8,000 people. My elementary and middle schools only
This essay as told is based on a conversation with Koyo Murata, 25, founder and operator of Villa ASO guest house in Taiki, Mie Prefecture, Japan. His words have been edited for length and clarity.
I grew up in a quintessential rural town in Japan with about 8,000 people. My elementary and middle schools only had about 100 students combined. There are even fewer children there now.
After school, we played in the river or organized soccer games in the park. I felt lucky to be surrounded by rivers, mountains and sea.
Looking back, I realize that my hometown of Taiki was already part of a larger trend in Japan.
Rural towns like this are disappearing as people move to Tokyo. The capital is where the best jobs are found. Most kids who grow up in small towns like mine dream of making it to the big city.
I have to live that dream
I moved at 19 to study electrical engineering at Mie University; After graduating, I spent three years in Tokyo working in construction management and then independent sales.
My life was full, but I didn’t like how saturated the city could be. The Tokyo metropolitan area is made up of almost 37 million people. The trains were always packed and the people seemed more tense than the friendly people back home. Over time, I began to realize how valuable country life really was.
Murata received a call from his father, telling him that the community center in his hometown was going to be demolished. Provided by Koyo Murata
Therefore, in August 2025, I decided to return home. In Japan, we call it a “U-turn”, when someone leaves for the city and then returns to their hometown.
My parents and older brother now live in Tokyo and run their own businesses. I wanted to challenge myself and build my own career. At the same time, he wanted to find a way to share the beauty of the Mie countryside with the rest of the world.
The opportunity came when my parents called me one day to tell me that an abandoned community center in our town was about to be torn down.
Murata hired a construction company to complete 70% of the work, but finished the rest with some friends. Provided by Koyo Murata
My dad said, “This could be your chance to do something with it.”
That’s when I turned around and returned to Taiki to start my own business and find a new use for the old building. I started a project to transform the old community center into Villa ASO, a guest house for visitors to the area.
Reliving the old
The former community center was a gathering place for local residents and also served as an evacuation assembly point. But it had not been used for 10 years.
When I set up my company, NexusTown, my idea was to renovate the building and turn it into a guest house with capacity for groups of up to 8 people. I hope to bring more tourism to our shrinking city.
I borrowed about 10 million yen, or $62,000, from my brother’s company and received another 10 million through an initial government-backed loan from the Japan Finance Corporation.
Villa Aso, a private villa, opened in December 2025. Provided by Koyo Murata
Over three months, we hired a construction company to complete 70% of the work, but the rest was DIY – just me and a few friends. It was hard work; None of us had renovation experience. I also had to learn how to market the guesthouse, how to list it on Airbnb and Booking.com, and how to set the right prices.
In December, when it officially opened and I saw our first guests enjoy their stay, I was glad I did.
The house can accommodate groups of up to 8 people. Provided by Koyo Murata
Making it a success
In January we were operating at 30%, in February at 60% and in March we reached 100%.
Our guests include college students on spring break, multi-generational families, and working adults from across the country. So far, we have only received one group of foreign tourists, but I hope that we can receive more foreign visitors in the future. The house is close to the Kumano Kodo, an ancient pilgrimage route that attracts hikers and travelers from all over the world.
The villa has a private sauna and there is a natural hot spring a 3-minute walk away. Provided by Koyo Murata
People who come to Villa ASO enjoy the same mountains, rivers and sea that I enjoyed when I was a child. They can slow down and enjoy the stars at night. You will be able to meet the warm people of Mie.
In addition to the villa’s private sauna, there is also a natural onsen or hot spring within a three-minute walk that I always recommend and that guests can visit for free.
The villa costs on average 28,900 to 33,700 Japanese yen, or $179 to $208, for two guests, with 5,000 yen added for additional group members.
The living room and kitchen are a large open space. Provided by Koyo Murata
In the future, I hope to connect the villa experience with local restaurants and activities such as sitting meditation and fishing in the harbor.
My goal is to revitalize the city’s economy and my work is never done. In addition to managing the guest house, I also work for a talent search agency. I am always thinking of new ways to renovate and improve the villa. I hope to recover the investment in about three or four years.
Murata is teaching himself how to market the guesthouse and how to set the right prices. Provided by Koyo Murata
The future of small-town Japan
I am concerned about the declining population of Taiki. I don’t think the city will ever completely disappear, but it may eventually merge with another municipality. It saddens me to think that this could happen to the place where I was born.
If this project can help one or two more people fall in love with my hometown, I will be happy.