Koyo Murata left Tokyo to reopen an abandoned community center in rural Japan as a guesthouse. The Villa ASO in Taiki, Mie Prefecture, is part of a push to revive a shrinking town of 8,000 people.
Alpha Score of 58 reflects moderate overall profile with weak momentum, strong value, moderate quality, moderate sentiment.
Koyo Murata, 25, left Tokyo to reopen an abandoned community center in Taiki, Mie Prefecture, as a modern guesthouse. The Villa ASO now hosts visitors to a town of 8,000 people that, like many Japanese villages, has seen its population shrink and age as younger residents move to cities.
Murata converted the building himself, keeping the original wooden beams and adding a shared kitchen, bunk beds, and a workspace for remote workers. The guesthouse opened in 2023 and has drawn a mix of Japanese and international travelers, he said.
Taiki sits on the Kii Peninsula, an area known for hiking trails, coastal views, and the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage routes. Murata said the town needs more than one guesthouse to reverse its decline. He is working with local officials to promote the area as a destination for slow travel and outdoor tourism.
The guesthouse runs on a small margin. Murata said he covers costs most months but has not taken a salary. He supplements income with freelance design work.
"If one person can make a place like this work, maybe others will try," he said. "The town doesn't need everyone to come back. It needs a few people to stay."
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