Lee Xian Jie embarked on a mission to restore a traditional farmhouse in Ryujin-mura, a village in Japan’s Wakayama prefecture, despite its rundown condition. The building, over 300 years old, stands on valuable land with historical significance and is one of Japan’s ‘akiya’ or vacant properties. Lee felt a deep interest in history and wanted to learn how people built wooden homes with joinery centuries ago without using chemical fertilizers. He left his tour company in Kyoto to move to the village during the pandemic and quickly fell in love with the community. Lee’s 16-hour working days include farm-to-table café services, renting the co-working space he created from another akiya, and renovating a 100-year-old building to convert it into a guesthouse. While the cost of living in rural Japan is much lower than that of major cities, there are a few things to consider before moving in, such as the language barrier, hard work, and costly renovations. Lee warns of hefty work and renovation costs but believes he can recoup these expenses through his café and guesthouse businesses, which are generating significant interest from visitors.
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