OKAERI PROJECT
Connecting Japan's 9 million+ vacant houses with people who want to start something in rural Japan.
A new way to get involved — even without money.
Concept
I watched Japan's vacant houses being bought up by foreign capital and wanted to act. But I had no money. No loans. And yet I realized I could still move. Current condition, low rent, DIY. You don't have to fix everything from the start. Build a place where people gather, little by little.
OKAERI is not a lodging business. It's an experiment in creating entry points for ordinary people to connect with communities — even without money.
事業計画を読む →Properties
Site #2 · Fudai, Iwate
A House in the Miracle Village
2 min walk from Horiuchi Station. Built 1975, wooden 2-story. Kitchen, bath, toilet. A Showa-era fishing town house beside the floodgate that saved the village from the 2011 tsunami.
Explore →Site #1 · Yoshino, Nara
A Farmhouse in Kuzu, Yoshino
A 70-year-old farmhouse in the mountains along the Yoshino River. 20 min by car to Senbon-zakura and Kinpusen-ji. The first candidate property, available during prep for property tax only.
Explore →Site #3 · Niigata / Kashiwazaki area
Looking for the next property
We are searching for properties in the Niigata / Kashiwazaki area. Vacancy leads and proposals welcome.
Get in Touch →The Story
Not the finished space — but the transformation itself becomes the content.
Mission
What one person can do is small. But if more people share the same vision, the story changes. OKAERI is an experiment: proving you can tackle Japan's vacant house problem without money.
No savings. No loans. Moving only with crowdfunding, ingenuity, and connections.
Before foreign capital moves in, create a purpose with local people. One house at a time.
If Yoshino works, then Ishikawa, Iwate, Niigata. The same structure, spreading across Japan.
The lost generation. People without money. People who still want to act. Showing that you can do it too — that itself is the goal.
Support
Financial support, sharing, and messages of encouragement all make a real difference.