Couple Ditches City Life to Renovate an Abandoned Home in Rural Japan

• Gilles Beaufils and his spouse gave up metropolis life in Tokyo to renovate an deserted home in rural Japan.
• Beaufils, 56, estimates they spent lower than $10,000 shopping for the deserted property, or akiya, on Kyushu island.
• Whereas they did many of the work themselves, he says they’re going to by no means tackle a venture like that once more.

After three many years of working in Tokyo, Gilles Beaufils determined he wanted a change of surroundings.

The 56-year-old Frenchman arrived in Japan as a backpacker within the early ’90s. He met his spouse proper earlier than he was about to move off for his subsequent vacation spot. Ultimately, he by no means received on the aircraft.

“I made a decision to remain slightly bit extra, and slightly bit extra, and that was it mainly,” Beaufils informed Insider. “I have been married to her for over 30 years.”

The couple have a 31-year-old son.

For the reason that couple ran their very own companies — in each video manufacturing and actual property administration — Beaufils realized that there was no obligation for them to be working within the metropolis.

“Due to what we do, it isn’t like we’re busy daily,” Beaufils mentioned. “When now we have downtime, as a substitute of staying in Tokyo, it’s higher to be in the midst of nature.”

The plan was to construct a base the place they may stay and nonetheless work whereas away from the concrete jungle, he mentioned.

House? No, akiya. 

The couple determined to search for property within the south of Japan and located themselves on the island of Kyushu.

Kyushu is situated southwest of mainland Japan, and contains quite a few cities similar to Fukuoka, Kumamoto, and Nagasaki — the place an atomic bomb was dropped throughout World Struggle 2.

As an alternative of an condo within the countryside, the couple determined they wished an akiya as a substitute. Akiyas are outdated, deserted homes in rural areas of Japan.

They spent hours trawling akiya banks — databases maintained by the native municipalities for deserted or vacant homes — searching for the precise property.

Finally, the couple discovered what they had been searching for within the Saga Prefecture, which additionally occurs to be Beaufils’ spouse’s hometown. Saga is a couple of one-and-a-half-hour flight from Tokyo and is called the birthplace of ceramics in Japan.

The property that they set their sights on was a conventional Japanese dwelling in Okawachiyama, a rural village identified for its wealthy pottery-making historical past.

The deserted dwelling was over a century outdated, and had been left vacant for the previous 10 years, Beaufils mentioned.

“The individuals who used to stay there died and the youngsters did not wish to take over,”  he mentioned. “However I get pleasure from doing renovation and inside ornament, and proudly owning an akiya was the right probability for me to work on these sorts of issues.

Principally DIY, however by no means once more

It took Beaufils, his spouse, and his son 4 months to renovate the complete deserted dwelling throughout the winter of 2019.

Regardless of the chilly climate, it was the right time for them to tackle the venture due to their work schedule.

Since they weren’t busy with work, the trio might principally give attention to renovating the place. It might have been tough to get something completed in any other case, Beaufils added.

The household renovated many of the property themselves, he mentioned.

“We did all that we might do after which we left the electrical energy and plumbing jobs to the professionals,” he mentioned.

Whereas the renovation course of was enjoyable, Beaufils mentioned he would by no means do that once more as a result of it was bodily and mentally arduous.

They labored six days per week for 4 months with no breaks and typically even needed to squeeze in journeys again to Tokyo to take care of work issues, he mentioned. 

Fortunately, his in-laws stay about 20 minutes away from the akiya, and the three of them might keep there for the primary two months whereas engaged on the restoration venture.

Since Saga faces the ocean, the realm experiences excessive humidity ranges that may be damaging to wooden constructions just like the couple’s akiya.

“The place was not in dangerous situation, however we wanted to do a variety of issues due to the moisture,” he mentioned. “We modified every part, together with the flooring.” 

Good measurement, good location

The akiya is simply over 1,800 sq. toes and is situated proper in the midst of the village. Beaufils mentioned he paid lower than $10,000 for the house.

“And after I say the village may be very small, it’s actually very small,” Beaufils mentioned. “There are not any outlets in any respect, no comfort retailer, nothing — besides about 30 potters that also work on their craft in that village.” 

Proper off the bat, Beaufils observed the property’s potential — not simply as a home for himself, but in addition as a base for any companies if he wished to start out one down the highway.

“Why I named it ‘Base Camp Imari’ was as a result of it was a spot for us to have the ability to work, and to go and are available again from Tokyo,” Beaufils mentioned.

However primarily based on his personal entrepreneurship experiences, the thought of turning the akiya right into a enterprise was all the time behind his thoughts.

Only a few months after they accomplished the restoration venture, Beaufils determined to open his akiya as a café and traveler’s lodge to the general public. 

The couple determined that they solely wished to lease one massive room out to friends of their lodge. The room sleeps 4 friends however will accommodate solely a single group at a time.

Along with the bed room and the toilet, the friends even have entry to a multi-purpose room that comes with facilities, together with a microwave and a fridge.

All different rooms are shared areas, together with an exercise room the place the couple runs kimono expertise and Japanese sweet-making workshops, Beaufils mentioned.

Guests can e book a keep on the lodge for $67 an evening on Airbnb. 

There are a minimum of 649 listings of conventional properties in Japan that may be rented on Airbnb and so they’re scattered all throughout the nation.

Enterprise picked up after pandemic restrictions eased

The place grew to become far more common with vacationers than Beaufils initially anticipated, however the COVID-19 pandemic slowed every part down. 

“For 3 years, enterprise grew to become very gradual, however we had been engaged on our different companies whereas staying within the countryside, which was good,” he mentioned. “We’d have been in Tokyo in any other case.”

As soon as the pandemic restrictions began to ease, vacationers began coming again to Japan in troves, he mentioned.

Throughout that point, the couple determined to maneuver out of the lodge and to the city of Itoshima in Fukuoka, which is a 40-minute drive away. Fukuoka is about an hour and 45 minutes from Tokyo by aircraft.

Beaufils and his spouse now cut up their time between their dwelling and the lodge. They’re normally on the lodge over the weekends or every time there is a reserving.

“We’ve one full-time workers accountable for the café, after which now we have two to a few individuals who come to assist. After which now we have me and my spouse for the remainder of the issues, together with the lodge, the paperwork, the gardening,” Beaufils mentioned.

The café that the couple operates serves lunch in addition to espresso and desserts, and is open to the general public.

An affordable deserted home may not be so low-cost ultimately

A very powerful factor about shopping for an akiya is just not dashing into the acquisition simply because the worth is low, Beaufils mentioned.

“There are a variety of disastrous locations throughout,” he mentioned. “Discovering the precise place takes a extremely very long time, as a result of wanting on the property via images and seeing it in actuality are two various things.”

Photographs do not all the time present the extent of the deterioration of the deserted dwelling, particularly if it is a century outdated like his akiya, he mentioned.

“They do not present you the moist, they do not present you the termites, they do not present you these sorts of issues within the images,” he added.

Above all, these occupied with shopping for akiyas ought to have an thought of how they intend to revive the property earlier than biting the bullet.

“Are you going to make the reform your self or you’re going to ask any person to do this?” Beaufils mentioned. “Particularly if you’re abroad as a result of you might want to have a visa or you may solely come three months at a time.”

Even these dwelling in Japan however working full-time would possibly find yourself outsourcing the venture to exterior contractors because of their schedules, which might trigger prices to balloon.

“There are a variety of alternatives to stay within the lovely countryside with a pleasant low-cost home. However it’s important to watch out additionally as a result of typically, on the finish of the day, it isn’t so low-cost anymore,” Beaufils added.

Have you ever just lately purchased or renovated your dream dwelling and wish to share the small print and images of the method? E-mail this reporter, Amanda Goh, at agoh@insider.com.