Three Days in Kamiyama, Tokushima: A Rural Revitalization Success Story
In many ways, my trip to Kamiyama was an echo of my first trip to Japan
Ryuji Nakayama is a man on a mission. After toiling away for 21 years as one of Japan’s salarymen, Nakayama-san found himself captivated by the alluring countryside lifestyle of Kamiyama, a rural village in Tokushima Prefecture on the island of Shikoku.
His sojourns to Kamiyama made such an impact that he decided to pack up his life and transplant himself to the village — permanently. After a seven-year stint as the owner of Awa Café, he decided it was time to dedicate his life to showcasing the beautiful scenery and welcoming people of Kamiyama to the rest of Japan and the world. Now he serves as the chairperson of Green Valley Inc., an NPO dedicated to “stimulating the local economy and encouraging cultural development” against the backdrop of Japan’s rapidly declining rural population.
In this role, Nakayama-san has made his mission clear: introducing the wonder of Kamiyama to 10,000 new “friends.” He describes these friends as those who form a deep bond with the Kamiyama community —…
