Hello everyone,

Alex from Joy Village here! Happy to announce that we have successfully started our local venture based in Bungo Ono called “Joy Village” at the beginning of April. We have had quite the roller coaster of an opening month. Starting a company in these torrent times could be viewed as bad timing and unlucky but our unwavering resolve to push this company forward keeps us waking up each morning. With that being said, let me give you a quick back story on how I came to Japan, how I came to this lodge, and how we came to starting this company.

I had come to a stalemate in my life. I was living in Canada which I called home but sometimes didn’t feel like home. Going out and exploring the world was what I needed to cure this stalemate. I came to Japan 3 years ago in pursuit of exploring and ultimately finding my path.

My plan was only to stay in Japan for about 1 year/1 year and a half but things changed on the 4th day of my trip around Japan when I stayed at Lodge Kiyokawa. It was there that I found a slice of relaxed bliss in the country that seemed to be wound up a little too tight. I immediately handed in my resume which I had and would be doing throughout my journey across Japan. The person I handed in my resume to is the reason why I wanted to start this business with him. His name is Yuki. I stayed and worked at the Lodge for just the summer of 2017 and during that time I was taken under the wing of Yuki resulting in us becoming brothers and ultimately business partners.

After the summer was over, my decision was to keep moving forward throughout Japan and ultimately the world. The place I wanted to go and live in for a bit was Kyoto, but with no contacts or place to stay I planned to go there and wing it. Yuki’s grandmother offered her own place to stay, which ended up being 2 months of me staying at her place. There I was introduced to an up and coming company in Japan that wanted to make me part of there team within the month that I started working there. I weighed my options but ultimately decided that concentrating on building up my business skills was better for the opportunity that was laid out in front of me. I took a liking to it right away because I was given the ability to manage my own restaurant immediately.

I was there for 9 months and while it was fun and exciting, I was exhausted by the 12-14 hour work days and little to no days off. It made me reconsider what exactly I had come to do. That’s when a certain someone showed up and told me his elaborate plan to start a company which worked on revitalizing the economy of country-side cities with no future business prospects. This was Yuki. I took no time in saying yes to this proposal and there it was; we were starting on creating a business together.

To kind summarize what it is we are trying to do with Joy Village, we want to show Japan and all of the world the potential of this city. Bungo Ono has been failing economically for decades. People in this city have failed to see the potential that they are living in which pushes young people out to bigger cities. We want to create a place that people view as having business potential that has a bright future. For that, Lodge Kiyokawa is a necessity to have people come and fully experience the city instead of it being a passing road sign. We are also creating many different experiences for tourists to explore the roots of this city. In turn, we hope that people will see Bungo Ono as a place they would return and experience something new each time. We hope that wave creates an interest for young people of this city to want to try and open businesses or invest in this city. We are already employing 2 young people that were born and raised in Bungo Ono, so we are heading in the right direction.

With your help we hope to push our mission even farther and help regain a sense of pride for the people that were born and raised in this beautiful city. Below are all of the donation prices and what returns we offer to those who choose to support us. Thank you for reading this deep dive into my life and hope to be hearing from you soon!

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How to register to donate is explained down below

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About Our return

1,000 JPY

You will receive a personalized email thanking you for your support.

*The email will be sent to your registered address.

2,000 JPY

You will receive a “Lodge Coupon” for our Geo-Sauna experience. Feel the outdoors come alive around you while sweating those toxins out in a Finland tent sauna. The river right beside you makes for a great cold bath to bring out the benefits of the sauna. + After sauna ginger spiced tea for relaxation!

*You may gift this coupon if you chose to.

*The “Lodge Coupon” is an electronic ticket. Detailed instructions will be sent out to the email address you registered after July.

*Valid 2 years after registration.

3,000 JPY

You will receive a “Joy Village Card”. With this “Joy Village Card”, you can enjoy accommodation, meals, and activities at Lodge Kiyokawa for a discount of 500 yen. You will be registered as a “Joy Village Card” holder when you use the service for the first time. Note that it can only by those who have registered their “Joy Village card”. + We will gift 1 original Lodge Kiyokawa mug!

*You may register this as a gift for family members and acquaintances.

*Valid 3 years after registration.

3,000 JPY

You will receive a “Lodge Coupon” for the dormitory room. For those backpackers who want a cheaper stay and a shared place amongst travelers or groups of people who wish to stay in one room together.   1 “Lodge Coupon” = one bed in the dormitory. There are a total of 8 beds in one dormitory with two dormitories in total.

*You may gift this coupon if you chose to.

*The “Lodge Coupon” is an electronic ticket. Detailed instructions will be sent out to the email address you registered after July.

*Let us know in advance that you will be using your “Lodge Coupon” when making your reservation.

*Please note that if you cancel 3 days before your arrival, the ticket will be considered as used and cannot be used again.

*Valid 2 years after registration.

5,000 JPY

This is to our supporters who want nothing in return but to see our company grow and succeed for the years to come! As a thank you, we will send you a personalized video message from Alex and Yuki!

10,000 JPY

You will receive a “Lodge Coupon” for a one-night stay in our popular Tree House! Not a lot of people can say they have stayed and slept in a tree house. Making it feel like you have your own secret base in the attic, the tree house is a must-do for anyone coming to stay at the Lodge! +We will gift 1 original Lodge Kiyokawa mug!

*Max capacity is 2 people (+up to 2 children under 5 years old can stay for free).

*You may gift this coupon if you chose to.

*The “Lodge Coupon” is an electronic ticket. Detailed instructions will be sent out to the email address you registered after July.

*Let us know in advance that you will be using your “Lodge Coupon” when making your reservation.

*Please note that if you cancel 3 days before your arrival, the ticket will be considered as used and cannot be used again.

*Valid 2 years after registration.

30,000 JPY

You will receive a “Lodge Coupon” for a one-night stay in our Log house! This will also include dinner, which is our famous Bungo Beef and Shamo Chicken courses, and our breakfast all using local ingredients! The Log house is equipped with toilets, showers, and amenities. Recommended for customers want to spend their time in a relaxing room environment.

*Max capacity is 2 people

*You may gift this coupon if you chose to.

*The “Lodge Coupon” is an electronic ticket. Detailed instructions will be sent out to the email address you registered after July.

*Let us know in advance that you will be using your “Lodge Coupon” when making your reservation.

*Please note that if you cancel 3 days before your arrival, the ticket will be considered as used and cannot be used again.

*Valid 2 years after registration.

50,000 JPY

You will receive a “Lodge Coupon” where Alex and Yuki will take you on a half day guided tour of Bungo Ono!

*The max group size is 8 people.

*You may gift this coupon if you chose to.

*The “Lodge Coupon” is an electronic ticket. Detailed instructions will be sent out to the email address you registered after July.

300,000 JPY

For our final level of supporters, you will receive a “Lodge Coupon” which the whole of Lodge Kiyokawa reserved for you and your family/friends for one night! All 14 rooms will be here for your usage as well as dinner, which is our famous Bungo Beef and Shamo Chicken courses, and our breakfast all using local ingredients! We have a capacity of 30 people for this “Lodge Coupon”!

*You may gift this coupon if you chose to.

*The “Lodge Coupon” is an electronic ticket. Detailed instructions will be sent out to the email address you registered after July.

*Let us know in advance that you will be using your “Lodge Coupon” when making your reservation.

*Please note that if you cancel 3 days before your arrival, the ticket will be considered as used and cannot be used again.

*Valid 2 years after registration.