achicochi, coliving company, joins forces with Japan Workcation Association to attract digital nomads to Kyoto Initiated to attract digital nomads to sustainable Kyoto, with an eye toward industry-government-academia collaboration

achicochi LLC (Location: Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture; CEO: Kengo Miki), which established and operates a coliving (a combined service of housing, workplace, and cultural experience provision) for overseas digital nomads in Kyoto City, has started to work and study on how to attract sustainable overseas digital nomads to Kyoto, based on the current issues in Kyoto and how it should be: (Location: Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture; President: Shintaro Irie), have started to work and study on how to attract sustainable overseas digital nomads based on the current issues in Kyoto and the ideal image of the city.

Exchange of participants at Colive Kyoto 2023 (Kyoto Beer Lab)

Background of this initiative

The "Digital Nomad Visa" will be issued as a new status of residence in Japan from April 1, 2024, and the inclusion of overseas digital nomads (hereinafter referred to as "overseas nomads") in Japan has become a matter of concern at the national level. On the other hand, Kyoto City, one of the most popular cities for foreign visitors to Japan, is experiencing "overtourism," a negative impact on residents due to overcrowding and traffic congestion caused by the concentration of tourists at specific tourist spots, and the need to diversify tourism to the suburbs is now recognized.

What is sustainable inclusion?

For lodging operators in Kyoto City, which already accepts a large number of tourists, there is a potential for cannibalization of overseas nomads from the perspective of profitability with those staying for short stays. For tourism operators, the service for nomads, whose main purpose of stay is not sightseeing but rather daily life, tends to be a secondary activity, as they leave Japan after only about a month's stay in Kyoto or Japan.

We had the opportunity to discuss these issues when we participated in an event held by the Japan Workcation Association, of which we are a corporate member, and realized that in order to truly create inclusion for overseas nomads at the city level, it is necessary to have knowledge and practical experience with overseas nomads, as well as the ability to understand and deal with local issues at the same time. A common understanding emerged that in order to truly prepare for the inclusion of overseas nomads at the city level, it is important to work in broad-based collaboration as a tri-sector (private sector, public sector, and society) theme that simultaneously understands and addresses regional issues.

Initiative Planned and Under Consideration

In cooperation with the Japan Workplace Association, we are currently planning and considering the following initiatives.

(1) Establishment of "Kyoto Nomad Inclusion (tentative)," a framework for consultation and collaboration involving multiple private sector companies in the fields of lodging, tourism, culture, etc.

(2) Conduct a survey and prepare an analysis report on the actual situation of overseas nomads staying in Kyoto.

3. hold study sessions for business people in Kyoto who are interested in attracting nomads from abroad

(4) Collaborate with other cities in Japan and overseas that are working to attract nomads from abroad.

5. organize "Colive Kyoto 2024," a program to invite overseas nomads to Kyoto for one week to two months this winter

achicochi's efforts to attract nomads from abroad and revitalize the local community

Our company, achicochi, is working to utilize Taikokyo, a registered tangible cultural property in Kyoto City, as a base for regional revitalization (https://mintai21.wixsite.com/taikoukyo) and to provide Japanese cultural experiences for foreign visitors to Japan. In September 2019, we launched "Colive Kyoto Taikoukyo (formerly known as Taikoukyo Coliving)" as an initiative to combine the two. Since then, over the past five years, we have hosted more than 60 mid-term residents (living for more than one month), mainly from Europe, Greater China, and Southeast Asia, as local hosts. Wanderlust JAPAN", a media site operated by Kayac Co., Ltd. for foreigners to immigrate to Japan, is currently accepting applications for a 30-hour per month program to help preserve cultural assets while living in the area (https://wanderlust. smout.jp/2-kyoto-city.html ).

Image of Wanderlust JAPAN (operated by Kayak Co., Ltd.)

In November 2023, we held "Colive Kyoto 2023 ( https://colivekyoto.com/ )," a one-week residency program for digital nomads, with Japan's leading digital nomad, Akina Zhu, and others, where 11 overseas digital nomads spent their lives together. Eleven international digital nomads spent their time together.

Zen experience (mindfulness yoga) at Kokei Kai

Kengo Miki, our CEO, operates a business for overseas nomads based on his experience as an overseas nomad in Vietnam and Sri Lanka, and is also an individual member of the Japan Association of Digital Nomads. In addition, he has deepened his friendship with students and faculty members of the Tourism Management Science Course at Kyoto University's Graduate School of Business Administration, where he has been enrolled for four years since 2018. he attended a citizens' dialogue meeting with Mayor Matsui at the Kyoto City Nishikyo Ward Office on May 27, 2024, and presented the following message "To pass on the heartland of the citizens to the next generation, I hope that you will support cultural businesses from a medium- to long-term perspective in order to pass on to the next generation what is the heartland of our citizens.

Photo of Mayor Matsui's dialogue meeting (taken from the Kyoto City Nishikyo Ward Office website)

Kyoto City Nishikyo Ward Office Website

https://www.city.kyoto.lg.jp/nisikyo/page/0000329079.html

■Company Profile

Company name: achicochi LLC.

CEO: Kengo Miki

Location ：Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture

Establishment : February 14, 2019

<Business Domain

New business development, innovation creation and co-creation, brand marketing, public relations, learning facilitator for business skills, providing Japanese cultural experiences for foreign visitors to Japan, etc.

<Member organizations

Kyoto Tourism Association, Kyoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Japan Association of Workers, Japan Digital Nomad Association (individual certification), Japan Biryani Association

<Website

Corporate site: https://achicochi.net/

Service page (Colive Kyoto Taikoukyo): https://achicochi.life/kyoto-taikoukyo-coliving/

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/achicochi.pr