Photo/Illutration The shared residence Flag in Kimino, Wakayama Prefecture (Provided by Shota Katagiri)

KIMINO, Wakayama Prefecture--Making the move from an urban to a rural area sounds idyllic, but is it?

Shota Katagiri, 31, found out the hard way.

Having traveled extensively overseas, he yearned to lead a self-sufficient existence in rural surroundings that did not place a burden on the environment.

Katagiri, who is originally from Izumisano in Osaka Prefecture, moved with his wife to the rural Kuniyoshi district of Kimino four years ago. He found life far harder than he had expected.

The couple moved into an out-of-the-way traditional country house that offers far more room than a typical urban dwelling and opened it up to visitors to share the ups and downs of country life so they can avoid the pitfalls they had made.

His initial goal was to live in a village that will still be around 100 years from now.

But as he discovered, the future of village life in Japan is far from bright.

Located in northern Wakayama Prefecture, Kimino in 1980 had a population of 15,625. But at the end of this past February, the figure had fallen by half to 7,881.

The Kuniyoshi district where the Katagiris live had 164 residents as of the end of September 2020 of whom 68.3 percent were aged 65 or older. The figure was higher than the average for all of Kimino.

Their nearest supermarket is 40 to 50 minutes away by car. The couple had no one in the community to look after their 3-year daughter in case of an emergency.

Katagiri quickly came to realize that local knowledge and experience were crucial, and just as important, having someone nearby to depend on.

He began his shared residence Flag in November 2022.

His aim is to give visitors a trial run at country living before they take the plunge. It gives guests an opportunity to learn about the community as well as gather information on how to look for somewhere to live and make friends in a rural setting.

“I wanted to create a platform from which people could take the next step toward moving,” Katagiri said.

Seven people from four households have utilized Flag. Two households have since moved to Kimino. Those who have lived at Flag have become like family and they can help each other in times of need.

Katagiri has plans for other facilities that would make it easier for people to sample rural life. These include a lodging facility as well as a park where children can play. The idea is to create a base that more people might want to visit.

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