Trial Rural Relocation Promoted by Local Governments, Private Sector

The Yomiuri Shimbun

10:50 JST, February 27, 2025

Interest in rural migration is growing among urban residents with the spread of teleworking and soaring housing prices in the Tokyo metropolitan area. However, moving to an unknown place can prove to be a big challenge. Municipalities and the private sector are offering services to help would-be emigrants experience live in the countryside through short stays.

“Trial migration” is recommended in order to get a feel of a place’s appeal and convenience. Municipalities offer a house to stay in or subsidize stays at private guest houses or Japanese-style inns. Local governments also provide guided tours.

In Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture, those who are interested can pay to stay in a shared house for five to 30 days and can learn about the city’s recovery efforts from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and local entrepreneurship guidelines.

Shizuoka, taking advantage of only being a one-hour Shinkansen ride from Tokyo, is trying to lure the employees of companies in the Tokyo metropolitan area who work from home. The city shoulders part of the expenses for a shared office space, accommodation and round-trip travel for a trial stay of up to five days.

Those who have children may want to get an idea of school options in an area they are thinking of moving to.

Tokyo-based KitchHike, Inc. engages in local revitalization projects and offers a trial program for parents to enroll their children in a nursery school in a rural area.

Young children can enjoy going to a nursery school surrounded by nature while their parents work from nearby inns and experience life in the countryside. Having kicked off in 2021 in the Hokkaido town of Assabu, the program so far has welcomed about 1,500 families at 47 nurseries in 37 municipalities. Participants can schedule their stay during their long holidays.

Furusato Kaiki Net, a Tokyo-based authorized nongovernmental organization that provides advice on regional migration, has received a record number of inquiries for three years in a row, reaching 60,000 annually.

“You would never be able to evaluate the convenience of shopping, hospitals and transportation nor see if you’ll fit in with the community without actually living there,” said the director of Furusato Kaiki Net. “You should also visit in different seasons to experience the change in climate.”