Airbnb To Launch New Semi-Communal Space in Rural Japan
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Sharing economy in tourism and travel has reached a new level since hospitality provider Airbnb entered the market. Now the San Francisco based company is exploring a new type of accommodation in Japan. At Kenya Hara’s international design and architecture
Airbnb To Launch New Semi-Communal Space in Rural Japan
Sharing economy in tourism and travel has reached a new level since hospitality provider Airbnb entered the market. Now the San Francisco based company is exploring a new type of accommodation in Japan. At Kenya Hara’s international design and architecture show House Vision Tokyo, Airbnb recently introduced its Yoshino Cedar House, a new kind of semi-communal space created in collaboration with architect Go Hasegawa for the rural Japanese town of Yoshino in the Nara district.The two-story building, constructed from local cedar trees, is scheduled to reopen in Yoshino this fall, inviting locals to come together in its communal rooms on the ground floor, while providing loft spaces for travelers in the upper part of the building, thus offering the opportunity for spontaneous mingling as well as ample privacy, if needed.The concept for the mixed-use location was developed by Airbnb co-founder and CPO Joe Gebbia, himself a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, who recently founded Airbnb associated design studio Samara in Tokyo. The aim of Samara, according to an official statement, is to “bring together design and engineering experts from Airbnb to further avant-garde ideas and build advanced services that explore new areas of the Airbnb community.”Yoshino house is Samara’s first project, intended to realize “how architectural features can engender a deeper relationship between hosts and guests.” According to Samara, Yoshino House’s Airbnb listing will be maintained by the village, while proceeds from bookings are intended for investments in the cultural legacy of the region, thus benefitting its infrastructure and meeting demographic challenges. (Many rural Japanese towns are struggling with the loss of younger generations, who tend to migrate to larger cities).A first Airbnb of its kind, Yoshino Cedar House could potentially become a model for similar projects in other countries and rural communities around the world in the future, Gebbia says: “We’ve sprouted our first seed with the Yoshino Cedar House, and we’ve got a lot more on the way.”Airbnb’s Yoshino Cedar House is scheduled to open this fall. Click here for more information. Read more
