Story

Greetings to everyone in the U.S., I am Koyama, the president of YANBARU HOSTEL. I am 36 years old, originally from Osaka, Japan, and after working as a rapper in my 20s, a VMD in Japan for a world-famous apparel brand, a homeless person, a construction worker, and a space designer, I decided to devote my life to this hostel after marrying a woman from Kunigami Village when I was 31. It’s a bit long, but please read the story from the moment we met to the hostel we have today.

Kunigami Village was the first place I returned to after finding my partner in 2017. When I first visited Kunigami Village, I was mildly shocked. In my imagination, Okinawa was an island of everlasting summer with palm trees and parasols on the beach. I had imagined such a place full of resort atmosphere, but it was far different from my image of Okinawa as a resort area. It is far from the resort areas of Okinawa, tourists rarely visit, and young people in their prime are rapidly leaving the area. That does not mean that there are many jobs in the village. It is true that the ocean is blue, the sky is close and big, and the forests are vibrant and beautiful. The forests are lively and beautiful, but other than that, there is nothing else. That was my impression. However, every time I visited this village after my marriage, I felt something. The people are indeed few, but they are warm. There are no high-class restaurants, but the food at the taverns is very tasty. There are few playgrounds, but it is fun to gather at a neighbor’s house for a barbecue. It is very human. People live like people. It may sound strange to say, but that’s what I felt and thought. Growing up in an urban area, working from morning to night for money, being careful about the people I keep close, and unknowingly wearing out my heart, it was something I could really feel in my heart.

I work to live. We have nothing, but everything. Little by little, I found myself enjoying returning to this village. About a year later, a turning point came. I was back home for the Obon vacations and attended the village summer festival. While enjoying conversation with the villagers while drinking, I met a middle-aged man. We talked and I found out that he was the owner of one of the few hotels in the village. I immediately said, “Give me that hotel. The owner was amused, but then he laughed and said, “I can’t give you the hotel, but the other hotel over there just went out of business, so you can have that one. I was walking around in a daze, wondering if there such a story was possible. When I met the owner of a café in the village. I told the café owner about the hotel I had just heard about, and then a man who claimed to be the deputy village head appeared. The village is small, so most of the people seem to know each other. I was introduced to the deputy mayor on the spot and told him the story. I heard that the hotel was closed down. I had been drinking heavily at the time, so the conversation drifted away, and I went straight home to my parents’ house and fell asleep before I sobered up.

The next morning, I woke up to the voice of my father-in-law. The deputy mayor is calling,” he says. He said, “Can you come to the town hall now? I quickly got ready and headed for the town hall. I wondered what was going on, and the deputy mayor said, “Are you serious about the hotel? He told me that the village itself was aware of the problems of population outflow, employment, and the difficulty of attracting tourists. They had been trying to attract hotels to the cities, but that nothing had been done so far. I immediately told them that I was willing to do it, contacted the team in Kansai, informed them of the current situation, prepared a presentation material for them to see how serious I was, and visited the town hall again the next day. I told them, “I love this village. I want to do that hotel.” The team visited the village many times, met with the hotel owner at the time, and proceeded with the project even though they struggled to get a loan. The project properly began in December 2018.

Naturally, there were pros and cons, and people who were seeking stability, such as sound business owners, businessmen, and civil servants, said “It’s absolutely impossible,” “We can’t make ends meet,” and “Who would come to a village like that?” With this momentum, we decided to travel around the country to design an event to deliver our values to our friends, musicians and artists. We hoped to first convey the wonderful environment of Kunigashira Village to everyone and make them fall in love with the village. The title of the event was “YANBARU HOSTEL party” The construction of the hostel had not even started yet. We collaborated with business owners, artists, and performers in each area. In Osaka Prefecture, we jacked up the restaurant district and held a live paint walk. In Kanagawa Prefecture, professional chefs served new dishes inspired by Kunigami Village to guests while musicians put on a captivating show. In Fukuoka Prefecture, we held a collaborative event with a barber. Finally, in Aichi Prefecture, he and an architect decorated a building over 100 years old, performing dance, song, and floral design. and other events. In January 2019, we attracted attention by holding a PR event in New York City.

We were able to successfully open YANBARU HOSTEL in June 2019. The hostel itself is not a resort, nor is it a newly rebuilt hotel. It is still a 50 year old hotel. I like the indescribable loose atmosphere that flows in this village. The time that flows slowly, the distance between people, and the beautiful nature. The nature is so amazing and beautiful that it has been recognized as a World Natural Heritage site. In this village where time flows slowly, I want to be able to reset myself for a moment. There is nothing but everything. So much freedom. We have created a hostel where you can feel that.

From the opening, the restaurant was crowded beyond expectations, thanks in part to the promotional activities that had been conducted thus far, with many customers visiting. By summer, three months after the opening, sales had more than doubled from the original plan, and the hotel was in great demand from the media. We were relieved to know that since we had borrowed a large sum of money to purchase the hotel. However, this was short-lived, as the coronavirus that shook the world, arrived around the winter of 2020, six months after the hotel’s opening. Within a year of its opening, sales were stagnant, all kinds of promotions were ineffective, and the hotel ceased to function at all as an accommodation facility. Every month, millions of dollars disappear from the bankbook. Time was flowing mercilessly. We were truly on the edge of a cliff. But we had a guidepost… it was our “vision.” When we decided to undertake this project, we made a promise to everyone in Japan. When we decided to undertake this project, we promised everyone across the country that we would fight against this impossible challenge and come back again. I was filled with passion and energy again when I remembered the day when I vowed to make this model a success and contribute to depopulated areas all over the country and the world, in a place of extreme physical and mental stress. Overcome with anxiety, I was the first to draw up the documents, stop the repayment of the bank, and modify the staffing and cooperation with outside companies. The next step was to analyze the changing status of people and redefine accommodation to come up with an answer. The answer was that it should not be “accommodation,” but rather “life provision.” The company immediately set up a place to live in the hostel and produced food, clothing, and housing while also contributing to the global environment, such as creating pasta from discarded ingredients (fish bones and scales) and OKINAWA SUITS, which later won an excellent prefectural product award, from discarded Kariyushi wear, a traditional Okinawa fashion item. The company managed to rebuild its business using a sub-brand strategy.

When we were on track to overcome this critical phase, we realized that two and a half years had passed since we opened our doors, and we were about to enter our third year in the second half of the year. Looking back, it has always been hectic and far from my ideal days. However, there were guests who stayed with us regularly, friends who were like family, supporters who cheered us on at all times, and a team that had grown through experience while receiving love from many people. In June 2022, three years after opening, we changed our company name to “LOVE THANK YOU Co. Since then, the hostel has become a starting point to contribute to local business owners by supporting long-term residents and prospective immigrants. By energizing the entire village through all kinds of revitalization projects and events, a two-time effect had been created, such as the replacement of company leaders and new businesses started by villagers in their early 30s. Now, Kunigami Village was about to experience the emergence of a new will.

Our soul is a never-to-be-forgotten LOVE THANK YOU to the earth and its inhabitants, and our eternal mission is to revitalize abandoned buildings, develop dishes made from discarded ingredients, and revive discarded items into new fashion brands. To the people of America, will you believe in our vision and creativity and support us? We are still in our infancy, so we don’t want to open in the US right away. We want to raise funds for marketing and preparation through local events and various communications. We promise to return the money raised to you through the process and results of our LOVE THANK YOU project. This is where our next story begins!

Room

-Dormitory-
Air-conditioned dormitory rooms.
4-person rooms (for women only), 6-person rooms (for men and women), 30-person rooms (for men and women)

Room Facilities：

• Shower
• Air conditioner
• Hair dryer
• Shared bathroom
• Toilet
• Heating
• Slippers
• Towels and linens (on payment)
• Linens
• Stairs to upper floors
• Toilet paper
• Electricity socket near bed
• Free WiFi available.
• Non-Smoking / Smoking: Non-Smoking
• Parking: Free

-Twin room-
Air-conditioned twin rooms.
Single size bed x 2

Room Facilities：

• Shower
• Air conditioner
• Hair dryer
• Shared bathroom
• Toilet
• Heating
• Slippers
• Towels and linens (on payment)
• Linens
• Stairs to upper floors
• Toilet paper
• Electricity socket near bed
• Free WiFi available.
• Non-Smoking / Smoking: Non-Smoking
• Parking: Free

-Family room-
Air-conditioned family rooms.
Double size bed x 2

Room Facilities：

• Shower
• Bathtub
• Air conditioner
• Hair dryer
• Balcony
• Toilet
• Private bathroom
• Heating
• Slippers
• Sofa
• Towels/Linens
• Towels / Linens
• Stairs to upper floors
• Clothes rack
• Toilet paper
• Electricity socket near bed
• Free WiFi available.
• Non-Smoking / Smoking: Non-Smoking
• Parking: Free

Apparels

【PARKER】 

YH BASIC PARKER（unisex）

Yanbaru Hostel’s classic black hoodie. In addition to the logo on the chest, a symbol mark has been added to the back, making this a must-have piece for any style.

<Handling precautions > ·100% COTTON  ·Wash with similar colors ·Non-fluorescent detergent ·Not to be left wet ·Iron with a protective cloth ·Printing part: Do not iron ·Due to the nature of the dye, color may migrate due to friction or perspiration ·Tangling may occur due to the characteristics of the product when washed. After washing, please hang it to dry in the direction of the grain of the fabric.

LOVE THANK YOU PARKER（unisex）

All-around beige love thank you for remembering what is important, even if the scene changes or the style changes.

<Handling precautions> ·100% COTTON  ·Wash with similar colors ·Non-fluorescent wash ·Do not leave wet ·Iron on cloth ·Print part ironing prohibited ·Color may migrate due to friction or perspiration due to the nature of the dye ·Shrinkage may occur due to washing due to the characteristics of the product. After washing, please hang it to dry in the direction of the grain of the fabric.

【T-SHIRT】

YH BASIC LONG T-SHIRT（unisex）

Our initial thoughts at the time of our opening were printed on long T-shirts.  Also known as “policy long T-shirt.

<Handling precautions> ·100% COTTON   Do not wash with other items as it may cause dye migration. Light-colored items may discolor, so please use a detergent that does not contain fluorescent agents. Do not tumble dry. Do not soak in water for a long time. The fabric may shrink slightly when washed. This product may become distorted after repeated washing due to the characteristics of the material. Please do not wring the printed part strongly. Do not iron the printed area.

LOVE THANK YOU T-SHIRT（unisex）

Love Thank You T-shirt designed with a bold big message logo created to commemorate our 3rd anniversary. Wear it alone or as inner wear with each Love and Thank You style.

<Handling precautions> ·100% COTTON  ·Wash with similar colors ·Non-fluorescent detergent ·Iron on cloth ·Printed areas may not be ironed on ·Due to the nature of the dye, colors may migrate due to friction, perspiration, etc.

YH ENGINEER COAT（unisex）

New basic item with YH street logo on the chest and symbolic visual on the back. The 50-year-old vintage hostel adds a new sense of value to the historic engineer’s coat.

<Handling precautions> ·35% COTTON 65% polyester  ·Wash with similar colors ·Non-fluorescent detergent ·Non-fabric softener ·Ironing cloth ·No rubbing ·Rinsing ·Ironing ·Color may migrate due to friction or perspiration due to the nature of dyes ·Please close zippers, buttons, etc. when washing.

What is Kunigami Village like?

Kunigami Village’s greatest attraction is its rich natural environment. The large forest with subtropical trees covers 84% of the village area, and is home to many endemic and rare species such as the Yanbaru-quina (Okinawa rail). Noguchi-guerra (Okinawa woodpecker), and Yanbaru-tenaga-kogane (Yanbaru long-armed scarab beetle), which are found only here in the world. In July 2021, it was registered as a World Natural Heritage site, the fifth in Japan.

Reward

YH BASIC PARKER （Black）

Amount: 10,000 yen

YH BASIC LONG T-SHIRT（Black）

Amount: 7,000 yen

LOVE THANK YOU PARKER（Beige）

Amount: 10,000 yen

LOVE THANK YOU T-SHIRT（Red＆White）

Amount: 5,000 yen

YH ENGINEER COAT（Black＆Beige）

Amount: 20,000 yen

OKINAWA SUITS（Fully customizable）

Amount: 30,000 yen

3-night family room stay invitation

Amount: 50,000 yen

1 week family room stay invitation

Amount: 100,000 yen

1 week family room stay invitation + 2 types of PARKER + 2 types of T-SHIT + OKINAWA SUITS + YH ENGINEER COAT

Amount: 250,000 yen

Kenichiro Koyama visits your home with 1 week family room stay + 2 kinds of PARKER + 2 kinds of T-SHIT + OKINAWA SUITS + YH ENGINEER COAT to show his appreciation

Amount: 1,000,000 yen

Hostel private party* 112 people can be accommodated (limited to 5 groups)

Amount：1,200,000 yen

Time – Line

After 40 days project completion -> Reward delivery within 2 months.

Creator

Kenichiro Koyama was born on August 12, 1986 in Toyonaka City, Osaka Prefecture.

He joined ZARA Japan at the age of 20. He excelled at display design backed by numbers, and two years later, at an unusually young age, he was appointed VMD area manager for western Japan. He then switched from the apparel industry to the construction industry, where he worked for about 6 years. During that time, he studied architectural design on his own and became independent. In 2017, after marrying a woman from Kunigami Village in the northernmost part of Okinawa Prefecture, he embarked on a project to revitalize a closed-down hotel that had been in business for over 40 years in the area. In 2018, he established ARCHITECTS & BOTANICAL Inc. in Okinawa Prefecture, and in 2019, he will open YANBARU HOSTEL, a new landmark in Kunigami Village. Kenichiro Koyama Creative Produce Office was established in 2020. In 2022, he changed the name of ARCHITECTS & BOTANICAL Inc. to LOVE THANK YOU Inc. He has been working hard to revitalize depopulated areas throughout Japan by expanding his performance area to the design and entertainment industry and combining it with his own creativity. He is also involved in THE FASHION, a business that transforms discarded clothing into high-fashion suits. In the future, he plans to expand the accumulation of these activities around the world.

Kenichiro Koyama

LOVE THANK YOU Inc. CEO

Kenichiro Koyama Creative Produce Office Inc. CEO

THE FASHION Inc. CEO