Akiya2.0

22/05/2026

Vwendla and Shannon bought their home in Mihara, Hiroshima, and this is their story in full.

Shannon has family roots in Hiroshima. Retirement became the moment to rediscover them, and to finally put down roots of their own in rural Japan.
In this interview, they walk us through everything. How they found AKIYA2.0, what they were looking for in a home, and what it actually took to make it happen from overseas.

AKIYA2.0 supported them through the entire journey: search, purchase, renovation, and management. From the first enquiry to the day the keys were theirs, and beyond.

This is what buying an akiya actually looks like, told by the people who did it.

🔗 Visit us at www.akiya2.com to learn more about how we work.

15/05/2026

The Amazaki Tea House is now fully restored and ready!

- Step into what a Japanese country holiday home should be. Warmth, natural materials, and the comfort of a 5 star hotel in Amazaki village, Omishima island.

- The kitchen is a visual feast: wood, cane, and polished concrete promise meals, wine, and laughter from happy groups to come.

- A second bedroom welcomes guests with simple, yet comfortable, full-size beds and a garden view.

- Breathe in the fresh fragrance of a real hinoki bath as you soak your tired body after a long journey.

- The living room converts to a 3rd bedroom for larger families. Old wood from the last century artistically blends with new timbers - symbolizing regeneration and recovery.

- Morning coffee on the porch, listening to the forest birds singing all around you.

Welcome to the collective sensory experience which is the Tea House, part of the Hinoki Stays "Villas & Cottages" collection produced by AKIYA2.0

Music: Honesty by Yaniv Hayoun

21/04/2026

Making of the Hinoki Deck and Fence

Now that the interior of the house is complete, we have moved on to crafting the Hinoki deck and fence. The team at AKIYA2.0 helped stain approximately 200 Hinoki boards before our builders assembled them, a demanding 5-day process, but one well worth the effort.

The black-stained Hinoki deck runs the length of the house façade and provides visual balance, like a row of teeth in the human face. Likewise, the privacy fence along the side provides the "hair" to complete the picture. Certainly both together make the cottage look more substantial and inviting. Even our neighbours want to sit on the deck enjoying a cup of coffee with us in the morning sun!

Visual balance can transform a cottage renovation from being just a repair to instead becoming a place of beauty that guests want to stay at - all of which improves the bottom line.

No traditional Japanese home is complete without an engawa, but because we widened the bedrooms to accommodate Cal-King size beds, the simple addition of a table and chairs for alfresco breakfast means that the deck now serves as an interesting indoor-outdoor "engawa". A fusion of sorts, of Japanese and western concepts, that creates a delightful and relaxed guest experience.

Next, we’re ready to begin the landscaping!

Music via ArtList: Aves - Sparks

20/02/2026

AMAZAKI COTTAGE RENOVATION PROJECT UPDATE

As the renovation of the Amazaki Cottage enters its final stage, the interior begins to reveal its quiet character.
The mortar kitchen base has been carefully laid, now resting as it awaits its micro-cement finish. Stone tiles are set in place, preparing an alcove that will soon hold a Hinoki bathtub, where the warmth and scent of wood will meet cool stone.
Throughout the house, handmade Maira-do, Fusuma, and Shoji doors have been installed — each one crafted by a local master joiner. Their presence brings rhythm and softness to the space, connecting rooms not by walls, but by light, shadow, and movement.
Layer by layer, the cottage is returning to life. Shaped by natural materials and skilled hands, it is becoming a place where time slows, and quiet details are allowed to speak.





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23/01/2026

Amazaki Cottage Renovation Update

Sugi Floorboards and Shikkui Plastering
Beautiful Sugi (Japanese Cedar) Floorboards Take Shape

One by one, the Sugi floorboards are carefully laid. As each tatami-sized section is completed, the surface is covered with plywood to protect the wood while work continues.

Cutting the boards to fit neatly into the corners is the most delicate task of the day. Our master builder knows exactly how to handle it — trimming each piece precisely, tapping it firmly into place, gently bending and wetting the wood so that, as it dries, it expands just enough to achieve a perfect fit.

Master Plasterer Brothers Return for Interior Shikkui Walls
We are fortunate to be working once again with highly skilled master plasterer brothers, applying both the base layers and the final Shikkui finish. Traditional Shikkui walls are built up in three layers: a base coat, an undercoat, and the final Shikkui plaster — each essential to achieving its signature depth, strength, and soft, natural beauty

Music: "Insomniac" by Ori Kaplan via Artist





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11/12/2025

Amazaki Cottage Renovation Update
- All in the Details -

In our renovation of traditional Japanese houses, we follow a few guiding principles: foremost among them being the use of natural materials and honoring how these homes were originally built. We favor wood joinery instead of commonly used aluminum, wood paneling in place of synthetic finishes, Shikkui plaster rather than plastic wallpaper, Shoji screens instead of curtains, and stone and concrete for the Doma.

For this project, we selected locally sourced Sugi cedar and Hinoki cypress for their beautiful color and remarkable fragrance. The moment you step inside, you are enveloped in the gentle, calming scent of natural wood.
Working with these materials naturally leads to a simpler palette of cream, white, and sand-and-stone tones. There is no clutter — only quiet, understated beauty.

With careful research and close consultation with our builders, many people are surprised at how reasonably priced natural materials can be, especially when sourced locally. In fact, Sugi cedar is often more affordable than modern alternatives. We encourage other builders to not to shy away from real wood—whether solid timber, panels, or laminations.

The true challenge lies in finding skilled local craftsmen: master joiners, experienced plasterers, and builders who understand traditional Japanese construction methods. Many of them are aging fast, with no one to pass down those amazing skills. This is a challenge we intend to tackle together with local governments as we explore other remote locations in Japan for our projects.
We feel incredibly fortunate to have found such talented craftspeople here in Amazaki.





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20/11/2025

Craftsmen at work in Akiya2's Amazaki Cottage
Our first full island house renovation is making great progress! The precision Hinoki joinery for the doors has just gone in — each piece crafted to slide perfectly by our experienced joiner.

We’ve asked our carpenters to highlight the contrast between the old wood and new materials, and our Amazaki #1 house on Omishima is really starting to take shape.

Being onsite again reminded us how much we love the scent of fresh wood shavings… Rebuilding an akiya truly engages all the senses. 🌲🏠

Music credit: "night cookie" by Friedee via Artlist





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29/09/2025

Last month, Amazaki Cottage, AKIYA2.0's first Kominka renovation project, celebrated one important milestone - a "doma" was made, bridging inside and outside life to the cottage.

The doma—literally “dirt place”—was once the heart of traditional Japanese homes, a cool, durable space for cooking, work, and storage. Though replaced by modern kitchens, it’s making a comeback as a practical, easy-to-clean zone for bikes, gear, and outdoor items, and for our Amazaki Cottage, as a perfect Kominka casual kitchen and dining area—blending tradition with modern living.

And that is exactly how we want to use that versatile doma area!

Work began early in the morning - concrete is poured, and leveled with rakes and trowels. With practised strokes, plasterers smooth the surface, leaving behind strength, beauty and quiet craftsmanship.

We look forward to the completion of the project, happening very soon! For more details and how Akiya2.0 can help you will a similar project of conserving a traditional Kominka for your own use, please contact us or visit www.akiya2.com

17/09/2025

Most of our AKIYA 2.0 service’s clients are families who live outside Japan but who have a close relationship or affinity with the country. Such is the profile of the Lamb family from Australia, who have been looking to recapture experiences from previous stays in Japan, while giving their two active young boys the opportunity to learn and enjoy Japan’s amazing rural lifestyle.🌾

They found this country cabin akiya in the woodlands of Shinanomachi, Nagano, within a three hour drive of Tokyo. AKIYA 2.0 came in to inspect the property, assist with negotiations and purchase, and finally to provide basic property management such as paying taxes and utilities. This is a lovely home close to Lake Nojiri, which provides a perfect escape from Tokyo’s summer heat, and of course proximity to ski fields also guarantee a long, fun winter season.⛷️

The house was in good condition when purchased and has only needed a few minor repairs, mostly replacing devices such as an aged boiler and similar items. In getting to a “ready to move in” status, AKIYA 2.0 coordinated post-purchase visits by the Lambs, received their requests for repairs, and found and managed the contractors. Almost all of the move-in process was handled remotely by onsite live stream, regular video calls, and messaging.

The Lamb family is very much looking forward to spending some time here in the next winter ski season. 🎿

11/09/2025

Earlier this year, the building team at Yasaki Kogyo removed the 100-year-old roof tiles from our Amazaki cottage. It was an amazing and surreal experience to see how kominaka tiles used to be laid - with literal dirt and clay plastered between the tiles and underlying Sugi planks, to provide thermal insulation.

We will reuse these heirloom tiles after repairing the roof and waterproofing and sealing it with waterproof sheeting and fresh insulation boards. Many thanks to the Yasaki team for being careful and scrubbing each tile clean, piece by piece - there must have been a thousand tiles!

This is the second video that we have done on this particular project on Omishima, Ehime on the Shimanami Kaido islands. We are proceeding along smoothly with other projects as well, but this one will serve as baseline for our financial forecasts and timelines.

Right now, we're just every excited to be going down once every month or so to follow the progress, talk to contractor team (and spend some time at the beautiful beaches of Omishima while we're at it.) Come along on our journey of giving new life to Amazaki Cottage and other projects around Japan.

17/07/2025

Our Tech Lead, Rohit Naidu Siriporam, shares insights on how Akiya2.0 is using technology to bridge the gap between forgotten homes and future homeowners. Many may think that restoring traditional Kominka and Akiya is a strictly brick-and-mortar (and wood) business, but there is room for tech.

Technology provides the tools to not only simplify the restoration process but also ensure a more efficient and accessible path to ownership. From utilizing databases for identifying potential homes to web scraping to ensure accurate information on our website, technology offers a deeper understanding and more innovative solutions. That's exactly why Akiya2.0 is taking the lead to incorporate tech into our process.

In his e27 article, he explores our innovative approach to tackling one of Japan’s biggest real estate challenges—navigating fragmented property systems across 47 prefectures. From automated data extraction to structured datasets, our work is transforming the way abandoned homes (akiya) are discovered, evaluated, and revitalized.

Japan’s homes embody architectural heritage, but depopulation and fragmented property data leave them abandoned