By Tamaki Nishimura First published on PlanetDAO Substack on October 6, 2026. I was recently interviewed for a series in a Japanese magazine. We talked about PlanetDAO, how I got here, and where I hope it goes. Somewhere in the…
One of the unique aspects of PlanetDAO is the opportunity for co-owners to engage directly with the people and places connected to the properties they help preserve. In April 2026, PlanetDAO co-owner Bol traveled to Nachikatsuura, Wakayama, to take part…
In the late May 2026, PlanetDAO held a stayover gathering at the Hojo Heritage in Sado. More than 20 people joined us, including co-owners from Japan and overseas, members of the Hojo family, the local partner, and the architect working…
By Monika M.S. First published on PlanetDAO Substack on June 6, 2025. This is the continuation of the Spring Gathering story for the PlanetDAO001 property in Wakayama. If you haven’t read the first part, we encourage you to do so…
By Monika M.S. First published on PlanetDAO Substack on May 29, 2025. On May 9th, they arrived in Wakayama as strangers to the local community and as a group of co-owners connected by shared ownership, but not much else. Some…
Interview with Tomi Nishiyama, head priest of Daitaiji Temple, Nachikatsuura, Wakayama Originally published in Japanese · Translated into English by PlanetDAO In Nachikatsuura, Wakayama Prefecture—at the foot of the UNESCO World Heritage Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trails—a small rural temple called…
by Tomohiro Kimura Originally published in Japanese · Translated into English by PlanetDAO “We’ve reached our limit — financially and in age.” These candid words from Tadashi Hojo, younger brother of the 11th-generation head of the Hojo family, who have…
Sado Island, off the coast of Niigata Prefecture, was once synonymous with isolation and punishment. For centuries, it served as a remote outpost for those cast out by Japan’s ruling elite, such as political dissenters, religious reformers, and cultural outliers…
Over the past 20 years, Japan has witnessed a silent crisis—millions of homes standing empty, crumbling in quiet rural towns and even urban suburbs. Known as akiya (空き家), these vacant houses have become a national symbol of population decline, economic…
Japan's tourism sector has surged in the first half of 2025, reaching record-breaking levels of international interest. From Tokyo’s tech-savvy charm to Okinawa’s tropical allure, travelers are flocking to the country in unprecedented numbers. With 21.51 million international visitors arriving…