How Glamping Put a Small Mountain Village on the Map

Japan Forward

a day ago

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Lantown Abamura is a glamping facility nestled in the mountainous Aba district of Tsuyama City, Okayama Prefecture. About three years ago, it was transformed from a former forest park into its current form.
Since then, annual visitor numbers have quadrupled to over 11,000. Revenue has surged more than twentyfold.
"We aim to renovate traditional houses into accommodations, open restaurants, and develop a full-fledged rural resort experience for the entire area," says a representative from the operating company.
Surrounded by lush nature, Lantown Abamura offers hands-on rural experiences such as vegetable harvesting and mountain stream fishing. These activities, often shared on social media, have proven popular with young families, couples, and groups of friends from the Kansai region.
The facility is operated by Dive, a Tokyo-based company that specializes in tourism-related staffing services. Lantown Abamura's bungalows were renovated to include spacious terraces. (Courtesy of Dive)
The Aba district, where Lantown Abamura is located, was formerly Aba Village. It merged into Tsuyama City in 2005. Today, the area has a population of about 400 and lies at the end of a road, roughly a 40-minute drive from the city center.
According to Tsuyama City officials, the original Aba Forest Park had long struggled with aging facilities and declining usage, even before the municipal merger. In response, the city sought a new operator through a public real estate matching platform called Real Public Estate.
Dive answered the call. A company representative explained the decision: "The area preserved Japan's nostalgic rural scenery and already had key infrastructure — fiber-optic internet, water and sewage systems, a gym, a community center, and hot springs. Its dead-end location, often seen as a drawback, actually made it ideal for creating a secluded, immersive experience."
In 2021, Dive installed 10 new glamping tents and carried out major renovations on five existing bungalows. Spacious terraces were added, and interiors were fully updated.
Over time, the company expanded its offerings to include a variety of activities: vegetable harvesting, farming experiences, stream fishing, river play, firewood chopping and bathing, tent saunas, horseback encounters, and spice salt making. The Aba area of Tsuyama City, Okayama Prefecture, where the glamping facility is located. (Courtesy of Dive)
In 2022, Dive was appointed as the official operator of three integrated facilities: the glamping site, the Aba Exchange Center, and Aba Onsen. In April 2025, Aba Exchange Center was converted into CRAFT HOTEL Abamura.
The hotel now features both dormitory-style rooms with bunk beds and traditional Japanese-style rooms. This renovation increased the total guest capacity from 21 to 53. Renovation plans for Aba Onsen are also underway.
Gaining local acceptance wasn't easy at first.
Yuki Hommatsu, a local who now oversees meal preparation at the hotel, recalls, "At first, it felt like an outside company suddenly showed up out of nowhere. We didn't think they could really understand our community, and we had no idea what they were planning."
Kaede Kibune, now in her second year with the company, grew up on Kuchinoerabu Island in Kagoshima Prefecture — a small community of about 100 people. She joined Dive hoping to learn regional revitalization skills she could eventually apply to her hometown.
"I kept visiting the district's only shop and joined in for tea or casual chats wherever people gathered," she says. "It finally feels like we're just getting started."
Today, about 40 local residents are employed at the facility. A parent and child enjoy stream fishing at Lantown Abamura.
Even before Dive arrived, the community had formed the Abamura Management Council to explore ways to revitalize the area. Reflecting on the progress, Hommatsu says, "I never imagined we'd see so many visitors. Just having young people around brings so much energy."
Annual visitor numbers rose from 2,562 in fiscal 2018 to 11,339 in fiscal 2023. Over the same period, annual sales increased from about ¥4 million JPY (about $27,800 USD) to nearly ¥100 million.
Tsuyama City officials praised the growth. "It exceeded our expectations," they said. "Their [Dive's] strong social media promotion and high-quality services are impressive. The facility is run in a way that keeps money circulating within the local economy."
Hayato Masuda, General Manager of Dive's Regional Revitalization Business Group, explained the appeal: "We provided a clear, all-in-one plan for how guests could spend their time. Visitors don't need to bring anything. They can enjoy both rural experiences and relaxation with ease."
The facility is especially popular among city dwellers within a three-hour drive. About 80% of visitors come from the Kansai region, and another 15% come from Okayama City. Most guests are in their late 20s to 30s. Families make up 60% of visitors, while couples and groups of friends each account for about 20%.
"We've ak¥lso welcomed many multi-generational families," Masuda adds. "It seems we're meeting a wide range of needs, from kids eager for hands-on activities to urban seniors curious about rural life."
Dive also plans to attract international tourists and meet growing demand for sports, cultural, and study camps. By offering experiences such as foraging for mountain vegetables and pickling plums, which are everyday activities for locals, the company aims to highlight the richness of rural life.
"We hope to continue involving residents in the operation while supporting the community's sustainability and vitality," Masuda says.
Author: Motohiro Wada, The Sankei Shimbun
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