I spent 15 years chasing my dream of designing planes. I gave it up to help revive rural Japan.

Daisuke Fujii's career trajectory took a dramatic turn when he decided to leave his engineering position in Japan and pursue his passion for designing planes. Having grown up in Saitama, about 20 miles north of Tokyo, Fujii discovered an early fascination with aviation and engineering. Despite his family's financial constraints, he secured a spot at the National Defense Academy of Japan, where he studied aerospace engineering while working as a research assistant to cover tuition costs.

After graduating, Fujii returned to Japan and found himself working in the automotive industry due to a lack of funding for aerospace projects. This pivot led to him earning a respected certification for managing small and medium-sized enterprises. However, Fujii felt that his true calling lay in helping rural communities and farmers generate new income streams.

In 2009, Fujii co-founded Farm & Firm, a consulting firm focused on helping farmers build their brands and sell products directly to consumers. Over the years, the company expanded into food manufacturing and even managed a farm-to-table restaurant. In 2011, the local government of Otawara City commissioned Farm & Firm to develop an agritourism project, which led to the creation of Ohtawara Tourism.

Through Ohtawara Tourism, Fujii transformed an empty home, known as an akiya, into a boutique hotel called Iizukatei. His goal was to showcase rural Japan's cultural heritage and convince locals to invest in renovating their properties. The hotel's success has led to a significant increase in tourism, with between 400 and 500 international visitors now flocking to the town annually.

This influx of tourists has encouraged more farmers to renovate their properties, turning them into farm hotels and preserving Japan's rural culture.