On this episode of Japan Station, I talk to Ami Eldridge, the co-founder of Sumizumi LLC, a company in rural Kochi Prefecture trying to revitalize the area through charcoal production.

👉Topics Discussed

About Ami Eldridge's efforts to revitalize rural Kochi Prefecture
About the Niyodo Town and Niyodogawa River area
About how Sumizumi LLC is using charcoal and akiya (abandoned houses) to revitalize the Niyodogawa area
The many uses of charcoal
The intricacies of making charcoal
About turning akiya (abandoned houses into airbnb
How many people Ami has gotten to relocate to Niyodogawa
How people in Niyodogawa are creating new businesses like skate parks, curry shops and tea shops
How to access the Niyodogawa area
About the new lie flat overnight bus that runs from Tokyo to Kochi
How airbnb's can be used to help revitalize rural communities
When the best time to visit Niyodogawa is
What foods to eat in Niyodogawa
And much more!

👉Subscribe to the Podcast!

👉Support on Patreon & Ko-fi

Support for as little as $1 a month to get early access to episodes, ad free versions and occassional bonus content
- Support on Patreon https://patreon.com/japankyo
Support via a one time donation!

👉Affiliate Links

Use my Mobal affiliate link to get a 10% discount on their voice & data plan. Their voice & data plan is perfect for those who want a Japanese phone number while in Japan. Using this link gets you a discount and it provides me with a small commission which I use to fund JapanKyo.

Get 10% off of Mobal's Voice & Data plan: https://www.mobal.com/tonyjapan

👉Links, Videos, Etc.

For more info on what Ami is doing and Suzmizumi LLC, check out their Instagram page.

Sumizumi LLC Instagram

👉Follow on Social Media

How charcoal is saving this rural Japanese town (Ami Eldridge of Sumizumi LLC) | Japan Station 190