What is the future of the new travel style that "experience villa" aims for? An interview with the representative, Mr. Ryusei Saito.

Hello! In the previous article, we took a detailed look at the location of "experience villa Nasushiobara" and the charm of the Nasushiobara area.

This time, I'd like to interview the representative, Mr. Ryusei Saito, about the future of the new travel style that "experience villa" aims for.

--Mr. Saito, first of all, please tell us about the circumstances that led to the establishment of "experience villa."

Saito: I originally loved traveling and often traveled within Japan. What I realized during my travels was that after arriving at the accommodation, there was surprisingly little to do, and I would get bored. There were times when I wasted time by taking a nap, even though I was on a trip (laughs). That's when I started thinking about whether we could provide more exciting experiences within the accommodation.

Furthermore, as a hot spring sommelier, I have a strong commitment to the freshness and quality of the water. Whenever I stayed at a hot spring inn, I always checked if it had free-flowing spring water before making a reservation. Free-flowing spring water offers a special experience where you can purely enjoy the unique hot spring of that particular place. However, hot spring inns mainly focus on large public baths, making it difficult to enjoy the hot spring in a private space at a leisurely pace. On the other hand, rooms with private hot springs are few in number and expensive. So, I thought of providing a space where guests can fully enjoy high-quality hot springs by attaching them to a villa that can be rented out in its entirety.

With this background, I came up with the idea of creating a new type of accommodation centered on experiences and hot springs, and thus established "experience villa."

--What is the biggest feature of "experience villa"?

Saito: Above all, it's designed with a focus on "experiences." By providing activities that can only be experienced at that particular location, not just simply staying there, we want to create special memories for travelers. Also, by making it a villa that can be rented out entirely and accommodate a large number of people, it's a significant feature that guests can spend their time freely with family and friends while ensuring privacy.

And as a hot spring sommelier, one of my particular commitments is the provision of 100% free-flowing spring water without any added heat, water, or disinfection. Being able to fully enjoy high-quality hot springs in a private space after enjoying various activities is an experience unique to "experience villa," and I take pride in that.

--What are your thoughts on future developments?

Saito: First of all, our goal is to establish "experience villa Nasushiobara" as a successful model. Utilizing the experience gained here, we'd like to expand "experience villa" to various hot spring areas throughout Japan. In the future, we hope that the new travel style originated from "experience villa" will be experienced by more and more people.

The important thing is that "experience villa" becomes not just a place to sleep, but a travel destination in itself. We want to continue providing attractive experiences that make staying at "experience villa" the very purpose of the trip. By doing so, we hope to attract people to appealing hot spring areas that are not yet well-known and contribute to the revitalization of those regions.

Mr. Saito's words strongly conveyed his passionate vision for "experience villa" and his expectations for future developments. "experience villa" is proposing a new style of travel, and we also have a chance to support this innovative initiative. "experience villa Nasushiobara" is currently preparing for its opening. Information about the start of accommodation reservations and facility details will be announced on the official website and social media. Let's keep an eye on the future developments of "experience villa" as it brings this new style of travel to life.