What a beautiful tiny house in rural Japan can teach us about the health of cities
(WorldNews Japan)

The heart of Yoshino resides in a narrow, A-frame house along the banks of a mighty river. Yoshino Cedar House is an extraordinary, community-run Airbnb that has drawn international visitors to the remote village in Nara, Japan since it opened in 2017. By virtue of its architecture and management, the guest house also serves as the de facto headquarters for the beleaguered town’s campaign for survival. “They say that Yoshino is disappearing,” says Ryoko Satoda, a housewife who cooks meals for AirBnb guests. Sitting down after whipping up an artful breakfast plate in the house’s tiny kitchen, she explains that moved away since the wood industry began sharply declining...