He Sold Us Our Home. Now His Village Is Disappearing.

At 83, Nobufusa-san still farms, repairs fences and works with an energy that constantly surprises us. He’s also the man we bought our home from — a building that used to be the community center of his village. For many years, Nobufusa-san was one of the central figures in the community. He helped look after the village, supported the people around him, and played an important role in keeping things running. Even now, he continues to work, help others, and share the kind of wisdom that only comes from spending a lifetime in one place. We spent a day with him in the Japanese countryside — working in the fields, meeting people from the area and learning more about the village he has known for most of his life. But behind the beautiful mountains and old houses is a much bigger story. Like many communities across rural Japan, this village has changed dramatically. There are fewer young people, fewer jobs, and traditions that once brought everyone together are slowly disappearing. When we asked Nobufusa-san what had disappeared from the village, his answer was simple: “Everything.” This isn’t only a story about depopulation in rural Japan. It’s about one man’s life, the community he helped shape, the wisdom he still passes on, and what it feels like to watch the place you’ve always called home change around you. → Subscribe for more stories from Japan:    / @jan-yukari   → Join the waitlist for our Japan Guide: https://janandyukari.com