I apologize for the sensational title, “How I Gained Money and Respect Through Homestays in Hokkaido,” which sounds like an old magazine ad saying, “Buy this and your annual income will increase fivefold, and you’ll become incredibly popular with women—it’s almost a problem!” But I’m an honest man, so I hope ambitious investors who want to gain both money and respect will read to the end.

The other day, while staying at our hotel “tonaResort Furano” in Furano City, Hokkaido, I spoke with a customer who was heading to the “Kita no Mine ZONE” ski resort. (Or rather, I suddenly struck up a conversation with them, haha).

He’s Australian and loves snowboarding. When I frankly asked him, “Do you like our hotel?”, he replied, “It’s great! I’ll definitely come back next year.”

I realized that this is why we built a hotel in Hokkaido. People who wanted to come to Japan come, and they say they want to come again. That money stays in Japan. The value of Japan increases. I honestly thought to myself, “We’re doing something amazing.”

There are countless companies out there that manage vacation rentals and hotels, but our position is a little different.

Our company, TONARESORT, has developed and operates two hotels ourselves: “HOTEL LOGIN NISEKO” in Niseko and “tonaResort Furano” in Furano. We handle everything ourselves, from concept design and interior design to listing on platforms, pricing strategies, guest service, and cleaning operations/linen arrangements.

So, we can see the numbers all the way through the mosaic. (Hey!) Seriously though, everyone from me, the CEO, to the management team can instantly answer questions about sales, gross profit, costs, and operating profit.

How many nights are booked in each season? Which price range maximizes profits? Where do foreign guests come from, and what are they looking for? What kinds of problems are likely to occur, and how can they be prevented? This isn’t consulting by someone who hasn’t done it before; it’s a service handled by people who are actually working in the field. I can say that with confidence.

Honestly, there were a few things that made us think, “Huh? Is this really happening?” For example, being called out in the middle of the night because the entrance key wouldn’t open, a huge fuss because the washing machine wasn’t working, and someone demanding we pay for their hospital bills because they fell (what?). In most cases, we had clearly stated the necessary information in the message, the washing machine had a child lock, or the fall was due to the guest drinking alcohol… (details omitted), but when we were not entirely blameless, we repeatedly made improvements and sincerely and seriously addressed the issue in order to get them to stay with us again and to make them love Japan.

The results are reflected in the numbers. Booking.com awarded them the Traveller Review Awards 2026. On Airbnb, they are a Superhost with an average rating of 4.9, a 100% response rate, and a 0% cancellation rate. Individually, the hotel has also received the “Guest Choice” award, a testament to its positive guest reception. This means that the quality of their hotel operations is recognized by global standards.

Those who know me probably think of me as a “semiconductor sales genius.” And that’s true. (Stop it.) Thanks to the success of TONARISM, our semiconductor business, we established Tonar Resort in January 2024, and it’s now in its third year. Yes, I’m an amateur. How did an amateur like me succeed in hotel/vacation rental management? It’s because I have exceptional talent (enough already lol), but that’s a lie. It’s all thanks to the support of everyone around me. In particular, our operations manager, Ryo Okumura, has top-class skills and mindset in Japan.

He is a professional with over 15 years of experience in the industry, having been involved in the management of more than 200 hotels at APA Hotel.

Our team includes people who have experience maximizing occupancy rates, developing pricing strategies for OTAs (Booking.com, Airbnb, Jalan, etc.), designing cleaning operations, and responding immediately to guest complaints—all on a large scale and over the long term. Having committed to this business for two years, I’ve realized that ultimately, it’s all about people. It’s about who you work with. That’s true for any business, though (just a side note).

He has already moved to Hokkaido. Isn’t that incredible determination? Is it really okay with small children!? Lol. But he quietly said, “I can’t run my business in Hokkaido if I’m in Tokyo.” That’s right. It’s impossible.

Instead of “managing remotely from Tokyo,” we have a locally based person in charge. Cleaning, linen changes, and emergency response are all handled in cooperation with strong local partners. A system is already in place in Hokkaido that allows us to act immediately if anything happens.

I myself go to Hokkaido every month. I see the situation firsthand, talk to the guests, and check the numbers. Because I continue to do this, I can confidently say that our operational support is the best in Hokkaido.

Some people associate the term “private lodging” with a side hustle where you only earn money on weekends. What we do is not like that.

It is a legitimate lodging business that operates 365 days a year, year-round.

Hokkaido, particularly the Niseko and Furano areas, sees demand not only during the winter ski season but also during the summer tourist, outdoor, and agricultural experience seasons. Guests come from all over the world, including Australia, the United States, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. If this year-round demand is properly captured and managed with appropriate pricing and operational systems, it is possible to aim for a return on investment of 10% or more, depending on the area and property.

Those who believe that a 5-6% return on real estate investment is good might be surprised by these figures. Since it varies depending on the area, property, and initial investment amount, please let us discuss it individually first. We can show you the basis for these figures based on our track record.

“I own land and a vacation home in Hokkaido, but I only use it a few times a year.” “I hear that inbound tourism is increasing, but I don’t know where to start.” “I was thinking about moving, but work commitments have prevented me from making progress.”

We’ve been receiving a lot of inquiries like this lately.

We provide one-stop service for everything you need to run your property, from obtaining licenses and permits to registering with OTAs, managing prices, handling multilingual guest communication, arranging cleaning and linens, and providing on-site support in emergencies. Basically, you don’t have to do anything as the owner. All you have to do is check the payments. But try going on-site occasionally and talking to your guests! By the way, it’s truly moving.

Our strengths lie in our proven track record of operating two hotels (with plans to develop two more this fiscal year), our world-class reputation, the presence of industry professionals with over 15 years of experience permanently stationed in Hokkaido, and my monthly site visits—a management approach based on the “on-site, hands-on” experience I learned at the Toyota Group. In three years, we will definitely become the number one vacation rental management company in Hokkaido.

Finally, let me share something a little more passionate.

When people think of investing, they often picture stocks, forex, or more recently, cryptocurrencies. These are certainly interesting and easy to start. I also invest in stocks, mainly semiconductor stocks and index funds. However, investing in a place that people all over the world say they’ll return to next year has a different kind of appeal.

Having your own property in Hokkaido, with guests from all over the world staying there and receiving high ratings on Booking.com and Airbnb—that’s not just about money, it’s about pride. How many people in Japan right now can say, “I own a hotel in Hokkaido and I’m contributing to inbound tourism!”? I think it’s definitely worth striving to secure that position while you still can. Simply put, it’s cool!

It’s not just about returns. Become a cool investor. We want you to have money, respect, and stories you can be proud of in front of your family, loved ones, and that special someone. We believe that’s why you should join us.

For consultations and inquiries, please contact us here. You can also contact us via LINE. Even if you just want to hear more about it, please feel free to contact us!
https://tonaresort.co.jp/en/#contact

*The thumbnail was taken before the opening of Tona Resort Furano, with operations manager Okumura (center), development manager Nagano (left), and Shinkawa.