A case study of rural tourism in Japan: rural tourist attractions in Japan

With the development of economy, rural tourism is a hot spot with good prospects.

2. Japan's rural tourism development

First, the present situation of Japan's elderly industry. Aging industry is a general concept, which generally refers to enterprises and departments that provide products and services for the aging population. It covers a variety of industries that meet the needs of the elderly in clothing, food, housing, transportation, entertainment and medical care. It can be roughly divided into the following five categories: (1) The manufacturing field of articles for the elderly refers to all kinds of machinery, machinery and so on. Mainly consuming the elderly. (2) The field of elderly life and nursing services can generally be divided into two major markets: elderly service industry and institutional pension industry. (3) Real estate for the elderly, including the construction of old-age communities, apartments for the elderly, social welfare homes, nursing homes, nursing homes for the elderly, and service centers for the elderly [], as well as the transformation of existing nursing homes. (4) Financial insurance for the elderly, including financial asset investment management and various insurance for the elderly. (5) Leisure services for the elderly and other fields, such as tourism, entertainment and sports, vocational study, etc. These five fields not only span the primary, secondary and tertiary industries, but also have different formation periods and development processes. The market is the foundation of industrial development, and the needs of the elderly depend on the size, income level and consumption tendency of the elderly population. Judging from the size of the elderly population, although Japan is not the earliest aging country, it is the fastest aging country. In 2000, the total population was 654.38+26.9 million, and the proportion of people over 65 years old was as high as 654.38+07.4%. It will take the lead in breaking through the 20% mark in the world in 2006 and reach 25% in 20 15. In terms of income level, the per capita income of 1999 elderly families is 2187,000 yen, which is almost the same as that of ordinary families, and the average assets are about 42.506 million yen, ranking among the best in developed countries. In addition, because elderly families generally don't spend American education and mortgages on their children, they are actually richer than people think. According to relevant statistics and forecasts, the consumption of people over 60 years old accounted for 13% of the consumer market in 190, and increased 18% in10, which was about 24% in 2000 and will rise to 36% in 20 10. Table 1 shows the time changes of the elderly population and its consumption ratio. This shows that although in some countries, enjoying old age is still regarded as synonymous with poverty, the consumption level of the elderly in Japan is not inferior to other age groups, and even surpassed the latter since the end of the 1990s. The similar situation is not limited to Japan. For example, in the late 1980s, the British Deputy Minister of Health and Social Security asserted that we were in the "era of martial arts". Table/kloc-proportion of population over 60 years old and its consumption change (unit:%)1980199020020/kloc-proportion of population over 60 years old to the total population; 1 313181823243036 Source:1. National Social Security Population Research Institute. Population statistics collection [days] (meters). Annual edition; 2. Asahi life. 2/kloc-the aging market in the 20th century [J]. Economic Monthly, No.203. Looking at the aging industry in the United States from the development course of Japan, the 1970s was the embryonic stage, and the 1980s and 1990s were the forming stage. Especially in the late 1990s, many large enterprises started from the strategy of diversification and market segmentation, relying on their technical and financial advantages, and successively entered various fields of the aging market, greatly improving their aging products and products. At present, the aging industry in Japan and the United States has industrial components in terms of market size, social function, specialization of employees and production technology and equipment. And has entered the expansion period, the industrial scale is about 39 trillion yen. After that, it will grow steadily at the rate of 4-5% every year, and by 2025, it will become a large-scale pillar industry of 1 12- 155 trillion yen (equivalent to about 1 trillion US dollars at the current exchange rate). Table 2 compares the aging industry with related industries, and the results show that: (1) Compared with the environmental protection industry, although both are emerging industries in the 20th century, the silver industry will be a green industry. (2) Compared with the civil construction industry D, the latter used to be

Because of this, facing the long-term economic downturn, the Japanese government is full of expectations for the aging market. The report of Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Issues and Prospects of Economic and Industrial Policies in the 2 1 Century, emphasizes that promoting the development of aging industries and IT industries will drive the Japanese economy out of the trough, and it is possible to achieve an average annual economic growth rate of 2% in the first 25 years of the 2 1 century. Table 2: Comparison of development trends between aging industry and related industries (unit: trillion yen *, %) 1998-2025 average annual growth rate (%)2025/ 1998 (%) aging industry, environmental protection industry and civil engineering industry 391553 */. Source: Calculated according to the reference material "2 1 Century Economic and Industrial Policy Issues and Prospects" of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan. Two. Japanese and American policies related to the aged industry. Although Japan is a market economy country, the influence of the central government on economy and enterprise management is far stronger than that of other developed countries. The rapid economic growth in 1960s and 1970s largely benefited from its industrial policies and administrative guidance []. Similarly, according to the maturity of the needs of the elderly and the development characteristics of aging industries in various fields, it is also one of Japan's successful experiences to introduce relevant policies and measures in stages in the 1980s and 1990s. 1. According to the introduction period and policy objectives, this paper analyzes the main policy measures before 1990s. Most of the policies and measures introduced in the 1970s and 1980s originated from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, which is in charge of social welfare and other affairs. At this time, Japan has just entered the elderly society, and the long-term social welfare undertakings undertaken by government departments can no longer meet the needs of the elderly. Due to the low entry threshold of institutional pension industry, some small and medium-sized enterprises eager to enter the aging market first targeted the institutional pension industry. To this end, the Japanese government has experienced a process from licensing and liberalization gt; With the support, the final position is that the government's elderly welfare is mainly aimed at the low-income class, providing private enterprises that are unwilling to get involved and the market mechanism can be fully supplied. Most of the needs of the elderly are solved through the market mechanism as far as possible. Therefore, the main purpose of the policies and measures introduced in this period is to establish market norms and industry standards, protect the rights and interests of the elderly, and promote the socialization and industrialization of the welfare of the elderly. (1) Regulations on the Administration of Pension Institutions and its supporting measures were promulgated. 1974, the Ministry of Health and Welfare promulgated the Guidelines for the Establishment and Operation of Private Nursing Homes, and the policy has been revised many times since then. The Guidelines and related policies stipulate the attributes, facilities standards, staffing, service standards and preferential loan system of old-age care institutions, and stipulate that old-age care institutions are different from ordinary enterprises. In addition to being approved by the governor of prefectures when it was established, it must also submit annual business reports and accept the supervision of the government. At present, Japan's social pension institutions, whether welfare or profit-making, meet the criteria as long as the number of residents reaches a certain scale (generally more than 50). The difference is that the loan amount of for-profit pension institutions is generally about 30~70% of the minimum registered capital, and the annual interest rate is 2.25%, while the loan amount of welfare pension institutions is slightly higher than the former (although this is mainly because for-profit legal persons have to pay taxes, so they enjoy greater loan interest rate concessions. (2) After the 1980s, the size and purchasing power of the elderly population have been rising, the demand has become increasingly clear, and the types of related goods and services have been increasing. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has set up an aging industry room, and the suppliers of aging goods and services have established an aging career development association under the guidance of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. As the economic department in charge of country G

Shortly after the establishment of the Association for the Development of the Elderly, in view of the uneven quality of the old-age care institutions and inferior goods, incidents that harm the interests of the elderly frequently occur (for example, the elderly who live in nursing homes not only suddenly lose their homes, but also cannot recover the high advance payment; Another example is that some elderly people want to invest in value-added, but they lack financial knowledge, so they are cheated by investment consulting companies and so on. ), set up an "aging business ethics plan" to strengthen the self-discipline of industries and enterprises, and then set up a silver standard system and a silver standard certification Committee composed of representatives of consumers, manufacturers and scholars. We began to certify and publicize qualified social pension institutions, pension products and services and their production enterprises. In addition, private nursing homes have also set up a national guild through consultation, and set up a foundation under the guild to compensate and relieve the elderly when individual members are unemployed. (3) Establishing a professional qualification system and improving the professional level of employees is not only one of the important signs of the formation of aging industry, but also the need of the development of aging society and aging industry. 1987, the Japanese parliament passed the Law on Social Welfare Practitioners and the Law on Nursing Welfare Practitioners, and held the first qualification examinations of these two countries in 1989. Social welfare teachers mainly provide advice and guidance for the physical and mental health and daily life of the elderly. Participants in the examination must have a college degree or above, have attended relevant professional courses (those who have not attended professional courses need to be trained in S training center for more than one year), or have a college degree or above and have more than 2~3 years of practical experience, and have been trained in the training center for 6 months to 1 year. Nurses mainly provide specific nursing and daily life services for the elderly. They only need to have a high school education or above and have received 1-2 years of training in the training center to obtain this national qualification. But if you don't have a high school education, you need more than 3 years of practical experience and pass the qualification examination. So far, 1.4 million people and 370,000 people have taken the two qualification examinations, with passing rates of 28% and 47% respectively. Nearly 40,000 social welfare teachers and 300,000 nursing and welfare workers, as well as a large number of qualified domestic helpers, not only provide high-quality services for the elderly, but also improve human resources. In addition, some universities also offer social welfare, welfare engineering and even welfare appliance engineering, which are very popular with students. 2.65438+major policy measures in the 1990s. In the 1990s, the Japanese and American economies were depressed, the demand was sluggish, the manufacturing industry was the first to bear the brunt, and there was a serious overcapacity. On the other hand, the elderly population and their purchasing power are increasing, but the related goods and services are insufficient. How to develop goods and services suitable for the characteristics of the elderly, meet their needs and even develop their potential needs, expand the market scale and stimulate economic growth has become an increasingly important topic for the business community and even the government's economic authorities. During this period, the policies and measures introduced one after another mainly include the Law on Promoting the Research, Development and Popularization of Welfare Appliances, the Guide to the Design of Long-lived Social Housing, and the Law on Nursing Insurance. The Law on Promoting the Research, Development and Popularization of Welfare Appliances is essentially an industrial policy aimed at adjusting product structure and cultivating emerging industries, which belongs to the middle level. According to the needs of an aging society and the responsibility and obligation of the state to promote the development and popularization of welfare devices, the main provisions are as follows: (1) give full play to the advantages of industrial technology, promote the development and use of products for the elderly, and establish an effective supply mechanism; (2) The Ministry of International Trade and Industry provides technical guidance and financial support for private enterprises; (3) Local governments must provide product information and consulting services for the elderly and the disabled; (4) Establish a perennial welfare home appliance exhibition hall to display related products in the central city. In order to achieve the policy objectives, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry has specially set up a medical welfare equipment I.

This system was called universal pension and universal insurance in the early 1960s. Its social background is as follows: (1) With the development of aging and longevity, more and more people can take care of themselves or can't take care of themselves at all; (2) The core and miniaturization of family structure weaken the traditional family function of children to take care of the elderly. At the same time, due to the lack of nursing staff and high labor costs, many elderly people cannot get the necessary care and services. (3) The medical expenses of the elderly are expanding day by day, and a large part of them are used for nursing rather than medical behavior. It is more and more important to straighten out the relationship between them and open up new sources of funds. According to the nursing insurance system, the elderly can get different levels of home care and living services as long as they are determined to be necessary through the physical examination of specialized institutions (* * * is divided into two categories and six levels, and the monthly amount ranges from 64,300 to 379,500 yen). They can also choose to stay in nursing homes, nurseries, nursing homes and nursing homes. Even the cost of rebuilding private houses and buying or renting necessary machinery, appliances and supplies can be solved through this system. 90% of the above expenses are paid by the state and local governments through the insurance system, and individuals only need to pay 10%. On the other hand, under this system, every old man over 65 years old is 1 insured, while middle-aged people aged 40-64 are A 2 insured, and the insurance premium is deducted from the income such as annuity or salary in proportion every month. Three. According to the theory of industrial economics, industrial policy does not necessarily take industry as the direct object, and its policy objectives include not only economic goals, but also social goals. Most of the above policies and measures are aimed at improving social welfare and the situation of the elderly, but they all directly or indirectly affect the aging market and industry. The first role is to establish market norms and ensure the orderly development of aging industries. The second is to cultivate and expand the aging market, strengthen the demand mechanism, and promote the rapid development of the aging industry. Among them, the professional qualification system, the popularization law of promoting the research and development of welfare devices and the newly promulgated nursing insurance law have great influence. The space of this section is limited, and the latter is mainly analyzed briefly. According to the Nursing Insurance Law, the providers of nursing and living services are mainly enterprises, not the government. Market mechanism makes consumers (the elderly, etc. ) here. Suppliers are selected according to price and quality, and suppliers carry out business activities according to market trends, which largely avoids the disadvantages of low efficiency and poor service that are common in government welfare undertakings. By the end of June 5438+ 10, 2000, there were 64,605 small and medium-sized enterprises in Japan engaged in home care and living services for the elderly and rental products for the elderly, with more than 1 1 0,000 facilities for the elderly. According to the survey of 4,774 former enterprises conducted by the Association for the Development of Aging, within six months after the nursing insurance system came into effect (April 2000 to June 5438+00), the average number of customers in each enterprise increased from 37 to 63.8, and the average monthly turnover increased from 2.5 million yen to 4 million yen, an increase of more than 60%. The expanding demand for nursing and living services has also directly or indirectly driven the demand of various industries such as pension products, pension facilities, pension housing, financial insurance and even knowledge industries. Therefore, the nursing insurance system promotes the all-round development of Japan's aging industry. A survey in the second year after the promulgation of this law shows that 33.5% of listed companies have entered or will soon enter the aging market, especially 184 large-scale manufacturing and financial insurance enterprises, and 146 have started to produce products or provide financial insurance products for the elderly, among which 1 18 indicated that they will expand their scale. At present, many large enterprises have entered the nursing and life service market across industries. For example, Hitachi Group, Japan Life Insurance Company, Japan Telecom and Telephone Company and other large enterprises 14 jointly set up professional partners to provide information.

The impact of the insurance system on industry and economy is also manifested in several other aspects. (1) Expand market demand and stimulate economic growth. Since the early 1990s, the economies of Japan and the United States have been in a long-term downturn. The main reason is that the demand is insufficient and unbalanced, and the traction of enterprise equipment investment is reduced, which can directly affect the final consumption, while the consumption of residents is weak due to the lack of new products and services and people's lack of confidence in the future. On the other hand, increasing public investment to stimulate economic growth is the traditional prosperity strategy of the Japanese government, but the implementation space is getting smaller and smaller, and the effect is not as good as before. Social welfare expenditure including nursing expenses has the same multiplier effect as public investment, the former is 3.79[] and the latter is 3.8. It is calculated that if the nursing insurance system comes into effect in the first fiscal year, it will cost 3.97 trillion yen. Then Y=3.973.79= 15.0463 (trillion yen). That is to say, when the total supply equals the total demand again, the increase in demand, production and income driven by 3.97 trillion yen can reach 15.05 trillion yen. However, as a part of 3.97 trillion yen, it should have been included in the US government's medical expenses for the elderly, and the actual increase in nursing expenses in fiscal year 2000 was less than the above figures. However, after that, the demand for nursing will increase rapidly at the rate of 8- 10% per year, rising to 6.4 trillion yen in 2005 and 9.2 trillion yen in 20 10, and its diffusion effect can increase the market demand by several hundred trillion yen. (2) Expand employment opportunities and absorb surplus labor in traditional industries. Life service industry and institutional pension industry are labor-intensive industries. According to estimates, every1000 billion yen of elderly care needs can create 1785 jobs, while1000 billion yen of public utilities such as infrastructure construction can only create 994 jobs. Due to the decrease of population and the change of economic structure, by 20250, the number of employees in Japan will decrease by about 5%, and the distribution of industries will also change significantly. Among them, the number of employees in the secondary industry (excluding medical and welfare appliance manufacturing), which is dominated by construction and manufacturing, will decrease by about 20%, and the number of employees in the primary industry and the tertiary industry (excluding the service industry dominated by the elderly) will decrease by about 10% each. Only when the industries related to the aging society increase substantially, the service industry with the elderly as the main target will increase by more than 200%, thus greatly reducing the social and economic impact of layoffs in traditional industries. (3) Promote the development of local economy and community. The old-age service industry, institutional old-age care industry and old-age housing industry are mostly based on the local society and have a lasting impact on the local economy and community development. Judging from the regional differences in the degree of population aging, Japan and other developed countries have higher population aging in rural areas than in cities, higher in small and medium-sized cities than in big cities, and higher in economically backward areas than in developed areas. For example, in many towns and villages in Japan, the proportion of the elderly population exceeds 50%, and there is great room for the development of industries such as nursing services, institutional pension, and elderly housing. In addition, overpopulation in these areas has seriously affected the local fiscal revenue and social and economic development, so developing industry in these areas has great social and economic benefits. At present, many towns and villages implement preferential policies and even give financial subsidies to investors who build retirement communities and apartments for the elderly, which is exactly why. 4. Enlighten that the aging industry also has broad prospects in China. In 20 10, the proportion of the elderly over 60 in the total population in China rose to 12. 1%, which was close to the level of Japan 1980. The total consumption demand of the elderly exceeds 1 trillion RMB, forming a huge market for the elderly. Because the trend of population aging will not be reversed at least in 2 1 century. The silver industry, like the green industry, is Q.

Therefore, as the main body of policy, the state should have a comprehensive conception and long-term layout for the development of the aging industry, and formulate corresponding policies and measures in stages according to the characteristics and national conditions of the aging industry to promote the development of the aging market and guide and support the development of the aging industry in various fields.

: 3. Japanese rural scenery

1. Zhuangmo Town

Mozhen is one of the four ancient towns in Xinfu District, with profound cultural heritage and rich tourism resources. The total area of the town is 1, 2 1 km2, and it governs 29 administrative villages with a population of 1.4 million.

2. Ma Hui Town

Mazhen is one of the four ancient towns in Xinzhou City. The official road passes through the village, and the buildings in the town are divided into four corners: southeast, northwest and northwest. The town is full of shops, bustling, elegant businessmen and prosperous business. This is also because Ma Hui Tangzao was inherited by Haizhu Food Processing Factory, an ancient folk workshop pastry shop located in Ma Hui Village, Xinzhou City, with a history of more than 50 years. Over the years, on the basis of inheriting the traditional frying technology, Shihaizhu in Ma Hui has devoted itself to research and development, actively innovated, insisted on hand-made and did not add any food additives, making the taste more perfect and becoming a classic taste recalled by the old Xinzhou people.

3. Chicun Town

Villages and towns were called the hometown of hot springs in ancient times. The hot spring is located on the east side of the hot spring, with a thermal field area of 2.5 square kilometers. The water quality is high-quality super compound spring water containing radon, hydrogen sulfide and silicate. According to the water quality, mineral content and medical value of Qicun Hot Springs, there are only four hot springs found in the world. Except one in Japan, the other three are all in China, namely Lushan Mountain in Jiangxi, Grey Soup in Hunan and Qicun in Shanxi. Therefore, Qicun Hot Spring is one of the four famous hot springs in the world, but it is the only one in northern China.

4. Douluo Town

Xinzhou city governs the town. 1958, belonging to Hong Zhuan commune. 196 1 year, Douluo commune was established. 1984 was established in the town. It is located in the south of Xinzhou City, 0/2.5km away from the urban area/kloc-0, at the foot of Shilingguan, beside the Muma River, with Tongpu Railway in the north, Douluo Railway Station and Dayun Highway running through the whole territory. It is the throat of Xinzhou City leading to Taiyuan, and is known as the south gate of Xinzhou.

4. Pictures of rural tourist attractions in Japan

Mount Fuji: Mount Fuji is the highest peak in Japan and a symbol of the Japanese nation. It is called the holy mountain by the Japanese people. Mount Fuji is located in south-central Honshu, 80 kilometers east of Tokyo, with an area of 90.76 square kilometers and an altitude of 3,776 meters. The peak is towering into the sky, and the peak is covered with snow. The mountain is conical, like an inverted fan. Japanese poet once wrote

Tokyo Tower: Tokyo Tower is the tallest tower in Japan. It is located in Tokyo and was built in 1958. It is modeled after the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. It is 333 meters high, which is the highest point in Tokyo. The tower is a pyramid, yellow and white, with bright colors. There are aquarium, restaurant, shop, coffee shop and other facilities in the tower, as well as two towers, 150m and 250m. _ watchtower. Standing here, you can see a panoramic view of Tokyo.

Jinguo Temple: It was originally the villa of Nishihara Gongjing. It was built in14th century, and was later owned by ashikaga yoshimitsu of the shogunate. After that, it was renovated and expanded on a large scale. Up to three floors, the outer walls of the second and third floors are all gold foil, which looks glittering from a distance, so it is called Jingu Temple. The top and tail of the tower are decorated with a phoenix made of gold and copper, which adds a bit of beauty to the building. In front of the temple is a garden centered on Jinghu Lake, which embodies the grandeur of Jingu Temple. It is quiet and elegant, with unique scenery, which can be called the representative landscape of Kyoto.

Silver Pagoda: Located at the foot of the Dongshan Mountain in Kyoto, the Silver Pagoda was built in 1482 by Ashikaga Yoshimasa, the grandson of Ashikaga Shin-kwang, in the form of a shrine. The unique style of the Silver Pagoda is clean and elegant, which is in sharp contrast with the magnificence of Jingu Temple. Built in 1482, it is an exquisite two-story attic. The first floor is called the Heart Empty Hall, where monks practice. The second floor is called Yin Chao Pavilion, which is the Zen Hall. Yinta Temple is both a temple and a residential building with beautiful environment and pleasant scenery.

Japan

Japan

Baishan Historical Village: An Example of Completely Preserving Japanese Tradition. By planting mulberry trees and developing sericulture, this village has been able to continue in the mountains that have been almost forgotten by human beings in the long historical process. In order to relieve the pressure of snow in cold winter, residents increased the slope of the roof and built a unique double-decker thatched wooden house with a steep slope. This kind of wooden house is generally18m long and10m wide, with 3-4 floors inside, and usually houses a large family. Because the shape of the roof is very similar to that of the Japanese when they worship god, it is called palm folding house or triangular house. Apart from the significance of economic prosperity, these villages show the world the industrious quality and wisdom of ancient laborers in adapting to the environment and developing the economy.

Su Shan: Dongda Temple, Yandao Shrine and Peace Shrine (one of the scenic spots that Emperor Emperor Kanmu and Emperor Xiaoming must visit in Kyoto). ), Nazhi Waterfall, Kiyomizu Temple, Dongxunfang, Sakura Island and Luji City.

Taichang (or Imperial Taichang), located on the artificial land in Tokyo Bay, southeast of Tokyo, is the latest entertainment place in Tokyo. )

Sensoji Temple (built in 628) is the oldest temple in Tokyo. Tokugawa Ieyasu, a general in the Edo era, designated this place as a place of prayer for the shogunate. )

Tang Zhaoti Temple (located in Wujiao Street, Xijing, Naraku County) was built in 759 by Jian Zhen, a monk of the Tang Dynasty in China. )

Tianshou Pavilion in Osaka Castle: Architecture in the Age of Antu Taoshan. At present, there are precious historical materials about Catholicism in Tianshou Pavilion, which are of great historical value.

Japanese entertainment activities

As one of the most developed cities in international entertainment, Japan has colorful fashion conferences, animation culture and related industries that are popular all over the world, and entertainment activities that preserve traditional culture. People of different ages can find their own ways of entertainment here.

Among many places of entertainment, Tokyo Disneyland is the most prominent one. Tokyo Disneyland is not only the largest theme park in Asia, but also the largest entertainment place in Asia. This theme park centered on Cinderella Castle is a playground for children to play and an excellent place for adults to relax.

Japanese friends who travel to Japan must not miss the unique entertainment activities in Japan, such as sumo and kabuki performances. Sumo, known as the national ball, is a unique way of sports competition in Japan. Akihabara, Tokyo has the Sumo National Skills Museum and many sumo clubs, which is the best place to watch sumo competitions. Kabuki performances have a long history, generally including dance, martial arts, music and so on. , full of Japanese style. The ideal place to enjoy kabuki performances is kabukiza in Ginza.

Meihe block in Osaka is a representative entertainment block of Osaka nightlife, with many restaurants, entertainment facilities, various theaters (kabuki, literary music, modern drama, performing arts, movies) and so on. You might as well have a look.

5. Ranking of rural tourist attractions in Japan

First of all, rural Japan and rural China have different meanings. Rural China usually means poverty, backwardness and inconvenient transportation. However, as a developed country, Japan has sound and convenient transportation facilities (the tram network covers almost all areas) and perfect living facilities. It has gone through two stages: the great difference between urban and rural areas and the integration of urban and rural areas, and developed into the stage of pursuing rural life and sustainable development. In addition, the urban land area is limited, and many factories are scattered in villages. Many Japanese prefer to buy land in the countryside to build their own houses rather than live in urban apartments. For example, the former general manager of our company built a single-family building at the foot of a mountain in Japan, in the middle of nowhere.