I planned to travel indefinitely — instead, I started a company in rural Japan

• After graduating from college, Kira Bella set out to travel the world indefinitely.

• She visited 16 countries in her first year but decided to settle in Japan.

• Now, at 25, she runs a rural revitalization business in a small town in rural Japan.

This well-known article is based on a conversation with Kira Bella (25), CEO of the Japanese experiential travel company Kirameki. It has been edited for length and clarity.

After college I made plans to travel indefinitely, initially spending a year visiting 16 countries in Asia and Europe, but Japan ticked all the boxes for me in a way that no other place had.

I moved there on a 6 month working holiday visa and kept extending it. During that time, I held several jobs and traveled around the country.

I became particularly interested in rural towns after discovering Kagura, a performing art rooted in Japanese mythology. The practice is still very much alive in Kitahiroshima, a small city southeast of Sapporo where I now live.

I joined the dance team and immediately connected with the people. It felt like I was adopted by the entire community.

Since my visa was about to expire, I wasn’t ready to leave yet. I started looking for ways to stay and came across the Business Manager Visa. One of the requirements was to have a business concept, so I proposed a rural revitalization concept for my rural town without thinking too much about it at the time.

In February 2025, I got my visa.

life passed

I’m not Japanese. I hold dual Australian and American citizenship and am a mix of different races. I was born in Tanzania, raised in Australia, and moved to the United States when I was 15 years old.

My American father worked for the United Nations, so we traveled a lot growing up. My mother is from a small village in Myanmar and I was raised Buddhist. This determines how I travel and how easily I integrate into life in Japan.

Finding your way in Japan

I’ve been working part-time since I was 15 years old. I first worked at McDonald’s and then as a waiter during college.

By my senior year as an environmental studies major at the University of Oregon, I was working three jobs and had saved about $30,000. My savings helped me when I decided to apply for a business manager visa in Japan. One of the requirements was to have 5 million yen, equivalent to the U.S. dollars I had saved.

Obtaining a visa is a long and tedious process. This is the biggest obstacle for me. Everything feels very ancient. All I had to work with was paper and stamps, which was tiring. As a foreigner and new business owner, I had to adapt; this country wasn’t going to adapt to me.

Now I run a rural tourism business that connects tourists with local life. I arrange accommodation in traditional inns and work with farmers, artisans and performers to create experiences.

As the only native English speaker in town, I was responsible for marketing, coordination and hospitality. I also create itineraries and guide guests, which is how I generate income. I learned Japanese through immersion; I didn’t take any formal classes.

A new experience every day

Running a business here pushes me to take risks. I had to make a significant investment financially, investing in property renovations and purchasing abandoned traditional Japanese houses for my business.

I have applied for a Business Manager visa twice – first as a sole proprietor and again a year later as the initial visa is usually only valid for one year. I invested about 10 million yen (approximately $60,000) in the company and it became profitable in the first year, with revenue approaching 7 million yen.

Maintaining the visa was difficult due to the ever-changing requirements, but I chose to stay the course. Navigating the Japanese bureaucracy was a challenge, but it made me more determined.

Initially, I found it hard to believe that someone could do a job as well as I did. It’s still hard to imagine what the company would do without me. I realized that I could hire the right people and delegate tasks so that I wasn’t overwhelmed.

Now I have four employees and a team of interns that I rely on. Initially, I found it scary to trust anyone but myself. This experience was a great learning curve for me.

I’m still figuring out how to balance life and work. My priority is to have fun with my career. I’m usually hosting and showing people around town, or I’m busy coordinating with interns or volunteers.

I also work as a storyteller for traditional village events. I’m like an entertainer. I’m on my computer responding to inquiries or planning a trip for the next group of visitors.

I have three properties to take care of – my home, my office space, and my gifted traditional house – so if I can really take a break, I spend time maintaining them. I work in my garden and do a lot of growing and harvesting vegetables. I also cook and journal, or if I get the chance, I try to put in some crockery.

I don’t have weekends or work hours. When you’re the owner, you can never take off work.

Japan is still new to me. I’m not Japanese, so I feel like I’m learning something every day.

Read the original article on Business Insider