Welcome to the Village in the Sky!

Where We Call Home.

This seemingly interminable mountain road leads to a place of wonder and excitement.

This is so much fun!

The "Village in the Sky," where people come to experience the forest.

It's the creation of French-born Jolan Ferreri.

With Japan's forestry on the decline, he wants people to rediscover the country's woodlands and mountains.

But the pandemic has been a major setback.

I couldn't pay my own salary.

But Jolan doesn't give up.

Supported by the local community, he takes on new challenges.

Braving obstacles, Jolan pursues his dream.

The village of Totsukawa in Nara Prefecture is nestled amidst mountains around a thousand meters tall.

Though its territory is comparable to Tokyo's metropolitan area, 96% of it is covered by forests.

No highways or railroads.

About a thirty-minute drive from the village center...

...deep within the mountains, we reach "Kuchu no Mura," or the "Village in the Sky."

Morning!

Will we be busy today?

8:30 a.m. - Jolan's work day begins.

This suspended bridge is the entrance to the Village in the Sky.

Soon, you find yourself twelve meters above ground.

An aerial stroll to feel one with nature.

On a seventeen-hectare plot of land, a three-hundred-meter-long network of suspended pathways anchored to the trees.

This platform is a small rest area to enjoy tea and sweets.

It's a kind of forest recreational park born in Jolan's home country.

Blocks of wood prevent the cables from choking the trunks.

Signs describe the various kinds of trees and the role they play in the environment.

For an admission fee of about 15 US dollars, one can enjoy a leisurely day in the forest.

Adults in Japan lose their sense
for playing with nature.

I wanted to suggest a way to renew it.

Born near the foot of the Alps in southeastern France, Jolan grew to love the forest and mountains from childhood.

He later studied and obtained an MBA at a famous university in Japan's Kansai region.

Eager to pursue his dream of a career related to forests and mountains, he then looked for work at major Japanese forestry companies, but unfortunately wasn't hired.

Hearing that Totsukawa was hiring staff as part of their initiative to reinvigorate the region, he moved into the village.

My father was opposed
to my decision to work...

in forestry in Japan.

My friends and juniors in university
have all found jobs at major firms...

but I have no regrets.

Although the cutting down and planting of trees in the mountains proved harder than he had imagined, Jolan felt the work was very rewarding.

Even after his three-year contract was over, he wished to remain in Totsukawa.

That's when he got the idea for Kuchu no Mura, the Village in the Sky.

I took my plan to town hall.

There're many parks like this in France.

So, why not here?

It was the ideal job
and the perfect workplace.

So, I gave it a try.

Behind the village's decision to back Jolan's project is the desire to deal with a long-standing issue.

Forestry in Totsukawa was once a flourishing industry that counted some 150 companies.

But in the 1970s, the market shifted to imported lumber, and the value of local wood took a plunge.

Only two firms remain today.

In addition, the region sustained massive damage when record-breaking rainfall in 2011 caused catastrophic landslides.

The mayor of Totsukawa at the time, Saratani Yoshiki, realized how the village had long neglected its forested mountains.

He determined that the key to healing the village and region was for the community to return to its roots as "inhabitants of the mountains."

If we'd taken care of the forests
and let sunlight shine through...

I believe we could've prevented
the disaster and the damage it caused.

We have to use our resources
and reinvest in nature.

New products that use local lumber were developed.

And just as they were looking for other ways to revive forestry, Jolan came with his proposal for the aerial recreational park.

It was interesting
but hard to visualize at first.

But our combined eagerness...

to revive forestry helped me realize
how exciting his proposal was.

I felt it could draw in many people.

The village assigned Jolan to the project and called in experts from France.

Investing the equivalent of around three hundred thousand US dollars, the Village in the Sky was set up in a park run by Totsukawa.

Jolan founded a company that manages the facilities.

But the opening in spring 2020 was met with a major obstacle.

The coronavirus pandemic.

There'd been plans of media coverage.

Everything was put off
until the pandemic was over.

But it wouldn't end.

For Jolan, an entrepreneur who shouldered the village's hopes and employed two staff members, this was a long and trying period.

Very few visitors came.

I couldn't pay my own salary.
I thought we'd go bankrupt.

I was at my wits' end.

It was then that he found someone who could help.

Tabana Mitsuyoshi.

Once an aspiring video creator, he now works for a local company that cultivates mushrooms.

Tabana produced a promotional video, which Jolan put up on social media.

I knew I could contribute
in that field somehow.

Coming back to Totsukawa
gave me this chance.

Hoping the Village in the Sky can help increase Totsukawa's visibility, Jolan proactively organizes all sorts of events.

One such activity is the removing of dried rhododendrons...

...a seasonal gathering that draws in visitors of an older demographic who wouldn't normally come to the park.

He also occasionally holds a market featuring local products.

Participants are given tickets for free admission to the Village in the Sky, which contributes to promoting the facility.

Jolan's efforts have helped increase the number of visitors from 3,500 the first year to 5,200 in 2021.

His company was finally breaking even.

June - before the summer break.

Jolan faced yet another hurdle.

I want to do outdoor film screenings.

But we need equipment.

I'd hoped to procure it
with financial assistance.

But it was refused.

He wishes to bring in more visitors with film screenings that would let them experience the forest at night.

He applied to Nara Prefecture twice for a mere sum of around five thousand dollars in financial support.

But his requests have been refused.

Without financial assistance, the project remains shelved.

Good morning!

But Jolan doesn't give up.

He visits the town hall.

Hi, Mr. Tamaki.

In charge of local tourism, Tamaki Yuichiro is a reliable advisor to Jolan.

The outdoor film screenings
you were planning.

Maybe postpone to September?

I'll readjust my plan.

- We want to minimize your expenses.
- Thank you!

We should secure some financial
support before organizing the event.

As the future remains uncertain due to COVID, Tamaki encourages Jolan to wait until the village can provide help.

- Hi, Jolan.
- Good morning.

Supporting Jolan ever since he arrived in the village, vice-mayor Maeoka Yukihide has been following his diligent efforts.

We don't aim to be a bridge
between our countries.

We simply want Jolan to thrive
and live happily with us in Totsukawa.

Warm support and encouragement.

But it also reminds Jolan of the village's expectations for the project to succeed.

He can't help but feel pressure.

Since the park opened, Jolan has been working almost non-stop.

Luckily, the region is certainly not lacking in spots where one can forget the bustle and worries of everyday life.

A valley that slowly formed over seventy million years.

A quiet serenity fills the air.

I don't know why,
but I'm drawn to nature's beauty.

It's so calming.

Jolan has another idea in mind.

Accommodations in suspension.

There are many sawtooth oak trees.

I want to build platforms
for people to spend the night.

A treehouse here.

You wake up to this view in the morning.

So picturesque.

To make this project a reality, he's begun discussing with the French company that built the Village in the Sky.

I'm thinking individual platforms
with private nets in front...

and access by wooden walkways.

I need the trees' diameters and
the distance between, with photos.

He aims to open the treetop hotel next spring.

The concept is for guests to enjoy a relaxing stay surrounded by nature.

‘Bonjour! Bonjour!' Here comes a reliable friend!

- ‘Allons picoler !'
- ‘Allons picoler ?' Now?

‘Allons picoler' means...

‘Let's go drinking!'
It's how we greet each other.

Higashi Nobuhiko is the second-generation owner of a local afforestation company.

To Jolan, he's a mentor who has taught him the knowhow, as well as the joys and difficulties, of forestry.

What's that?

I just made it this year.

- You assembled all the ropes and wires?
- Of course.

Nice!

- You're "my" mentor from now on.
- No way!

Amazing!

Higashi's surprise is an encouragement for Jolan.

At first, I didn't think
he could build this park.

I wanted to say, ‘No way!' For us, nature has an element of danger,
so we keep our distance.

We're near forests but we don't think
of using them for recreation.

But this guy's successfully doing it.
He's the only one who can do it.

How sweet!
Thanks.

The kindness of the locals warms Jolan's heart.

The summer season is at its peak.

Cheerful laughter echoes through the forest.

Hi!

Not too scary?

We're having a blast!

These past five years were rough.

But the people of Totsukawa
are always there to help me.

I'm ever grateful, but I also feel
a strong responsibility.

I feel the pressure to succeed.

I have to give back to the community.
I must not fail.

To reinvigorate Totsukawa with the Village in the Sky.

Jolan and the locals share the same dream.

Hi! I'm Manutchaya Chaopreecha.

I work at the tourist information center
here in Yugawara.

Come on over!
We're waiting!

Yugawara, Kanagawa Pref.

This is a famous hot-spring resort area.

Good morning!

8:00 a.m.
arriving at work.

I'm a bit nervous to be on camera.

Mana works at the info center
in front of the railway station.

She works with three colleagues.

Hi.

- Any one-day hot springs?
- Sure.

There's Kogomenoyu.

It has a nice nostalgic mood.

- Can we walk there?
- It's better to take the bus.

I'd like to go to this restaurant.

Take the bus to Atami
and get off at Goshimizu.

Thank you.

Any recommendations?

- For a stay or a one-day trip?
- One-day trip.

Then how about going to Fudo Falls...

followed by a visit to a museum
and Manyo Park?

It goes downhill...

- So, we need to get off there?
- Yes.

Thank you!

Better to start with far places
then come back.

It's important to suggest
a well-planned itinerary.

Mana doesn't work only
at the information counter.

2:00 p.m.
visiting a local resident.

Saito-san makes videos
that introduce Yugawara.

How do you do?

Mana also helps produce promotional
videos for a non-Japanese audience.

Today, they're recording some narration.

Take 1!

Mana has been learning English
since elementary school.

The main appeal of Yugawara
is how it makes people relax.

Wherever you go, you're surrounded
by beautiful nature.

It's the perfect place to enjoy
some quiet and restful time.

Mana chose to become a guide
when she experienced...

the kindness of Japanese people
during a trip.

In 2020, she found work in Yugawara,
but then came the pandemic.

I wanted to be a guide
for foreign tourists in Japan.

But almost all customers turned out
to be Japanese. I was quite surprised.

But I feel it's been
a great opportunity after all.

It's enabled me to improve
my skill in Japanese.

This is Ratti.

She's my colleague.
She's really kind.

She has a great sense of responsibility,
and is good at organizing documents.

I've a lot of respect for her.

This tourist information center
is Mana's very first workplace.

It must've been really hard for her.

We need to use honorific language
with customers...

and be courteous to colleagues.

It gave her a hard time.

But I can see she's improved
her communication skills...

and she keeps getting better.

Local mandarin oranges.

We're going to send off tourists.

To encourage tourists to come back,
Mana and her colleagues hand out gifts.

Before they head home, some customers
come to thank me for my advice.

That makes me so happy.

- A thank-you gift.
- Thank you!

My first gift from a customer.

How sweet.

My treasure is this binder.

It has all the info on Yuzawara.

I added a lot of handwritten notes
to the fliers and maps.

It's always been by my side.

I believe that helping people
is my vocation in life.

I want to continue to work
as a guide for tourists.