Want to stay in a hotel room for $1 per night? A hotel in Japan will let you do that as long as you make your room available for a 24-hour Livestream.
The Asahi Ryokan 10-room hotel in Fukuoka, which has been around for over 30 years, is trying a new strategy to boost revenue, according to owner Tetsuya Inoue. Tetsuya Inoue is 27 years old and runs the Asahi Ryokan, owned by his grandmother. When he began running the hotel, he was investigating ways to bring in new travelers and perhaps stir up some more attention.
When a British traveler came through and live-streamed much of his stay to his followers, Inoue had an idea: What if he set up a Livestream of his own? He wondered how he could improve the business in the new economy. Inoue had an idea: what if he could use the internet to bring in a new audience and an additional revenue stream? His goal is to make the hotel run from YouTube advertising income and not accommodation fees.
He is aware of the challenge ahead: “I started this project just three weeks ago, so even I don’t know whether it can be profitable,” he told USA TODAY. Since the project is so new and doesn’t have many takers, Inoue is broadcasting his home on the hotel’s YouTube channel in the meantime. At least one British YouTuber has stayed in the room. Travelers can make reservations here. Viewers could watch Inoue on Wednesday, typing on his computer with a whiteboard next to him.
“The guest canceled tonight,” read a message on the whiteboard with a sad face. He also stretched and tousled his hair. While the ryokan currently loses money in Room 8, once the idea gets popular enough, they will broadcast ads on the Livestream and start turning the creative idea into a profitable venture.
And if you don’t mind sleeping on camera before thousands of strangers, you have a very affordable way to visit the Japanese city of Fukuoka, which is growing more popular with tourists every year. On days when the room is vacant, or no one is streaming, Inoue will post a live stream of himself working in the ryokan’s office. They post signs in Japanese and English in front of the camera to let viewers know when he’s out of the room.
So, besides the opportunity to have thousands of strangers watch your REM cycle on the internet, what’s the incentive to head to Fukuoka? The pretty seaside city is known for its incredible food. Besides local, freshly caught seafood, Fukuoka is also the birthplace of the popular Ichiran chain, home of yummy pork tonkatsu ramen. Also, the acclaimed Fukuoka Art Museum reopened in early 2019 following three years of renovations.
