I spent years in finance. Then I realized rural Japan's rice terraces were an overlooked asset.

Goki Akuzawa left city life in Tokyo to run farms and a guesthouse in the Japanese countryside. Provided by Goki Akuzawa Goki Akuzawa, 62, spends most days in rural Japan but still travels to Tokyo for business meetings. After years of restructuring distressed assets in major cities around the world, he began questioning what truly creates value. Inspired by Japan's rice terraces, he left finance to restore rural communities, opening a guesthouse and sake brewery. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Goki Akuzawa, 62, the owner of Toronoki House in Japan. It has been edited for length and clarity For eight years, I lived a dual life. I'd spend weekdays in Tokyo working on hotel and real estate investments. On weekends, I'd escape to rural Niigata, about a two-hour train ride from Japan's capital.