Akiya Collective is a society of artists, makers, and architects restoring abandoned houses in Japan into art installations, community spaces, and interactive habitats.

We are non-profit organization and a community-driven project dedicated to creating spaces that are in harmony with the local environment.

Over the last year, we: ✧ Incorporated our legal entity, a US-based non-profit organization (with a 501c3 fiscal sponsor) ✧ Hosted two residencies, with cohorts of 10 people each, in rural areas in Izu and Nagano ✧ Developed relationships with city governments and locals, learned different renovation techniques, and produced installations ✧ Researched 100+ properties, visited 25+, and explored 5 different areas of rural Japan ✧ Established our first community home in Nagano Prefecture ✧ Brought in 30+ volunteers on-site for build weeks to help with renovations

We have open-sourced our process and research in an online playbook for others to learn from. In our community of 1,000+ people, there are already members who have committed to purchasing property near our base. Through our project, we are actively supporting a network of home owners in acquiring, renovating, and operating properties in tight-knit regions for cohabitation and coworking.

During this grant round, we are looking to crowdfund for additional renovations for our first community home, support for other akiya owners in our network, and preparation for two residency cohorts planned for 2025.