Our Story

Eri Kanda and Aiano Nakagawa first met in 2023, when Aiano was visiting Tokyo in search of queer artist community. Eri was born and raised in Tokyo and Aiano was born and raised in Portland, OR to an American mother and a Japanese father. 

While the two didn’t meet until their early 30’s, they learned that Eri’s family lived in the US for a few years during her childhood, only 15 minutes from where Aiano was living! After their initial meeting in 2023, Eri moved to London for two years and Aiano went through a monumental break up/divorce with their partner of over a decade back home in the SF Bay area.

Six months after the breakup, in May 2025, Aiano went to Japan to visit her father in the Japanese Northern Alps, where he moved back to after living in the States for 30+ years. On that trip, Aiano contemplated what the next chapter of her life held and the idea of a countryside food tour was born, bringing together her passion for food, travel, community, and a desire to build roots in Japan.

Separately, Eri was processing moving back to Japan and rebuilding her relationship with the culture and the country outside of Tokyo. There was deep desire to search for community and understand the country she was raised in, outside of the city environment. Japan is full of regional specialties, climates, wisdom in food preservation and fermentation, crafts, seasons… Eri knew she needed to not only visit these places, but make it her home to learn from the land everyday.

When the two stood in Aiano’s kitchen, eating imitation caivar with potato chips, creme fraiche, and chives, they started chatting about this food tour. From different angles, the two had been seeking something similar and it didn’t take long until they were shaking hands in that kitchen, smiling at each other to embark in this new journey.

It only took one visit to this village together for all of the magic to unfold. Falling completely head over heels in love with the people and the land, they were welcomed into the village with open arms. Eri currently lives full-time in the village in the shared home with Aiano.

The magic never stops. Every meal, every interaction, every viewpoint and every harvest has only deepened their love they have been fostering for Japanese country living.