"You'll Just Move On Anyway."How One Honest Conversation Changed the Future of JWH Village
When I recently wrote about the future of the ground-floor shop beneath our home in Delft, I compared three possible options.
Rent it to a new tenant
Turn it into a small hotel
Create JWH Village
After building detailed financial models, I was honestly surprised.
JWH Village looked like the most exciting option.
Not only from a business perspective, but also as a place where people could experience Japanese culture, meet local residents, and discover the vision behind Japan Working Home™.
To be honest...
I had almost convinced myself.
"JWH Village is the obvious choice."
But only a few days later, one conversation completely changed my perspective.
A Conversation Over Drinks
One evening, after the children had gone to bed, my wife and I were having a quiet drink together.
Naturally, the conversation turned to JWH Village.
I asked her,
"So... what do you think?"
She smiled and replied,
"I'm happy to help."
Then she paused.
"But I don't want to be the one running it."
And then came the sentence that completely stopped me.
"You'll just move on to the next thing anyway."
I couldn't argue.
Because...
She was absolutely right.
This Has Been Our Pattern for Years
My wife and I have been married for sixteen years.
Long before we moved to the Netherlands, we started an oxygen capsule wellness business together in Japan.
At first, we built it side by side.
Gradually, I became fascinated by new business ideas.
Eventually, she was running the day-to-day operation while I was developing something new.
Later, we built disability welfare services together.
Exactly the same thing happened.
I love creating something from nothing.
Designing systems.
Launching new ideas.
Watching them take shape.
But once everything becomes stable...
I naturally start looking for the next challenge.
Meanwhile, my wife stays behind and keeps everything running.
She knows this pattern better than anyone.
JWH Village Would Probably Become the Same Story
As I imagined JWH Village...
I realized the same thing could easily happen again.
At the beginning, I'd be full of excitement.
Creating menus.
Planning events.
Meeting local people.
Building a community.
But one year later...
Two years later...
I'd probably be saying,
"I've got another new idea!"
And she'd be running the place.
That future was already obvious to her.
So when she said,
"I don't want to be running another business full-time."
She wasn't rejecting the idea.
She was protecting our family.
Then We Found a Fourth Option
Instead of arguing,
we simply kept talking.
Eventually, my wife said,
"Why don't we rent out the shop, and instead hold Japanese cooking classes at home once or twice a week?"
The moment she said it...
Everything suddenly made sense.
The shop could provide stable rental income.
We could still meet local people.
We could still share Japanese culture.
JWH could still have a physical presence in Delft.
And most importantly...
Our family wouldn't have to sacrifice every weekend and evening.
We're Not Giving Up on JWH Village
Some people might think,
"So you've abandoned JWH Village."
Actually...
It's the opposite.
I love the idea of JWH Village even more than before.
The difference is simply this.
Instead of building a business that demands our lives,
we want to build one that fits naturally into our lives.
Sometimes...
Smaller is stronger.
Our New Goal
We're now aiming for early 2027.
By then, our fifth child will have started primary school.
That feels like the right time to begin.
Until then...
We're already having fun discussing possible menus.
Udon.
Hōtō.
Japanese curry.
Karaage.
Tonkatsu.
Tempura.
What started as a business discussion somehow turned into an evening spent talking about food.
Maybe...
That was the best outcome we could have hoped for.
The Best Business Isn't Always the Most Profitable
Last time, I compared numbers.
Revenue.
Costs.
Investment.
Profit.
This time, I realized something even more important.
A business shouldn't be judged only by how much money it can make.
It should also be judged by questions like:
Who will actually run it?
Will it still be enjoyable five years from now?
Does it protect the people you love?
Can it grow without taking away your family?
Those answers don't appear in a spreadsheet.
But they might matter even more than the numbers.
Our decision wasn't simply about a shop in Delft.
It became a conversation about the kind of life we want to build as a family.
Rather than starting something bigger...
We want to build something that lasts.
Netherlands Journal Vol.13
Takashi Nakamura
Founder, Japan Working Home™ (JWH)