AsiaYo has partnered with Japan’s Rakuten, LIFULL, and STAY in the homestay market.

▲AsiaYo announced on the 31st that it has formed an alliance with Rakuten LIFULL STAY, a new business entity under Japan's Rakuten Marketplace, to jointly develop the Taiwan-Japan homestay market. (Right) Rakuten LIFULL STAY Chairman Morikatsu Ota and AsiaYo CEO Cheng Chao-Kang (Photo provided by AsiaYo)

Reported by Chen Shih-chang, Taipei

AsiaYo, Taiwan’s homegrown homestay booking platform often dubbed the “Airbnb of Taiwan,” on the 31st signed a partnership with Rakuten LIFULL STAY, a new business venture under Japan’s Rakuten Marketplace, to collaborate on analyzing the Japanese homestay market. If all goes smoothly, once Japan’s new homestay law takes effect in 2018, it is expected that numerous vacant properties in Japan will be developed into homestays and begin accepting bookings through AsiaYo.

Morikatsu Ota, Chairman of Rakuten LIFULL STAY, stated that Rakuten, in collaboration with Japanese real estate agency lifull stay, has entered the homestay market. Together, they have access to 24,000 real estate agencies and 8 million online property listings across Japan. Once Japan’s new legislation is passed next year, real estate companies and homestay management firms can jointly launch a vacation rental platform (tentatively named “Vacation Stay”).

AsiaYo noted that it currently lists approximately 35,000 properties in Taiwan and 6,000 in Japan, covering over 30 Japanese cities. The newly allied Rakuten LIFULL STAY will provide Taiwanese travelers to Japan with even more diverse accommodation options.

Cheng Chao-Kang, CEO of AsiaYo, also revealed plans for the coming year: the user interface will expand from its current Chinese version to include English and Korean, listings will be added for Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia, and more currency options will be available for payment.