Airbnb Inc. is looking to deliver experiences in Japan that travelers can't get anywhere else, by offering the opportunity to stay in temples, train stations and other unusual settings.
The San Francisco-based vacation-rental startup will work on the initiative with Blue Lab Co., a financial-technology venture backed by Mizuho Financial Group Inc., the companies said in a statement Tuesday.
Japan is Airbnb's fastest-growing market, now with more than 53,000 listings. More than 24 million tourists visited Japan in 2016, topping the record for a fourth straight year, according to the National Tourism Organization. After years of regulatory hurdles, the government passed a law earlier this year setting out rules for short-term lodging services. That's spurring an effort to expand the number and variety of lodgings available to visitors.