With its abundant, pristine beaches and renowned cultural and historic sites, it's little surprise that Okinawa Prefecture became a hot market for minpaku (private lodging) services.
But after a new law for such lodgings took effect on June 15, most of the more than 3,000 minpaku that were believed to be in operation in the prefecture vanished from the marketplace.
The new law sets rules for renting out vacant homes or rooms to tourists and requires homeowners to register their rental properties with local governments.