After a British YouTuber livestreamed most of his time here, Inoue - who started running Asahi ERIC - had the idea of whether he could use the Internet to attract new customers and bring in new revenue.
Now, guests coming to Asahi ERIC have the option to pay only 100 yen (about $1) per night to stay in room 8 - if they agree to let their entire time be livestreamed.
Of course, there are limitations on livestreaming on a YouTube channel called One Dollar Hotel. Inoue explained to CNN Travel that customers have privacy in their conversations or phone calls. Guests are allowed to turn off their lights and not livestream in the bathroom area.
"It's a very old hotel and I'm looking for a new business model. Our hotel is in the low-cost segment, so we need some added value and one thing special to impress," said Inoue.
Before Inoue's creative idea, room 8 was the least rented. However, now, many young guests looking to save money when traveling in Japan are quite interested in the concept of a $1 hotel room.
"Young people today do not care much about privacy. Some of them say that just one day of being watched on livestream is fine, Inoue added.
The price of 1 USD is certain to cause Inoue to lose money, so he is thinking further. The YouTube channel has surpassed 1,000 subscribers and once it has accumulated more than 4,000 hours of views, he can place ads on the channel and make money from it.
On days when room 8 is empty, Inoue will post a livestream of himself working in the hotel's office. Signs in Japanese and English are posted in front of the camera to let viewers know when he leaves the room.
