I did something crazy. I purchased an abandoned house in the Japanese countryside... without ever stepping foot inside it. Now it's time to make it a home! I’ll be posting videos every couple of weeks on: ✔ Renovations, ✔ The process I went through purchasing an Akiya, and ✔ Some of the fun adventures along the way. I don't know what I'll find or what will happen, but I hope you’ll subscribe and join me on this journey!
@@carloscastro-jl4bs I believe this to be an old concept about Japan which is false or incident dependent. I have lots of neighbors. It is a wonderful community and I have felt more accepted into this village after a short time than often in north America or other asian countries.
it is considered Abandoned in a legal sense as the previous owner and or their family leaves everything 'as is' and without associated liabilities. my house was extremely well cared for and i have been in touch with the family many times. :)
Serious question : What if you're just rich and retired? Youre not going to work or drain the system, you just want to live there. Can you buy properties, show investment incomes, past work experience, etc?
The big issue i see is the general aging problem and the associated emptying of the countryside. i have neighbors still working the fields at 94 years old.... to this end, i don't know of any retirement visa similar to what you can get in other asian (or European) countries . If rich, there's nothing to stop you from purchasing property and flying in and out.... or setting up a company as a director / manager which would then give you residency. there is also a new digital nomad visa... but I'm not sure how this would then work with things like health insurance etc. best of luck
mochi is one of the reasons I'm moving to Japan... 😂 hey did u ever get into trouble getting your tourist visa re-entering Japan multiple times? how long do u stay outside of Japan when u leave in order not to raise eyebrows? I lived in California for two years like that and I got into trouble only once when I just spend only 5 days in Mexico and then re-entered.... at the border they said: dude, that's too obvious... u r literally living here... I think I got lucky that day.... they let me pass... guess I will soon see if that works in Japan as well... 😊
When I was a student at UBC in Vancouver, "permanent students" did exist. Mostly they drank beer and shagged loose women. Nominally, they were enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts program, which might take them seven or eight years to complete, and then they would sign up to do some sort of bum-fuck Masters Degree. UBC did not care, as long as they came up with the required tuition fees. Is this viable in Japan? (Rhetorical Question: What is the difference between Lifelong Learning and Permanent Residency?)
As far as setting up a company, would working as a part-time independent software developer (e.g., doing contract programming for a 3rd party) count as a valid business? How profitable would the company need to be, e.g., would you need to make well over 5M yen each year?
If you're working for a company in japan, you would get the residency permit from that company.... But part time would be hard. If setting up your own company to be freelance, profitability is up to you. I don't know of a minimum income needed. The 5 million figure is the amount you have to put into a Japanese bank account at the company creation (from your savings, family, friends, etc) This can go to salaries, office space (also needed), tax accountants, japanese employees, etc... there are a lot of costs associated with a business. Definitely not an easy or cheap route but also not the hardest either. I have been quoted between 2000 - 5000 USD by consultants to help set up a company.
I had a quote from an air-con/electrician here in Nagasaki to upgrade the main fuse box from a very low 15A to 40A for an extra 50,000 yen. He was installing 3 off 100 volt air-con units for me. That seemed rather step, because it looked to me like it was just the breaker that needed changing. After a few phone calls made by my Japanese wife, It turned out the company supplying the electricity (Kyushu Denki) would come in free of charge, upgrade the breaker and add on 800 yen a month to the electricity bill. The job was completed by Kyushu Denki in literally 5 minutes. Electricians the world over will try to rip you of ... beware. Naturally I politely turned him down and had him just install the 3 air-con units at a very reasonable cost of 40,000 yen. I gave him an extra 5000 yen, total 45,000 yen because he was local and I didn't want any hard feelings. I had negotiated him down because it was 3 units and felt he may of been trying to make it up on over charging on the breaker upgrade. Humans will be humans after all. Buy your units of Yahoo auction and have them delivered. You can save a lot that way especially on 3 or more units. I brought 3 Panasonic Eolia units CS-282DFL W(2梱包) 100V (10-12 Tatami) for 53,800 yen each. Buying those units during the winter may be even cheaper. Good luck everyone.
That zyn garden looks beautiful keep up the hard work and enjoy a sake for me. I told my kids if i out live my wife im moving to japan to live out my last days by mnt fuji
Hi. How are you? Meanwhile, congratulations on your RU-vid channel. I really like! I need to ask you for some information if i don't take up too much of your time, but on Yourube find myself limited! How can i contact you otherwise? Thank you! Andrea from Italy
Instead of painting over the shikkui. You should replaster with shikkui. It has very good pest, mould and humidity control. There are many colours and textures. Happy reforming ❤😊
This was a good video and the Shoji screens have come out impressive, but I have some good tips on making this process easier. I recommend taking all the glue off as you repair it, if not, overtime the glue will mound up after each repair and will be very difficult and time consuming to take off. Also a quicker way to repair the screen is to soak the whole screen in warm water, either with a rag or spray bottle, and then let it sit for a minute. Usually the whole paper will come off in one piece and then you can go in and take off the excess, remaining glue. At the end of the day, do it whichever way you might prefer, it was fun to watch a different way of repairing it.
My route to retire in Japan is to, buy a house and go to school for 3 years. Hopefully, meet someone and get married, and live happily ever after in beautiful Japan.
I've been looking at akiya and would also repaint as you did to brighten the spaces. What was the first product used before the paint? Was it a sealer coat or clear primer? Thanks for sharing.
I have no better way to describe it than.... Like rice :). The toppings really make it interesting, which is why I like the soy sauce one a lot. The rest are interesting. In stores they are often stuffed with bean paste but it seems normal here just to top them.
Don't be encouraged. The moment you set foot in RU-vid, or any free media for that, the trolls pop up. Keyboard warriors attacking you. I believe all experience it. Thank goodness here will be always a larger group enjoying your post. And mochi, mmmmm.
Where in Canada are you from? I’m from Detroit. Can spot a Canadian within two sentences. I’m intrigued by akiyas. I’d love to get one. Japan is such a wonderful place.
Permanent residency in 1 year requires 80 points not 70. It's mainly salary based so if you have a good salary, went to college, can pass N2, etc. it's possible!
Love your videos! I am a fellow Canadian who wants to take a similar plunge as you, is there a way I can pick your brain on the process in the future? Keep it up!
One thing to keep in mind for those who are looking to do this in Japan. Doing your own reno is one thing, but making it earthquake proof is something else entirely. During the most recent earthquake in Ishikawa and Toyama, most of the houses that collapsed are these traditional "Kominka" style houses, some of which had been renovated to be cafes and hostels (getting cheap house and renoing them has been a silent trend for Japanese too), but they were never earthquake proofed. Retro fitting will be costly to the point you might as well just buy a new house, but you are not safe from earthquake virtually anywhere in Japan. Some are safer than others, but you can't completely rule it out wherever you go. People in Toyama hadn't experienced bad earthquakes for so long they weren't prepared for it. The chance of having a catastrophic earthquake in Kanto area in the next 30 years is about 70% according to official report, so you need to add that into consideration.
this is so true...Japan as a whole, is a country where you must consider the dangers of typhoon, tsunami, landslide, flood, and earthquake. Either one or a multiple of these WILL affect the home you live in. Its literally unavoidable. The Japanese are stoic and accepting of risks that come from nature. Are you ? You need to be sure of this BEFORE buying a home here. Most homes in Japan are extremely well built, but poorly insulated with small kitchens, small bathrooms, and small lot sizes. Anything older than 30yrs is not built to earthquake resistance and will fall down the first earthquake they get. And even homes 20 yrs old or less are drafty and poorly insulated. You will hot in summer, and freezing in winter. They are very well built (construction wise) but poorly designed, poorly located, and poorly insulated. Any westerners need to be aware of the dangers before buying. Caveat Emptor.
Hi Eric. your videos mades me think to move to Japan. i'm from SEasia (Bali,Indonesia) and planning to move to Japan this year. what are your tips to find the Akiya and which area in Japan. i have zero knowledge of countryside of Japan. cheers!
Darimana di bali? Kemarin Saya tinggal 8 tahun di sanur sama ntb (bima). If it's you're first time, I would recommend somewhere more populated as the countryside can be a challenge. I would recommend starting outside a big city (not necessarily Tokyo, although Tokyo is awesome), other cool options are Fukuoka (where they have a lot of start up options and work possibilities), or sendai
@@EricJMcA wah dulu tinggal di Bali juga ;D. i'm in Denpasar near Galleria mall. yes i've been in Tokyo and most foreigner told me to avoid that city to live, especially i have 2 Bali dog with me and i think Tokyo isn't suitable for them to live. i will take a look of Fukuoka and Sendai. Terima kasih Salam kenal Eric!
thank you! i think i learned a great lesson for when i do this same project over the kitchen.... don't fall through 😁 hope you're doing well! happy new year!
Hahah thank you! I definitely think it needs a pop of colour or some 80s style neon lights eventually. Just need to figure out what the neon would say...
Wow that sounds like a great summer!! I have a question - I am planning a trip to Japan of a few months with my family of 4 which looks similar to yours, with a baby and a toddler. I have been wondering how hard or easy it is to manage breastfeeding and diaper changes for a baby, and the unhinged energy of a toddler haha! I guess my main concern is mostly not to cause trouble or uncomfortable situations for the locals, I know that’s very important in Japan! I would be super happy to know your thoughts! 😊
For sure... This was something I got used to this summer. One nice thing is that almost all stores have child friendly washrooms where you can park the kid in the stall.... But change tables don't really exist in men's washrooms. On trains it's generally okay but I have also had the pleasure of changing a poopy diaper on the train platform because it was an oh-shoot emergency and just had to get it done. When breastfeeding, my wife used a cloth wrap to cover a little, but that's it. When a baby has to feed, it has to feed. Being respectful and then the occasional 'sumimasen' - excuse me, or 'daijobu' - no problem? Seems to go a long way. One thing is to carry an extra plastic bag around for the nappies as garbage cans are few and far between. It's possible to find parks to let the kids play. Thankfully all are on Google maps and good to save in advance!
@EricJMcA Thank you so much for sharing you and your wife's experience! That is super helpful and quite reassuring. I was afraid of getting the evil eye but sounds like being reasonable, respectful human beings does the trick. Good to know about parks as well, we'll definitely be looking for them! Thanks again and looking forward to future videos! 😄
thank you! we are all safe although definitely on edge after the massive shake. we were in Indonesia for the 7.2 off of lombok.... bringing back memories of that one too. it's strange to feel the whole ground move like a wave. thankful everyone we checked on in the community is okay :)
thank you! it was satisfying to get it done! i purchased all the wood in the summer and was then waiting to get the time to do it. so happy to have that space. i surprisingly use it more than i imagined. we will see what it becomes!
the house shook strong and for a long time, still with aftershocks. but we are safe and the house is fine without damage. we ran into the road, checked on our neighbors, and everyone here is safe and healthy. thank you !
