SUMMARY

Deb and Jason, Australian expats, recap two years owning a $35,000 historic akiya in rural Shimane Prefecture, Japan, sharing renovation progress, wildlife challenges, community integration, and future plans.

STATEMENTS

• Deb and Jason purchased an abandoned akiya house in Shimane Prefecture in 2023, a former sake brewery over 150 years old, found via a local Akiya Bank website.
• Shimane is renowned for Izumo Taisha Shinto shrine, Matsue Castle, Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine, deep history, cultural heritage, and unspoiled nature.
• The initial weeks in the house were overwhelming due to abundant wildlife, including spiders, monkeys, giant hornets, and centipedes, which they hadn't fully anticipated.
• Renovations included installing a new stove, hot water system, toilet, driveway, car park, repairing a rotting veranda from termites, and constructing an Aori fireplace for winter cooking.
• The couple has explored the house's history as a sake brewery and plans to revive elements of that heritage.
• Integration into the local Japanese village community involved bringing gifts to neighbors, joining the neighborhood association, participating in river cleaning, and reading English books to kindergarten children.
• Language barriers persist despite years of study, but skills improve with each visit, supplemented by classes at Masa Japanese Language School.
• As tourist visa holders, they are limited to 180 days per year in Japan, facing hurdles like no bank account, reliance on eSIM for phones, and paying for travel insurance without national health coverage.
• They manage utilities and taxes through a local property services company, Nippon Tradings International, and a trusted friend for ad hoc services like gardening.
• Future plans include repairing a leaning family shrine with a Buddhist ceremony, preserving 100-year-old hand-blown glass doors, addressing termite damage in main rooms, and applying for a business manager visa.

IDEAS

• Abandoned akiya houses are abundant across Japan, offering affordable entry into rural living but requiring significant adaptation to unexpected natural elements.
• Owning a historic kominka like a former sake brewery allows for rediscovering and reviving cultural artifacts hidden within its structure.
• Wildlife in rural Japan, from giant hornets to monkeys, transforms daily life into an adventure that tests resilience beyond structural repairs.
• Community integration in a Japanese village demands patience and small gestures, like gifts and volunteering, yielding deep friendships over time.
• Tourist visa limitations force creative solutions, such as eSIMs and international credit cards, highlighting the gap between dream ownership and practical residency.
• Renovations in an old house blend modern comforts with preservation, like building an Aori fireplace to honor traditional winter gatherings.
• Language learning evolves through immersion and classes, turning barriers into opportunities for stronger local bonds.
• Progress in part-time ownership feels insufficient due to human self-criticism, yet sustained enjoyment validates continuing the journey.
• Applying for a business manager visa could bridge the divide between temporary visits and permanent life in Japan.
• Balancing lives between Australia and Japan fosters a unique dual-country existence, enriching personal growth through cultural navigation.

INSIGHTS

• Embracing rural Japan's untamed nature reveals that true home-building involves harmonizing with the environment, not just taming it.
• Small, consistent acts of community participation in a foreign village cultivate belonging faster than grand gestures, underscoring the power of humility in cross-cultural ties.
• Visa constraints in Japan expose how administrative hurdles can paradoxically fuel innovation in daily logistics, turning limitations into adaptive strengths.
• Reviving a house's historical essence, like its sake brewery past, connects personal dreams to broader cultural legacies, providing purpose beyond mere habitation.
• Self-doubt about renovation progress is a universal human trait, but measuring success by joy and relationships reframes achievement in incomplete endeavors.
• Pursuing a business visa represents a pivotal evolution from transient explorers to rooted contributors, illustrating how incremental risks build lasting futures.

QUOTES

• "We thought we were quite prepared for our Akia adventure. But those first few weeks in the house were really, really quite daunting and a little bit overwhelming."
• "Living in the inaka or Japanese countryside would come with challenges that we hadn't even considered."
• "Integrating into the community in a Japanese village takes time."
• "Sometimes it still doesn't feel like enough, but I think it's human nature to be a little bit too hard on yourself."
• "As long as we're still having fun, we will keep going for sure."

HABITS

• Bringing small gifts to neighbors, community centers, and local kindergartens upon arrival to foster goodwill and integration.
• Joining the neighborhood association and participating in annual events like river cleaning to contribute to village life.
• Reading English books to local kindergarten children during visits to build connections and share culture.
• Actively studying Japanese through immersion during stays and formal classes at Masa Japanese Language School to improve communication.
• Exploring and documenting hidden treasures in the house, such as sake brewery artifacts, to connect with its history.

FACTS

• Shimane Prefecture hosts Izumo Taisha, one of Japan's oldest and most important Shinto shrines, alongside Matsue Castle and the Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine.
• Akiya, or empty houses, are abundant throughout Japan, often available at low prices like $35,000 for historic properties in rural areas.
• Tourist visas in Japan allow a maximum of 180 days per year, split into 90-day visits, without access to bank accounts or national health coverage.
• Giant hornets and large centipedes are common wildlife hazards in rural Japanese countrysides, posing risks to new residents.
• Traditional kominka houses, like the couple's 150-year-old sake brewery, feature elements such as hand-blown glass doors from a century ago, vulnerable to termite damage.

REFERENCES

• Local Akiya Bank website for discovering and purchasing abandoned properties.
• Nippon Tradings International, a property services company assisting with house purchase, utility connections, and tax management.
• Masa Japanese Language School for ongoing language classes with local friends.
• Line application, the popular communication tool in Japan used for daily interactions and services.

HOW TO APPLY

• Search online platforms like local Akiya Bank websites to identify affordable abandoned houses in rural Japan, focusing on regions with cultural significance like Shimane Prefecture.
• Inspect properties in person during a dedicated trip, wandering through rooms and gardens to assess potential and envision renovations before signing a purchase contract remotely.
• Prepare for wildlife by setting up traps for pests like hornets and centipedes immediately upon taking ownership, and gradually acclimate to the natural environment.
• Start community integration by delivering small gifts to neighbors and local institutions upon arrival, then join associations and volunteer for events like river cleanings.
• Manage visa limitations by using eSIMs for phone service during visits, international credit cards for utilities, and trusted local contacts for ongoing property maintenance like gardening.

ONE-SENTENCE TAKEAWAY

Owning a rural Japanese akiya demands resilience amid wildlife and visas, but yields profound community bonds and cultural revival.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Prioritize preserving historical elements like shrines and glass doors during renovations to honor the property's legacy while adding modern comforts.
• Invest in language classes and immersion to overcome barriers, enhancing both practical tasks and social connections in the community.
• Engage a reliable local service like a property management company early to handle utilities, taxes, and ad hoc repairs remotely.
• Balance self-criticism by tracking progress through photos and journals, focusing on enjoyment and relationships rather than perfection.
• Explore visa upgrades like the business manager option to extend stays, potentially transforming part-time ownership into a fuller life abroad.

MEMO

Two years after impulsively purchasing a dilapidated $35,000 akiya in the misty mountains of Shimane Prefecture, Australian couple Deb and Jason reflect on a journey that has tested their resolve and rewarded their dreams. What began as a romantic leap into Japan's countryside—snagging a 150-year-old former sake brewery via a local online bank—quickly unraveled into a tangle of giant hornets, scampering monkeys, and sprawling spiderwebs that greeted them on day one. "We thought we were prepared," Deb admits in their candid video update, but the raw force of rural inaka life proved otherwise, turning the historic kominka into a living classroom of surprises.

Yet amid the chaos, progress has emerged like spring bamboo. They've installed a gleaming new stove and hot water system, banished rot from the veranda with termite treatments, and even crafted a traditional Aori fireplace where winter evenings now flicker with warmth and home-cooked meals. The house, once echoing with abandonment, now whispers of its sake-brewing past through unearthed treasures Deb lovingly catalogs. Community ties, forged through modest gifts to neighbors and volunteer stints reading English stories to wide-eyed kindergarteners, have blossomed into genuine friendships, proving that integration in a tight-knit Japanese village rewards patience over haste.

Challenges persist, from tourist visa caps limiting them to 180 days a year—complicating everything from bank accounts to car ownership—to the ever-leaning family shrine demanding a ceremonial fix with a Buddhist priest. Still, with plans brewing for a business manager visa and major restorations on termite-riddled floors, Deb and Jason remain undeterred. "As long as we're having fun," Jason quips, "we'll keep going." Their story isn't just about bricks and mortar; it's a testament to chasing cross-cultural dreams, where the real renovation happens in the heart.