We moved into a vacant house in the Japanese countryside (and only pay $300/year for rent)

My partner and I have lived in this ‘akiya’ house, one of the many vacant houses in Japan. My goal is to share candid insights into life in the Japanese countryside, from house renovations, gardening, and all the other bits of life that squeeze into these old walls. (hint: might include 🐱, 🐒, 🐕 & 🕷️)
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A few notes about the animals:
-The cat limps because he is missing a foot. Otherwise, he is a very healthy, well-loved cat owned by one of our neighbours.
-The dog is also very well-loved and sometimes visits during his daily walks.
-The huntsmen spiders are not poisonous.
-The mukade (centipedes) are poisonous (but won’t kill you)
-We do not feed the monkeys or any other wild animals and keep a safe distance at all times
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#japanesecountryside #countrysideliving #akiya #abandonedhouse
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Video Chapters
00:00 Who we are & where we are from
00:52 How we found our abandoned house
03:30 Move-in & first few nights
04:31 Installing a wood-burning stove
00:5:08 Meeting our house guests
00:08:00 One year later
00:09:07 What to expect for our next video
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Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
Mafioso
License code: TZA9Y6GSL277JFTG

Somewhere in a Wooden Cabin
License code: AEUNIYLGRMFXDSQT

Jitter Epiphany
License code: XFR68ADUUV3WJOAF

Monkey Business
License code: OW0DVDMUNL6VKJWK

My Baby and Me
License code: PL2VDJQ46RND1ZHY

[Bukowskidelrey]

as a gardener, i would suggest putting some lavender and rosemary plants around your house to stop the spiders and insects coming in. mint also helps :)

[redcrest]

The creepy crawly “houseguests” would have absolutely defeated me. You guys are doing great, and I look forward to seeing how you renovate and clean up the house and turn it into a home!

[PaulTaylorWapsiSquare]

I don't know if anyone said this already, but the wolf spiders, and the house centipedes are both good to have around. They eat the red headed centipedes that are venomous as well as aggressive. I know that wolf spiders and house centipedes both look ferocious, but they're non aggressive and harmless to humans. Geckos are good to have around as well. ^_^

[avery_]

I think you may have single handedly talked a lot of people out of moving to Japan with those spiders 😂 The one on the pillow would have been the end of me. I admire your composure! What a beautiful home!

[AHibbs-tuks]

In 1999 my boyfriend and I moved into an abandoned country house near Karatsu on the island of Kyushu. Though we only stayed 3 months, watching this video brought back so many memories. We also had massive spiders, centipedes, and a resident badger that made really weird noises at night. There were also poisonous snakes (mamushi) and a huge natural beehive under the house that we discovered when we tried to use the subfloor fridge box. And until I watched your video I had forgotten about the frogs that came out in force on rainy days. The well kept running dry and we had to go down to the river to get water to prime the pump and start it again. The only blessing was that, being chronically short of water, we treated ourselves to baths at the local onsen every other day. I will never forget this place and the sound of the wind in the bamboo. I wish I had been there long enough to try planting a garden.

[kerrbab]

Someone may have said this already, but as an Aussie my top tip for spider removal is once you have caught it in the container and you have made it outside, leave the container on the ground open, and then Don’t try throw it away 😂 I can assure you that method doesn’t always work

[aliyahazl]

This is giving 'My Neighbour Totoro' vibes oh my goodness! A really cute video overall and super admirable how you guys have breathed life into your adorable country side home <3

[tediferous]

Thanks for showing the bugs. My fantasy is over

[ebboy]

Moving to an old house in the countryside is just like My Neighbor Totoro! So looking forward to more videos and watching the transformation! Best of luck to you!

[gabrielconstantin]

As a programmer in a highly urbanized city, I have moments when I wonder what's actually like to live in remote countryside. Thanks for including the 'visitors' :D in your lovely video and not cherry-picking only the advantages of such a lifestyle.

Can't believe it's your first video ! Best of luck and can't wait to find out more in the others !

[rougesunset]

Being a steward to a neglected space and helping it heal and come back to life is such a rewarding and fulfilling thing.

[wste.official]

I would live out the rest of my days like this if I had a partner to tackle this task with. So cool.

[TheModernInvestor]

Its incredible to be able to come across stories like this. Youtube acts like almost a time capsule for people in 100 years to see the experiences of millions of people around the world, its really amazing when you think about it.

[angelag]

The spiders and bugs creep me out, you are so brave

[ssjwes]

I've read stories for years about small towns in Japan dying. It's nice to see people moving into these places.

[Geeek]

I'm japanese, born and raised in europe. I keep having this idea of doing a similar project like you and I'm very thankful and happy to see you living my dream!!

[rzadigi]

What a lovely video! About 15 years ago my wife and I traveled all over Japan in search of a place to settle down. We especially loved the Shimanto area, with its steep misty mountains, old farmhouses and rice terraces. We felt like we had traveled back in time and we came very close to making it our home.
In the end we chose Miyazaki instead because the people here are just so incredibly friendly. But those days spent driving on narrow roads through tiny mountain villages (often lost 😆) and discovering one beautiful place after another will be forever engrained in my memory. Best of luck on your journey ❤🙏

[ninjashhh]

$300 for a year in Japan. That is EPIC damn. Obviously some work involved, but that's a no brainer adventure that would be totally worth it. Have fun! I'm sure you'll have plenty more surprises.

[c.g.]

The house looks immaculate inside for a rural house in such a field..impressive. Does not look abandoned. It must have been well managed and maintained by the house owner.

[jordanw]

Hey, fellow Vancouverite in Japan here. We escaped in early-2022 and are now in rural Hokkaido. Definitely a huge learning curve living in Japan but worth it overall. We lived like nomads for a while before finding a house to buy. Best wishes to you guys!