Page: 1 2
datagecko
Registered user
Global user
Registered: 12-2007
Location: Brisbane, Australia.
Posts: 43
Karma: 2 (+2/-0)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Where are you at now.
I know most of you have posted articles about your respective abodes on gaijinpot, but how about a current wrap up of where each of you are currently settled, why you chose that location in Japan, and any pros and cons for others to consider about your region? Thanks. :-)
---
gecko, living a good life.
|
|
12/25/2007, 10:20 pm
|
Send Email to datagecko
Send PM to datagecko
|
crayon1
Registered user
Global user
Registered: 12-2007
Posts: 12
Karma: 2 (+2/-0)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: Where are you at now.
Currently in North Wales, UK. Moving to just outside Nagoya in January 2008. Yoroshiku!
|
|
12/27/2007, 5:31 am
|
Send Email to crayon1
Send PM to crayon1
|
Johnny LaRue
Registered user
Global user
Registered: 12-2007
Location: tending the stove in Hyogo
Posts: 63
Karma: 5 (+5/-0)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: Where are you at now.
We are now in the mountains of central Hyogo. The village has about 40 people, 10 houses. Our town has a population of about 5000, the city about 30,0000.
We moved down from Hokkaido for 3 reasons: to be nearer the wife's family, for support with our children, and my wife wasn't enjoying 6 months of winter. Also we felt it easier to try and start a business where we were known.
Pros- no business competition to speak of, 1 hour and 800 yen by car to a mid-size city with shinkansen access, shopping. No traffic, nice mountains with good snow. Clean rivers. A good sized boating lake in town. Decent schools, ambulance/fire station in town. Cheap land. Low taxes. Free firewood. Mild winters, slightly cooler summers than the valleys which makes a world of difference. Friendly accepting people.
Cons- 2-3hrs to airport/Kobe/Osaka with consulates . Limited train service. Rather gloomy winters. 2-3 meters of rain annually. 2-3 hours to nice beaches. High percentage of the population don't know what pollution is or means. Bugs.
|
|
12/28/2007, 11:45 am
|
Send Email to Johnny LaRue
Send PM to Johnny LaRue
|
datagecko
Registered user
Global user
Registered: 12-2007
Location: Brisbane, Australia.
Posts: 43
Karma: 2 (+2/-0)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: Where are you at now.
Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu crayon1. Wow, so this is an exciting time for you, making the big move. Certainly a bit of a change from the craggy bare mountains for northern Wales (which I loved by the way, as I did the north of Scotland). Many more trees I expect. Is the Mie prefecture (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Map_Nagoya_en.png) the region that I've read about (Dogs and Demons, The Fall of Modern Japan - a rather depressing read actually) that has quite a number of foreigners living in the hills, bit of an alternative lifestyle place? (I could be confused here - I've not visited that area yet.) What has attracted you to that spot?
I'd also be interested in hearing about your moving experience. Are you intending to take much with you? If so, how did you arrange the move - relocating o.s. is a big job. I hope it all goes smoothly for you. :-)
Omedeto!
---
gecko, living a good life.
|
|
12/31/2007, 10:34 am
|
Send Email to datagecko
Send PM to datagecko
|
datagecko
Registered user
Global user
Registered: 12-2007
Location: Brisbane, Australia.
Posts: 43
Karma: 2 (+2/-0)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: Where are you at now.
Thanks for that JL, it sounds like a lovely spot. My wife's from Kyoto, and her sisters family live up in Miyama, which I suspect would be a bit similar to central Hyogo, and also in a little village with around a dozen houses. I will be visiting there for the first time in May, and looking forward to that a lot. I imagine it can be pretty cold where you are though, not as bad as Hokkaido obviously  , but still plenty of snow? I guess you are very use to this now, but for me, I've never lived anywhere that snowed, and cant really imagine what its like, especially if you are living simply and have to rely on your own produce. How do you find that?
The price of land in the countryside is certainly appealing, though we have detected a bit of an increase in interest over the last 6 months, with more places appearing to sell. I wonder if there is a general awakening of interest in living in the countryside? Has anyone there noticed such a trend? Are prices on the rise?
The exciting news for us is that we will have three weeks in Japan in May to do some hunting around ourselves. We will be looking around the Chūgoku/Kansai regions, as I mentioned, my wife grew up in Kyoto, and her family are from the Okayama country side. She is very attracted to somewhere around the inland sea, to get a mild climate, and I'd like somewhere still fairly green and pristine, so it will be a bit of a challenge. Any suggestions?
(Clarification: We are not looking to buy for some time yet, just looking, researching. It could take a while unless something exceptional popped up, years even.)
Sure got lots of other questions for you, but will end this one here. :-) Thanks.
Last edited by datagecko, 1/1/2008, 9:05 pm
---
gecko, living a good life.
|
|
12/31/2007, 11:40 am
|
Send Email to datagecko
Send PM to datagecko
|
datagecko
Registered user
Global user
Registered: 12-2007
Location: Brisbane, Australia.
Posts: 43
Karma: 2 (+2/-0)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: Where are you at now.
Thanks for the perspective JT. The exodus from the country side has been a long term trend for sure, but I wondered if the flickering embers of awareness for the future were starting to take hold or not in Japan? Awareness is slowly building that is having an impact on the cost and availability of country land here in Oz. Maybe the crushing financial burdens that will befall the rural councils there will ensure the country side remains unattractive for the average Japanese for some time. Would suit us, though how everyone will cope with big cost of living rises is a big issue. Its a global phenomenon that is just starting to be felt I feel. I hear they are thinking of raising the consumption tax from 5% to 15%, and that could get much worse in the future. Japan's aging population is one of the big unaddressed issues for the following generation. As someone living simply on the land, how do you see the cost of living issues impacting you into the future? Certainly as a commercial farmer that must be troubling? Too keep this on topic - how do you folks living in the country side now expect the coming challenges to impact on your ability to keep doing what you are doing?
---
gecko, living a good life.
|
|
1/1/2008, 9:00 pm
|
Send Email to datagecko
Send PM to datagecko
|
Johnny LaRue
Registered user
Global user
Registered: 12-2007
Location: tending the stove in Hyogo
Posts: 63
Karma: 5 (+5/-0)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: Where are you at now.
Hi datagecko,
quote:
I imagine it can be pretty cold where you are though, not as bad as Hokkaido obviously , but still plenty of snow? I guess you are very use to this now, but for me, I've never lived anywhere that snowed, and cant really imagine what its like, especially if you are living simply and have to rely on your own produce. How do you find that?
It's not too cold or snowy here, but we use the woodstove 5 months per year. I'm only self sufficient on heating and cooling so far. As for relying on my own produce I'm not there yet, just cutting the veggie bill in summer. Hopefully will get to the point of not buying any veggies someday.
quote:
The price of land in the countryside is certainly appealing, though we have detected a bit of an increase in interest over the last 6 months, with more places appearing to sell. I wonder if there is a general awakening of interest in living in the countryside? Has anyone there noticed such a trend? Are prices on the rise?
I would agree there being an awakening to country living. As for prices not sure. Here's a link for real estate near to but not including Miyama, to give an idea.
http://www.kgg.jp/uri/uritop.htm
It's the border area of Hyogo/Kyoto. I'm in the dark green or brown area on the left, Miyama is just right of the purple area on the right I believe. Most prices on this site have been stagnant. But they sell eventually. Will try to find something near the Inland Sea for you.
|
|
1/1/2008, 10:11 pm
|
Send Email to Johnny LaRue
Send PM to Johnny LaRue
|
datagecko
Registered user
Global user
Registered: 12-2007
Location: Brisbane, Australia.
Posts: 43
Karma: 2 (+2/-0)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: Where are you at now.
Thanks JL, these links are very useful! There are some really interesting places around, and from our perspective, reasonably priced.
Good luck with the veggies too. Its a worthy goal.
---
gecko, living a good life.
|
|
1/2/2008, 3:29 pm
|
Send Email to datagecko
Send PM to datagecko
|
togei
Registered user
Global user
Registered: 01-2008
Location: Yamazoe village, Nara
Posts: 11
Karma: 1 (+1/-0)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: Where are you at now.
I bought about 400 tsubo of land, about 1/3 of an acre, after looking for about 2-3 years. I found all of my leads and this land from a friend. We did use a real estate agent a number of times but our basic problem was money. We had almost none.
For those searching, even those using agents I would caution you really check the zoning of the land you are interested in. We were shown some tea fields that we later found out would have been very difficult to convert to "takuchi". We were also shown land zoned as "sabosutechi", basically land under restrictions because there is a chance of slides. On that particular land the "sabosutechi" was actually more of the village doing a political move to keep a golf developer out, which they were success full at by the way.
My point being it is the same as any country in that you should use ample caution before you commit any money. In my experience doing the foot work and getting to know someone in the area I was interested in was the deciding factor on getting a good deal and being able to complete my plan. In our case that meant building a house which we are living in now.
The village I live in, Yamazoe, has about 4,500 people. I really agree with jt278 who wrote "Also you have to consider that many of these rural areas are home to a large number of elderly people who do not like change or new faces" and "There is a great shift from the countryside to the cities, though this is for many reasons the biggest being they just do not want the hard work involved in working the land and the involvement in the community that takes no account of a families working schedule." I couldn't put it better myself after living in this village 7 years.
Dave
|
|
1/3/2008, 11:35 am
|
Send Email to togei
Send PM to togei
|
Add a reply
Page: 1 2
|
You are not logged in (login)
Board's time is: 12/1/2009, 1:54 am
|
|
|
