My Abandoned House in Japan: First Renovation Tasks
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 16. 07. 2024
- I`m renovating a free vacant house ( akiya ) in the inaka countryside of Shikoku, Japan. It is a Showa-era countryside farmhouse with traditional tatami rooms, shoji and fusuma sliding doors. I'll be renovating it slowly while considering Japanese philosophy, design and sustainability. Follow along with my process and to see more of rural Japan village life!
In this episode, you can get a glimpse of mikan in the mountains of Japan, shoji screen repair, exterior painting, and a friendly daffodil mural.
Follow for more rural Japan life, simple Japanese home design, Japan countryside culture, gardening, Japanese food, intentional slow living and DIY home renovation. It's Ghibli in real life over here. I can't wait to share more with you.
Thank you neighbor Yoshi for drone footage. đ
Town Hero, Pro Wrestler and my painter are all locally contracted professionals. Please observe safe practices in your own projects.
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đœ WANNA SEE MORE? START AT THE BEGINNING: âą Bitsii in inaka all-vi...
#akiya #abandonedhouse #traditionaljapanesehouse
00:00 Introduction
02:26 Cutting an orange
03:53 Painting outside and window cleaning
07:21 Sensitive plant
07:48 Repairing the paper doors / apologies
14:21 Gutter repar
16:20 Front door mural
20:45 Outtro
21:43 Upcoming videos
![[DIY]Time lapse DIY Renovation Start to Finish | $100 abandoned house in Japan](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/uAv-T1gki18/mqdefault.jpg)
sooooo nice⊠apologies, iâm told, are time machines⊠meant not to change your past, but our future đ
Bitsii, if you could get a Japanese friend to translate your contemplations about the house growing and about apologies I think your Japanese neighbors and viewers would appreciate your honesty and genuine intentions. That was beautiful prose and it left me feeling warm inside, and I can only imagine how grateful your neighbors would be to know they have such a thoughtful and caring neighbor who truly wants to integrate into the community and help it grow.
It's underway now. :) Thank you for these thoughts.
At 66 with various medical issues, a full established life and loving wife, Iâll never be able to move to Japan. Thus Iâll have to live vicariously through your videos. Thanks for making them!
I saw your shoji are not sliding easily @ 9:56. If you rub a candle lightly on the floor tracks of all of your shoji doors, and (as needed) on the ceiling tracks as well, your doors can be restored to easy opening status. It also reduces wear significantly. Candle wax will not damage or swell the wood, but you probably want to be minimal to avoid a waxy gloss appearing on the visible portion of the door. The same can be done for your fusuma, if you have any (these are solid inner sliding doors without any transluscent paper, usually with black wood frames).
Most pre-WWII houses will also need this done to the storm shutters also, but treat just the bottoms of the shutters, not the tracks, since the sun will bake the paraffin out of the tracks in a matter of months. Your house may have storm shutters that ride on rollers. Or, being a machi-ya, you may not have shutters at all, which appears to be the case.
Ah, yes. Rollers. All of them need a drop of oil once every few years, as well the insert-and-twist brass window locks, if you have them. Most roller doors and windows (sliding sideways) can be lifted out of their tracks and set on their sides to oil. Again, it is good to work to minimize excess oil, to avoid collecting dust and to avoid dripping down onto the track. New replacement rollers are available at the hardware store.
"I'm a foreigner. I will make mistakes. Half the time I won't even know I am making a mistake."
I really appreciate your take on this. If only more people would share such a wonderful mindset we all could live more peaceful together. Keep on this wonderful project, you have my mental support, all the best!
Ive never seen an orange be so delicately sliced as if it had feelings đ„ș
I just purchased a 91 year old house in my hometown. It is the first home I will own myself. Watching the regard you have for your ownership of this home is really actually inspiring, though I feel cheesy for saying that. I hope I can bring something like this same kind of thoughtfulness into my home ownership. The previous owner is an elderly widow who has begun to suffer dementia and needs more consistent care. Although everything in the home is very old it is also clearly well cared for and maintained. I feel very lucky that I get to now make it into a home for myself. Thank you for this video series. I very much look forward to new uploads, but please do not rush
Lovely video. The pacing is exquisite, a firm yet gentle reminder that this is your story of learning about and respecting a new community and culture. Wishing you all the best going forward.
My favourite daffodils: Version 1! Bold and joyful. So you're the foreigner who came and honoured the little village with her art đ„°
I smiled when you mentioned that you were a designer. I saw it early in you videos I too am a designer. I lived in Japan in the mid fifties. Now I am 84 and can enjoy seeing you experiencing all that Japan has to offer. My life and design perspective was forever influenced by that time I spent in Japan. So enjoy your time there and enjoy your future as you take into your being the beauty and design of Japan. I would love to be young and do what you and many others are doing with akiya. go girl!
Version 2 is simple and elegantâșïž
Itâs always a joy to see when this channel uploads and comes up in my feed! I get so excited to see your progress. Itâs like youâre living out something I have always wanted to do! I and countless others appreciate your insights in the process, and I hope you continue to adjust well, and even if there are some hard days Just know that we are here :) you have your CZcams community! Again thank you so much :) not even done with the video but just had to comment lol
Raised on an island. Something about the people, seeing the ocean and living in the green really makes atmosphere more relaxed. Work with whatâs available, reuse where you can.
The house looks....happy. Respect Japan and Japan will Respect you. Nice production on the video.
The light shining through the doors to show the paper patches looks cool, you could make some interesting designs.
The daffodil art is beautiful. The new paint really brightens up the house and makes it look really nice.
The flower you painted is Gorgeous!! Looks amazing with your house and the street. Great job!
Those shades of blue...
Thank you :)
Beautiful progress to your little house, and I love your approach! Thank you for sharing.
Such a wonderful improvement, I expect the town will be proud of you, seems such a lovely place
I absolutely loved this video, gave me such calm, and I like the way you are approaching the renovation, not coming in with an axe and overturning the house, but changing it little by little, organically. Happy new year to you đ
Happy new year, Sharon!!! đ
That flower art is so pretty! I love how you painted your house and started outside. You really show how much you appreciate this house!
I love that daffodil ! It looks so sweet! Nice Work!
I had to write down what you said about apologies in my journal. That is such a beautiful stance on the idea. In western culture, apologies are often packaged with a negative connotation as if the one apologizing has done something wrong. I love the light you shine on it instead with kindness and humility. I will carry this stance with me, and hopefully, inspire the people around me as well.
Your videos have been such a joy to watch! Thank you for taking the time and intention to make them :)
Decided to watch again this video about exterior... This house look fine inside in my opinion, but outside it looks like bare canvas. Many things can be done with it. Also now I see how the new colour changed a lot of things. Also this patch of grass in front of the house looks like a nice place for a picnic or something. And also also...I have a feeling that this house had a few more windows in the front sometime in the past
Itâs impressive how well youâve shared your story with us . The flowers outside the front door is genius! Like the property is a home your channel is a pleasure to watch. This is testament to you and your village is very lucky to have you. Well done đ
i'm so curious about how did you connect with japanese people, i'm not tyring to imply they aren't approacheble, but i know that sometimes foreigners can experience some barriers in trying to communicate with locals!
i'm very very happy for you that you have such lovely neighbors and that they are helping you! it's incredible
love love the painting you did, it's very lovely, and talk with your neighbors about it is such a nice gesture!
One good new friend paved the way! Thanks for joining. đ
@@bitsii this is what happened to me and my wife as well. We moved to Japan after college and through one good Japanese friend, we managed to connect with our neighbors. Weâve been here years, and still we get new connections and opportunities to make new friends.
Nice video again. You rapidly become an inspiration for me.
I love it ! Way to GO đ
Cheers from Canada đšđŠ
BEAUTIFUL!
I made plenty of mistakes when I was living in Japan. When I think back on them, they make me cringe. But I found that if the mistake was well-intended and you were trying your best, it could be overcome. The greatest advice I ever heard about travel was that you will make an idiot of yourself no matter what, so just accept it with good grace. Good luck with everything!
Iâm not sure who got the bigger gift in this case, you, the town or both. Thanks for being a shining light in the World. đđăă€ăăăăŸă§ăă
What' a beautiful area !
The smell in summer must be divine !đ
That knife cutting the mikan was terrifyingly sharp !
Sharper is safer! đ
@@bitsii Oh I know that, but I'm clumsy, so very sharp makes me nervous....
I enjoyed watching this new video style.
Your neighbors are wonderful. You are sharing so much joy with them.
I enjoy your videos very much. We live in Iwakuni and started our Akiya renovation. Have you considered doing the 88 Temple pilgrimage in Shikoku? We completed it by car and was lots of fun exploring all the temples and you get to see the entire island. ăăă°ăŠïŒ
Stunning. Youâre doing so much good by caring for this sweet old home. I wish you all the luck on your journey
Love it so far, looking forward to the next one and hope you have a wonderful time making them/the house. :)
Congratulations on getting the outside completed with the support of your neighbours. The daffodil art is a perfect greeting to the neigbourhood and I love it's simplicity and vibrancy. Inside can take as long as it needs, I'm sure the house talks to you and the wabi-sabi aesthetic fits perfectly. Looking forward to all your vlogs and happy new year.
Seeing the mikan felt very special for me - the old Japanese home I lived in was in Wakayama prefecture - Mikan there were plentiful as fresh air and flowed freely through the community through the lines of friendship. It was the strangest thing to me when I moved to Osaka and had to purchase Mikan at the store for the first time.
I love the mural!
Thank you!!!
Confirmation of my earlier thoughts! I just know that following your journey will be a joyful experience .
Suisen æ°Žä» daffodils are my fave! I adored version 1 but your final version is amazing! đ
This looks like a really lovely town with kind neighbours. Your improvements to your house are going well!
Another sublime feast for the eyes, thank you sooo much! Again, you melded a mural that started out feeling very western with so many elements that are eternally Japanese and the overlays were seamless. You know you are home when you feel that safe and that welcome to become part of the life of the town and its residents.. Also loved the drone shot of the town/streets - most streets, especially in rural areas, were designed such that they do not grid-out to ensure defense against attack, so even the design of the town is meant to be safe and protective. Thank you for being so gentle with the house and your neighbors; it is the first vlog I've ever seen with a sensitive and truly honoring lens on Japan from those of us who have experienced being new and mindful in those magical rural communities.
Thank you for you're videos!! Respecting the Architecture of the house is awesome. You're outlook and wisdom on the apologies are free, that's so wonderful!! I love you're beautiful Daffodils painting!! Good luck on the renovation project!! I look forward to you're design ideas!! Happy New Year!!
é ćŒ”ăŁăŠăăŒ! I know you will flourish learning more Japanese - because you have such awesome neighbors! I admire your thoughtfulness, and I think being a fellow designer it only comes naturally. (Although maybe we overthink some things, too haha). I, too am always told to be assertive and never apologize and to be the funny person in the meeting or in the room. But that is not me, that has never come naturally for me, but I still try to this day only because my career depends on it. I thank the CZcams algorithm it brought me to your channel, Bitsii! This video of yours especially brings out my sense of inspiration here in the middle of the work week. I tend to want to do too many things at once and keep myself too busy, I never slow down. But this inspires me to hone in one skill and stay focused on that. Excited to see more adventures and more projects from you!
Absolutely beautiful! Your friendly daffodil is lovely. Art on the outside of the house is such a wonderful idea! Thank you for sharing.
Love the wall mural. My favorite flower is daffodils!!!
Thank you for sharing.
I started following because of my fascination with Japanese building and architecture. I stay because I am charmed by your thoughts and insight. :) Thank you for your videos.
This brings me back to my JET days. Japan has so many strange and interesting ways!
The daffodil looks great! I'm looking forward to more videos. Cheers from Mie Prefecture.
The small window up the red wall reminds me of the small window through which the grandpa appears in the movie The Taste of Tea. You kinda expect some old ogi-chan to randomly open it and stare at your in a not completely creepy way.
Love the daffodil â€
Thats awesome! That artwork was amazing, and I love the plants! Can't wait for the next one! Happy New Year!
Happy new year, Alex! Iâm so glad you stuck around. đ Thank you very much!
lovelyđ
Happy 2023! Loving your process of moving into the neighbourhood and bringing your own take on living whilst respecting your neighbours. :D
what a fun video! I just found you and subscribed. I can't wait to see more! Lovely painting, I hope you continue to create and take us along.
Thanks, Amanda!
Your daffodil entry way is delightful! Sugoi!
what a wonderful intro and knife skills of your friends. The fresh paint makes all the difference in the world and the daffodil is so cute :-)
ăżăăăăăăăăïŒăăăăăźă»ă»đ
Beautiful flower painting.
Many many thanks
It's looking beautiful! đđđđđ°đ”âBut the really lovely thing is everyone helping, those priceless moments from wonderful people extending their friendship. Really heartwarming.
Bonjour Bitsii, I am not good enough in english to tell you all the satisfaction your videos bring to me, but people in the comments said it perfectly ;) Each of your videos is a real pleasure, I always manage to be alone and that my environment is quiet to watch them. Thank you for sharing this, what a wonderful idea you had to make it. Love from France.
I've been a passive viewer on CZcams for years, and I've never felt compelled to comment on someone's channel until I stumbled upon yours. The insight you're gaining through this process, in architectural knowledge and life lessons--I appreciate them so much. Thank you for considering documenting this journey and sharing it with us. The slower pace of your videos is so refreshing.
That is so sweet of you to say. Thank you for being here with me!!!
so peaceful đ
Fantastic scenery
what a beautiful entrance, so happy for you. Baby steps :)
I like version 2 of the mural idea. Any will look cool!
Love the daffodil art! It's a beautiful seaside town. You are very lucky and I will be excited to follow you on your journey! Gambatte Kudasai! đ
Gorgeous! Thanks for taking us along on your journey so far!
My goodness. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous.
AMAZING đđđđđđđđđ
What beautiful and welcoming artwork! I am really enjoying your videos and was happy to see that more are on their way!
I'm so happy to see your updates!
I love to witness community coming together and read your considerate thoughts
your videos are wonderful. love the color grading!
I'm loving your videos. Great job.
Thank you so much!
Love the art so welcoming â€
Being from concrete jungle Singapore, I did have a dream to do what you did. Moving to rural Japan and reset life. But alas, reality often scuppers dreams. Maybe in another lifetime. Will be following your progress and well wishes to life there!
Wonderful!!
What a beautiful story!!
Great to see you stated with the renovations! Your mini mural is very welcoming indeed :)
I find your videos so calming and beautiful. Your appreciation for living there really resonates. Look forward to seeing what life is like in Japan in the simplest of ways.
beautiful work on the door
I really appreciate the sense of tranquility you, your home and your videos give me. Thank you for showing this part of your life with us
You are so lucky to have such lovely neighbours
Love the artwork by the door! house is looking better every day. also when did you get a drone? Congrats on 20K subs
Hey Kyle! My neighbor has the drone. He just took those shots lol. I donât think I asked đ€ Fun touch though. Hah!
The view of the town and ocean are so beautiful. I would love to see the little crab from design 1 pop up on the house somewhere. Maybe some of the little pink flowers from across the street and some mandarins? đ
My mouth is watering watching you cut the mikan!
Looks beautiful. I love the matcha green you've selected for your homes exterior. I can't wait to see what you select for the trim. Happy they were able to work on the aging tape that was on the windows. Those paneled glass pieces are stunning. Looking forward to more of your posts. Cheers to a productive and prosperous new year.
I love all of the various metaphors that are popping up in your videos. The fragile paper doors, exterior walls, low hanging fruit, etc. It is almost like the house is a big metaphor for you, and I am excited to see both grow in your videos. đ BTW I really want to go to Shikoku. It seems so lovely.
I love the pace of your videos, and the insights you are gaining into small community life. Hontouni natsukashii.
I like version 1
I love the black and green paint.
Beautiful...
Wonderful video in every way âșïž
I thought the housepainter's trousers were the color that the paint will be when it is sunwashed and slightly weathered, a look forward to when you and the house are both freshened up and a bit more comfortable with each other. It is a very serene green.
So beautiful - you are so lucky xxx
Version 1 with the pinky crabby looks so much more fun! đ
Would love cherry blossoms instead even though daffodils are a great idea.