Japanese House Restoration Update… and BIG Renovation News

Описание: We're continuing our renovation in our traditional kominka house in rural Japan! This project, like many for an old home, has presented its challenges, but it's all part of the journey of owning an akiya. From working with wood to tackling unexpected issues, this video shows the realities of home improvement in the Japanese countryside. We're excited to see the progress, even with the bumps along the way!

This video isn’t a how-to guide and it’s not a renovation tutorial. It’s simply a real moment in our Japanese house restoration journey — the point where we realised that something we thought was minor might actually be a much bigger problem. If you’re interested in life in Japan, rural Japan living, kominka restoration, akiya renovation, or the realities of owning an old Japanese house, this video offers an honest look at the unexpected discoveries that can come with it. These are the parts of the journey that don’t always make it into highlight reels, but they are very much part of what it means to live in and care for a traditional home here.

Thank you for following along with our ongoing Japanese house restoration journey.

In this video we continue the slow and careful restoration of our 150-year-old kominka (traditional Japanese house) in the countryside of Masuda City, Shimane Prefecture. We bought the house an an akiya, or empty house, in 2023.

Our house was once a sake brewery called Yoshino no Haru, and bringing it back to life has become one of the biggest projects of our lives.

Today’s update focuses on one of the most important (and surprisingly complicated) parts of the house — the washroom floor and basin area.

Traditional Japanese homes were built very differently from modern houses, and restoring them requires balancing historic structure, modern functionality, and earthquake safety.

In this episode we:

• Continue rebuilding the washroom floor structure
• Work on restoring the basin area
• Inspect structural elements of the house
• Share the realities of renovating a kominka / akiya property

But at the end of the video there is also BIG NEWS.

We give you a sneak peek of a major renovation project currently underway at the house — something we’ve been planning for quite some time.

This project could completely change how the property is used in the future.

If you’ve been following our journey restoring this historic house in rural Japan, this is a very exciting step forward.

🏡 About Our House

Our home is located in Mitocho, Masuda City, Shimane Prefecture, in western Japan.

The property dates back roughly 150 years and was once a local sake brewery. The house sits beneath a huge weeping cherry blossom tree, and the property includes a separate annex building which we are also restoring.

Our long-term goal is to restore the house respectfully while preserving its history and character.

🌏 About This Channel

On this channel we document:

• Buying and restoring akiya (abandoned houses) in Japan
• Kominka renovation projects
• Rural life in Shimane Prefecture
• Japanese culture and traditional architecture
• The reality of renovating historic houses in Japan

If you're interested in moving to Japan, buying an akiya, restoring a kominka, or experiencing life in rural Japan, you're in the right place. Se our pinned comment below if you'd like to connect with us directly and maybe start your own akiya ownership journey!

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📍 Location
Masuda City, Shimane Prefecture, Japan