Countryside Living

[KenElwood]

My real realities

Tempting as that life may seem I feel that buying rural land in Japan is not worth my effort. Most of the land that is available is in the more mountainous/remote areas of Japan and in communities that are facing extinction (physically and financially). This may be an asset for the person that wants to buy up large amounts of property cheap or for someone who wants to engage in other activities that involve objects d'art..

edinjapan,

Sounds like you had a wonderful parcel.

For me, buying rural land and or mountain land and creating a self sufficient life there is worth every ounce of my life energy. I devote all of my time to a bigger picture that deals with real realities for me; those of living a day-to-day life free and apart from this so-called civilized civilization that runs on fuel and `progress`.

Interestingly enough, the fact that rural communities and their shrinking economies are facing extinction draws me closer to the countryside.

As I said in a previous post..rural depopulation and the slow agri-crash is occuring as we type - it wont be televised - there wont be a definative beginning or ending.The Japanese government has spent over 2 trillion yen on re-partitioning agricultural land during the course of its pseudo rural urbanization scheme. (Which is over by the way..hence the abandoned countryside). Consequently, Japan's small-farmer economy has lost its competitive ability and has become dependent on increasing government subsidies to survive. But these subsidies will only last as long as farmers are alive. Remembering that 3 out of 5 countryside farmers are over the age of 65 I give it a few more years.

[jonathanb]

Anyway, back to building.. building is a huge and intimidating subject. Should I go with a cob home..or a log one..??!

Great posts, a log house would be an great project. I think cob is the clay mixture that goes between the logs for chinking.

[Guest]

edinjapan,

Sounds like you had a wonderful parcel.

For me, buying rural land and or mountain land and creating a self sufficient life there is worth every ounce of my life energy. I devote all of my time to a bigger picture that deals with real realities for me; those of living a day-to-day life free and apart from this so-called civilized civilization that runs on fuel and `progress`.

Interestingly enough, the fact that rural communities and their shrinking economies are facing extinction draws me closer to the countryside.

As I said in a previous post..rural depopulation and the slow agri-crash is occuring as we type - it wont be televised - there wont be a definative beginning or ending.The Japanese government has spent over 2 trillion yen on re-partitioning agricultural land during the course of its pseudo rural urbanization scheme. (Which is over by the way..hence the abandoned countryside). Consequently, Japan's small-farmer economy has lost its competitive ability and has become dependent on increasing government subsidies to survive. But these subsidies will only last as long as farmers are alive. Remembering that 3 out of 5 countryside farmers are over the age of 65 I give it a few more years.

I understand why you are taking this stand and I hope that it works out for you. After having lived on a farm both in Canada and in Japan I know a good deal about the risks and the rewards of rural life.

If I had to do it over again I'd go someplace warmer and get involved in something like aquaculture.

[SunRa]

Getting back to the land

Ken,you should read this article from todays Japan Times :

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20061212f2.html

Evidently there is a waiting list to get back to the countryside. Retired people and freeters itching to get their hands on some real land. Interesting, but I dont think it will affect your plans.

[KenElwood]

countryside economic coercion?

edinjapan & jonb,

thanks for your posts.

Ken,you should read this article from todays Japan Times :

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20061212f2.html

Evidently there is a waiting list to get back to the countryside. Retired people and freeters itching to get their hands on some real land. Interesting, but I dont think it will affect your plans.

Hiya SunRa,

As always, thanks for the great links.

I`ve been following this issue for over a year now (in part with the help of your posts) and I really believe what`s happening right now is the fourth major urban exodus of recent times. First, there was a Hippie movement in the early 70`s, a then a seconed wave in the mid 70`s of people wanting to enjoy fresher water and healthier foods, and then a third wave during the bubble years of people (with lots of money) looking for an `improved` quality of life. I think this fourth urban exodus however, has more to do with business practice and economic coercion than that of people actually comming up with the idea themselves to get back to the countryside. Actually, i reckon the majority of past urban parting was for the most part yen driven. They are fed (especially the elderly) sweet stories of the countryside via various mediums including The Japan Times. The article read like an advertisement.. `'FREETERS,' RETIREES WANTED`` In my humble opinion, it all comes down to yen. I mean, the The Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery Ministry people have to make Yen too.

Some links to past articles: (SunRa, i believe you have already seen these)

HEAD FOR THE HILLS

I-TURN

I will archive the Japan Times article below:

Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2006


'FREETERS,' RETIREES WANTED
Farm tours are a hit, offer career opportunities


By KAZUHIRO HARUKI
Kyodo News
Japanese are getting back to the land in increasing numbers. Farm study tours are proving popular recently, especially among baby boomers who will begin retiring in large numbers starting next year.


An instructor teaches participants in an orientation tour at a farm in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, how to plant sweet potatoes. KYODO PHOTO

The National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations began offering tours in 2000 to give consumers and farmers the chance to meet. The first tours were one-day orientations aimed at groups of 100 elementary school children and parents from large cities.

Five years later, as the number of people wanting to participate rose, the federation increased the size of the groups to 200 each and found more farmers willing to take visitors. Now the groups include people of all ages.

"This year there were twice as many applicants as (available) places and there are people on a waiting list," said a federation official.

The secret of the farm visits' exploding popularity appears to be the hands-on experience they offer. Visitors can learn what it's like to plant crops on a working farm, rather than just watching a harvest.

"I could experience using a hoe, which I've never done before," said a woman in her 60s who took part in a tour.

"Next time I would like to learn about fertilizers," said a man in his 60s.

The federation official said a growing number of middle-aged and elderly people find that home gardens leave their green thumbs itching for more: They want to try their hand at farming. Many such aspiring farmers take part in the tours to learn from the pros.

The Japan Agricultural Cooperatives Yasato branch in Ishioka, Ibaraki Prefecture, began offering agricultural training to would-be farmers seven years ago.

So far, eight groups have completed the training. Some graduates of the two-year course have started their own farms and are now earning a steady income.

The government, which is hoping to ensure the future of the nation's agriculture by halting the exodus of people from farm areas, is developing agricultural courses for all age groups.

The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry opened the Challenge Farm School this spring. The three- to six-month courses are aimed at "freeters" -- young people who hop between part-time jobs and have no long-term career plans -- and NEETs -- those not in education, employment or training.

So far about 20 people have attended the school, while another 40 attended an introductory lesson.

"We would like to develop knowhow in experience-oriented training," a ministry official said.

With Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet pushing a "second chance" policy to help those whose careers have gotten off track, the ministry has requested about 640 million yen in next fiscal year's budget to help young people and retirees find jobs in agriculture.

Spurred by the Cabinet's slogan, "In life, there are two crops a year," the ministry plans to hold lectures and open a Web site to help those interested in an agricultural career map out a strategy to make it happen.

[KenElwood]

Hidden Glen in Southern Mountain

I want to write about the furthest reaches of the deep Mikawa mountains (Eastern Aichi prefecture) and the hidden glen I discovered there. I call this area Southern Mountain(“ìŽR) as it is like ridges of finger like hills that protrude Southward from the Japanese Southern Alps.

I strayed away from the gravel road and followed a narrow, steepish trail uphill for the better part of an hour passing by an endless series of waterfalls tumbling down narrow gorges on each side. The water cascading over the gorge sides froze into dripping icicles and the splashes from the waterfalls glazed the rocky path with ice. Very slippery it was. In the gorge, sunlight barely made an appearance, but as I climbed higher, the sky let in the sun and transformed the dark brooding gorge into a contrasting world of brilliant light and eerie twilight ; Japanese Kodama in their magnificent radiances. Then I came upon the Hidden Glen.

At the glen trailhead an ancient fallen tree crossed the narrow breadth of the glen and where it rested on the other side over the stream, two branches grew upright into new trees casting a dark shadow as to hide the trail; grasses and vine grew profusely; a birch tree in a serpentine shape waved its` branches thickly, saying: There is no way here. But there was a trail and I was destined to follow it.

The trail ascended up into the glen and tapered off to the left lining the mountainside. The trail gave way to an even more worn down path lined with quasi-flat rectangular stones. It felt quite magical to me to be following a trail that at one time ancient Japanites had traversed. Images of primitive persons with tuff and wrinkly skin, callus foot and hand, jagged teeth, and bushy eyebrows kept infiltrating my thoughts.

I continued on up the trail slo—w step by slo—w step rubber necking every tree, every stone, every thing. And then, cackles from birds and howls from monkeys echoed through the trees from the periphery of the hidden glen as if they were letting me know, or letting the rest of the woods know, that an outsider was entering their private abode. And then it turned silent.

Besides the movement of the water in the stream the glen was in silence beyond my mind, a seeming nothingness, a stillness I couldn�ft comprehend. I�fm not trying to speak in some esoteric spiritual jargon, but the silence was complete bliss. Below the towering `sugi` trees canopy the hidden glen broadened and a number of plant layers were quietly developing with a variety of niches including an abundance of wild mountain vegetables.

On up the trail I reared deep into the silence of the hidden glen. The trail was flanked by many a massive and mossy boulder with votive images carved in them protruding from the mountainside. Quite the numinous hidden glen it was turning out to be. Looking off to the right across the dark breadth of the glen I noticed three stone wall partitions. And up ahead I spotted what looked like an old structure stone foundation minus the structure.

And then, regrettably, it started to snow. With no choice, I fled the Glen as fast as I could and hurriedly descended the lower gorge back down to the gravel road. For the Southern Mountain is not a place for getting stuck in.

I usually borrow my wifes` brother�fs digital camera when I go on walkabouts in the Southern Mountain, but this time I didn�ft have it. I�fve got a plan to get back up there in the spring to snap some images. I wish I could justify the beauty of the glen with words, but it�fs beyond me. I hope my elementary map of the glen can suffice for now.

[SunRa]

Have you got a pic or two of the hidden glen?

[KenElwood]

Hidden Glen Pictures

Have you got a pic or two of the hidden glen?

Hi SunRa,

Unfortunately, not a one. I usually borrow my wifes` brother`s digital camera when I go on walkabouts (Wanderlust) in the hills, but yesterday I didn`t have it. I`ve got a plan to get back up there in the spring (it`ll be snowed in soon) to snap some images. I wish I could justify the beauty of the glen with words.. but it`s beyond me. I hope my elementary map of the glen can suffice for now.

-ken

update: found some pics of kowada station here (The hidden glen is a couple hours by vehicle and foot from here) http://www.konin.jp/diary/2004/0820.html This is the tri-ken area. Aichi-ken, Shizuoka-ken and Nagano-ken. 愛知県、静岡県、長野県の三県県境.Very country.
小和田=kowada

[karamatsu]

What a great thread this is! It's so long I've skimmed through the last couple of pages because I want to get stuck in myself, but this is magic. It really is.

As a brief intro, I'm British, I've been in Japan for 16 years, I'm married with one daughter (16 months), I'm a freelance translator and live in a ski resort in Nagano. I've just bought an old minka on 550 tsubo, part of which is forested with sugi (boo!) and karamatsu (larch, again boo! for crappy postwar subsidies). The house is around 80 years old with huge chestnut and pine beams and is located on a south-facing gradual incline. It wasn't as cheap as some minka in Nagano, but it faces south (crucial in winter) and is in a resort. Rather than do it up ourselves, we're going to get an architect and builders to do a "minka saisei" renovation with the emphasis on passive solar and energy efficiency. Its going to cost a lot, but it will be worth it. I do white-collar work from home, so taking a year off to play the hopeless carpenter/navvy doesn't really make sense.

My missus is from Anjo in the Mikawa part of Aichi, but I don't know Higashi Mikawa at all. My in-laws place was built in Meiji 18 (1883?) and while it has tons of character, I don't think they've done much maintenance since then! Its about two hundred yards behind that massive new Jusco or whatever supermarket that opened this summer. The area is called ShiroMukai.

Someone mentioned Sabae in Fukui. You may have noticed that the town's symbol is a pair of spectacles. They used to get really snowed in there back in the day, so one resourceful farmer headed off to Osaka to learn how to make spectacle frames as a source of income during winter. He took the knowledge back to Sabae and before you knew it, the town was manufacturing some staggering percentage of world supply. Its a great story.

As a couple of comments on what has been said earlier, first of all 100 tsubo is not half an acre. Its only 330 sq meters. An acre is around 4000 sq meters. I mention this because some self-sufficiency books (for any peak-oil doomers out there) sometimes refer to minimum land per person in acres. Whether such numbers are applicable to Japan with all the rain we get is actually questionable, but there you go.

Ken mentioned "semi-steep" as a desired quality for his land, but be warned that landslides are extremely common in Japan (weak structure, potentially bionic rainfall). I wouldn't recommend living near my interpretation of "semi-steep". As you know, most slopes in Japan are forested. In fact Japanese wikipedia reckons sugi alone cover 1/8 of the entire land mass (!!), but they don't put down such deep roots and will slide with the slope when the rain comes. In fairness to sugi, it is the national tree and the really old ones at Okusha in Togakushi are spellbinding. I'm as against concreted hillsides as the next man, but politicians and the construction industry have only been able to play this one as a nice earner because landslides do happen. Along some major roads even, very often.

As something I'm always keen to point out, the "snow monkeys" at Shibu Onsen are fed over the winter. I'm not an animal psychologist, but if you don't want them to associate humans with free food, its probably not the best approach.

Anyway, hello again to everyone and I'll be sure to drop in again. I lived in the Kansai area for 10 years before heading into the country, but I've never missed it. If you get most of your info off the Net, you can get a better connection in Japanese inaka that in central London!

[KenElwood]

Hi Mr. Birch

What a great thread this is! It's so long I've skimmed through the last couple of pages because I want to get stuck in myself, but this is magic. It really is.

Hiya karamatsu, thanks much for your post. If you`ve some free time please check out all the pages of this thread as they`re litterd with great links and wonderful insights on countryside living here in Japan. This thread has taken own a life of its own.

I've just bought an old minka on 550 tsubo. The house is around 80 years old with huge chestnut and pine beams and is located on a south-facing gradual incline.

Awsome. Awsome. And awsome.

Someone mentioned Sabae in Fukui. You may have noticed that the town's symbol is a pair of spectacles. They used to get really snowed in there back in the day, so one resourceful farmer headed off to Osaka to learn how to make spectacle frames as a source of income during winter. He took the knowledge back to Sabae and before you knew it, the town was manufacturing some staggering percentage of world supply. Its a great story.

I do remember seeing a story on the tube thingy a while back about a guy making retroish looking black spectacle frames in Sabae.

As a couple of comments on what has been said earlier, first of all 100 tsubo is not half an acre. Its only 330 sq meters. An acre is around 4000 sq meters.

Understood. Thanks.

Ken mentioned "semi-steep" as a desired quality for his land, but be warned that landslides are extremely common in Japan (weak structure, potentially bionic rainfall). I wouldn't recommend living near my interpretation of "semi-steep". As you know, most slopes in Japan are forested. In fact Japanese wikipedia reckons sugi alone cover 1/8 of the entire land mass (!!), but they don't put down such deep roots and will slide with the slope when the rain comes.

Does your interpretation of `semi-steep` look something like THIS? I like to think I can eye ball a safe grade but I really do need a clinometer.

As something I'm always keen to point out, the "snow monkeys" at Shibu Onsen are fed over the winter. I'm not an animal psychologist, but if you don't want them to associate humans with free food, its probably not the best approach.

So true!

Anyway, hello again to everyone and I'll be sure to drop in again. I lived in the Kansai area for 10 years before heading into the country, but I've never missed it.

Karamatsu-san,just curious... how `in a nutshell` did you make the transition form Kansaipolis to the countryside? (physically).

-Ken

[karamatsu]

Its easy for a translator to go solo. Many have established the path already. I just packed off for the countryside too.

Its impossible to tell slope angle from photos because cameras flatten everything. Your best bet is to ask some locals about the conditions there. Just remember that it can rain very hard in Japan and that jiban ga yowai in many places. Don't just freak out because some dude said something on the Net! If you want to know the gradient without doing the legwork or buying some fancy tool, there are topos for the entire country here. Each map has a scale tucked away in the corner.

http://watchizu.gsi.go.jp/

Click on Oh! Chizu! to get started.

There are aerial photos of many areas on this next site from the past 30 years or so. For inaka, its much better than Google maps. In the 400dpi scans, you can see individual buildings - maybe the one you live in! In some rural areas, you can see how the fields used to be divided into little curvy pockets before they bulldozed them flat into big squares for mechanized agriculture and put roads inbetween. Its really sad. If you find some land on a slope in a glen, there's more chance of it being in a more aesthetically pleasing state, though you'll have a job growing large amounts of rice.

http://w3land.mlit.go.jp/cgi-bin/Web....cgi?DT=n&IT=p

Wikipedia reckons Sabae still makes 80% of Japan's spectacle frames. On the subject of HigashiMikawa, apparently one of my wife's old classmates is an okami san at a place in Yuya Onsen, so we might head up there sometime. I've been to Gamagori, but that's about it. The old Prince Hotel there is a great example of East-meets-West Meiji era architecture and is nicely located. If someone else is paying, the teppanyaki steak there is also very good.

I was well impressed with all of the permaculture and organic farming links in here, so I'll have to make time to work through them.

[KenElwood]

Topography Map and Mountain Man food

there are topos for the entire country here. Each map has a scale tucked away in the corner.

http://watchizu.gsi.go.jp/

Click on Oh! Chizu! to get started.

Oh!Chizu! A great topo map indeed! karamatsu, thanks.

Also, if you do get up into Oku Mikawa be sure to eat some good old Gohei Mochi "rice on a stick" , which is supposedely named after the lumberjack who first made it (Gohei). Mountain man grub at its finest.I love the stuff!!

[myhobbyis]

Usual Waffle

Hi all,
Firstly welcome aboard Karamatsu, you opened with 2 killer links! As a map lover I've been playing around with them on and off, revisiting places I know in Japan from 20,000 feet.
My son's just the same age as your daughter. I imagine your kept pretty much on your feet with her too.

Ken, as promised, I'll fill you in on our trip down through Odaichou.

Actually we are off way down to Kumano-shi to view some land with attached hovel this coming weekend so will pass close to Osugidani and Odai-ga-hara I guess. I'll let you know what it looks like.

Well, I don't doubt that Odai at mountain level is awesome in fact the highway which they are presently carving through the mountains at a high altitude gave great views when the clouds lifted enough. We wondered where on earth they were planning to go with this highway, Wakayama in another 10 years? or maybe it's going to head off to Hawaii? Anyway the highway presently stops abruptly and we continued for 2 hours through the worst of the Japanese countryside. Stuck behind a string of trucks, passing boarded up pink stucco love hotels, closed down pachinko parlours and ramshackle garages with rusting cars.
Until Kumano-shi. I've been very sceptical about Kumano-Kodo because it seems becoming a world heritage site is an official guarantee that the place will be ravaged by tourism (how has the environment of shiretoko been protected
by it's inclusion as a world heritage site?). However I didn't realise the length of the trails. Take a look here:
http://www.kumadoco.net/kodo_eng/index.html
That in itself should protect the beauty of the trails from invasive tourism to a certain extent since there's not a clear singular destination.
Anyway having travelled for 4 hours we then had a farcical
half hour trying to meet the estate agent, both of us strangers on a mountain road with no definite landmarks and weak to no keitai signal.
The hovel turned out to be a "cowshed" and hovel, here's a pic:

We liked it and especially the land attached for 3 reasons: 1) it's been unused for 15 years 2) It's detached from any other surrounding fields 3) There's no sign of the dreaded Japanese knotweed.
So with that combination I reckon I should have clean, well rested soil, no chemicals leached or drifted from surrounding fields, with a mass of compost material and if I cut it back next summer then turn in the roots to be a green manure in situ on the soil. Not a bad start. Yeah, I know they'll be a host of weeds resident in the soil making us busy with the hoe for the next few years but better than taking over intensively farmed, fields that've been propped up with chemicals for the last decade.

This got me down though:


The usual concrete scarring the landscape, looking like a giant's misplaced soggy waffle this time. Until I started thinking of it as a challenge.
Listen up Ken, I think you're going to like this!
What if some idiot planted up a line of very aggressive voracious, fastgrowing, light seeking creepers just a long the side edge of the concrete. Wouldn't those little seedlings relish the non-competitive light grabbing environment of that expanse of bleached concrete and the idiot who planted them could watch their steady insidious progress year after year from his living room.
The same imbecile could also deposit rich compost into the depressions in the concrete waffle, maybe one line per year, then let nature take it's course with windblown, bird pooed self seeding doing it's work. Be interesting to see what can be done.
How about this for a river? Even I might hope to catch something on a river like this I guess.

[SunRa]

This got me down though:


The usual concrete scarring the landscape, looking like a giant's misplaced soggy waffle this time. Until I started thinking of it as a challenge.
Listen up Ken, I think you're going to like this!
What if some idiot planted up a line of very aggressive voracious, fastgrowing, light seeking creepers just a long the side edge of the concrete. Wouldn't those little seedlings relish the non-competitive light grabbing environment of that expanse of bleached concrete and the idiot who planted them could watch their steady insidious progress year after year from his living room.
The same imbecile could also deposit rich compost into the depressions in the concrete waffle, maybe one line per year, then let nature take it's course with windblown, bird pooed self seeding doing it's work. Be interesting to see what can be done.
]

Fantastic idea. Let us know which voracious plants you recommend and Ill do my bit in my part of the world.

[karamatsu]

Hello again

A suitable tree for Ken's plot might be chestnut (kuri). Its native and produces delicious nuts at a young age. Mature trees make excellent wood for construction, while young trees are suited to coppicing for firewood. I think I'll grow a few at my new place. Part of its framing is kuri.

The most prized firewood in Japan is nara (a type of oak). Its bark is deeply ridged and its leaves are oval with elongated points and sawteeth down each side. It is also the tree used to grow shiitake. Humans can eat acorns too, but I heard that they need a lot of preparation.

If your plot is high up, maybe consider buckwheat (soba) instead of rice. Its very high in protein.

Good luck with the guerrila planting. I hope noone comes along with the weed whackers to make it "kirei".