Celebrating our One-year Anniversary on YouTube
Looking back on the past year of YouTube.
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I Started Revitalizing our Neglected Yard into a Flower Garden this Spring
Our garden at our Japanese house was neglected for seven years. Now, we’re on a mission to restore it back to its former glory.
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How We Beat the Summer Heat in the Japanese Countryside
Living in the Japanese countryside during summer heat can be challenging (especially for us Canadians!) Here’s how I have adapted & found ways to deal with it.
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What We Do for Work in Japan (And How We Got Our Visas)
The full story on how we moved from English teaching to our current non-teaching jobs, visas, FAQs, and top tips when finding work in Japan.
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How We Have Adapted to Countryside Life in Japan (One Year In)
Answering the most recent questions about our life here in the Japanese countryside.
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How (and Why) These 5 Helpful Fixes Made Our Akiya House More Comfortable
Here’s what one year of renovations in our abandoned ‘akiya’ house in Japan looks like after these helpful fixes.
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How We Repaired Our Japanese Shoji Screen Doors
From rags to freshly papered shoji screens: Here’s what we did to fix 15 screen doors in our Japanese house.
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The Reality Of Our First Year In An Akiya House (and How We Adapted It)
I cover everything from our shocking walkthrough, how much it all costs, and meeting all the creatures who lived there before us.
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May / June 2020 Journal: Fireflies, Umeshu, and Rice Fields
Here are some my highlights from early summer living the the Japanese countryside of Usa city.
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Sakura Blossoms, Self-Isolation and Love Handles in Japan
This past month of March and early April has seen some shifts in Japan – the sakura cherry blossom have come into full bloom, the season of candy-red strawberries have filled the grocery store shelves, and of course, the growing news of COVID-19 cases within Japan and across the globe.
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Parent Observations and Roasting Yams with Neighbours
Potato roasting warms the heart of any weary English teacher in Japan.
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Go on an April Neighbourhood Walking Tour
Take in fresh air, and admire the countryside views of Japan with us.
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Protected: Rice Harvesting in Japan
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
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My First Days Working as an English Teacher in Japan
My very first job in Japan.
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An epic day of sumo watching, bento lunches, and beer at our first Grand Sumo Tournament in Japan
The Fukuoka Kokusai Center hosts a major sumo tournament in November, where wrestlers compete over 15 days to decide the champion. The writer was fortunate to obtain tickets and attended the event for the first time, thanks to a teacher’s connection.
The Practical Guide to Japanese Futons: A Dream vs. Reality Check
Dreaming of a traditional Japanese futon? We took the plunge and learned a few hard-won lessons along the way.
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A day of potato hoeing in Japan
I was invited by my Japanese neighbours to participate in their annual potato hoeing event this autumn.
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What a Typical Japanese Meal at Home Looks Like in the Countryside
Seafood is a surprisingly affordable product in grocery stores, and there’s a great variety available to us here. Not all attempts at cooking have been what I’d call a success, but it’s a fun experience nonetheless. We’ve learned to cook seafood with a hot pot or nabe, as it is
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Our Countryside Neighbourhood Tour in Oita, Japan
The loudest thing we hear in our quiet countryside neighbourhood in our Japanese apartment are the kindergarteners, and the school bell ring across our apartment. That being said, we’re in an optimal location in the countryside, with a convenient 5-minute walk away from one of the main shopping streets in
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A Tour of Our $500 Apartment in the Countryside of Japan
One of the pros of living in the countryside in Japan is the abundance of reasonably priced apartments. We found our apartment online on a Japanese website while in Vancouver and could find several decent options before settling on our current apartment. After Jesse arrived in Usa city, we sent
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Grape Picking in Japan: Sampling the Best Grapes in Oita Prefecture
These are the best grapes I have ever tasted in my life.
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