Welcoem to posts!!
in the future - u will be able to do some more stuff here,,,!! like pat catgirl- i mean um yeah... for now u can only see others's posts :c
We're getting ready for some additional historic restorations at Benton Guesthouse. As AirBnB Superhosts, we're always thinking about how we can increase guest comfort and amenities. For the past 15 months, we've enjoyed meeting guests from all over the world, and introducing them to other local small businesses on Ōmishima, and the surrounding Shimanami Kaido islands.
Our first summer, we added two air conditioning units, cute retro fans, and a mosquito screen for the front door, allowing for lots of airflow without any creepy crawlies. Our second winter, we added some shoji screens to control warm air, and made our kitchen table a cozy kotatsu heating table. Next, we'll restore the historic bath tub, along with other bathroom and laundry room improvements!
We often get asked if we host different groups of travelers at one time (like a hostel). We do not. We only rent to one group of guests at a time. This is a true private full-house rental, so there are no “shared spaces”. If you are a solo traveler, or a large group, the whole house is private just for you!
As hosts, we have a 'ryokan' hotel license, which allows us to live off-site. We’re attentive hosts, but our own house is just down the street from the guesthouse, so we’re easily available when needed, while also giving you complete privacy.
#visitshimanami #visitimabari #japan #shikoku #四国 #愛媛 #imabari #今治 #omishima #大三島 #shimanamikaido #しまなみ街道 #bentonguesthouse
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Our first monthly livestream was a success! The replay is now available to watch. Thank you again to everyone who joined in the conversation regarding the new 2025 changes to the Startup visa, farming, banking, and all the other really good questions. And thank you to those participants who donated with a Superchat or Buy Me a Coffee! Amazing. We'll continue testing out a monthly livestream format, so please join us: the last Sunday of each month, from 8-10am Japan Time :) Be sure to check what time that will be for your specific time zone :)
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We had the opportunity last summer to meet @StevenCornettNAR (the friendly guy from @NaturesAlwaysRight!). I honestly mean it when I say we've been watching his videos for many years. He was one of my first inspirations for chicken coop designs, back when we first started experimenting with homesteading. It was sort of like meeting a friend, except we had never spoken before, haha.
While Steven was visiting, he made two videos: one about our honeybees and farming, and one about our guesthouse and new life in Japan. He released one video on each of his channels (click the tagged links above). Both videos are probably the only interviews ever where I was comfortable enough to speak naturally, and I'm really happy with how they turned out.
It's amazing how many cool people we've met, and we're still less than two years into our Japan adventure. It's true that, when you put effort into having good energy, sharing information freely, and contributing to the community (both in a local sense as well as online), you receive good energy in return. Thanks, Steven!
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Keep an eye out for a data-based blog & video sometime tomorrow. This is an exciting time for the Startup visa changes! But a few details still haven't been announced. After y'all watch tomorrow's video, then we can chat about it live this weekend 🤗
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Breaking News! Thanks to your feedback, we will test out a monthly livestream. January will cover a specific (and very highly anticipated!) topic: the new Startup visa changes. What do we know? What don't we know? We received a document from our immigration lawyer, in the form of a letter from Japan's immigration department, which basically lays out all of the changes, and a timeframe for when (and where) they will go into effect.
This week, keep an eye out for a video covering this dense and boring, but also very exciting, "new" Startup visa information. Then next Sunday, January 26th at 8-10am (Japan time), join us for a livestream chat! We will be joined by Steve @RealRuralJapan, so it should at least be mildly entertaining. See you soon!
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My daily morning meeting with Ponkan and Bosco. When the house is chilly in the morning, we fire up the heater for a little bit, so we can be cozy while we plan the day. Today's video shows how we stay warm in winter, in a "basically still abandoned" house 🔥
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Ok! There are only 15 votes in yesterday's poll. But so far - WOW - I am really, really surprised that "monthly" has 87% of the vote for livestream scheduling! I thought for sure y'all would prefer every 2 or 3 months, but those have 0 votes. Another question. If we set a monthly livestream schedule, should we:
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Hey, friends! I've been thinking about live streams. We love chatting live with y'all, and getting to answer questions directly. It makes this feel more like a community, with interactive real-time conversations. But! I don't want to schedule them too frequently, which might get boring or redundant. What do you think would be a good frequency? Let me know! ✨
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Our next video will be out tomorrow! Would you believe I forgot to take a photo for the thumbnail 😅 We're getting some good winter organizing done, so we'll be going through a few more rooms of abandoned belongings this season.
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Winter seems like a good time to cozy up and listen to a podcast. We had a great chat with our friend @BusanKevin on his Just Japan Podcast! He has a lot of similar interests, including honeybees, so it's always good to catch up. Happy new year, y'all.
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We are two foreigners living in Japan! We received a Startup Business Visa, which then earned us a Business Manager Visa. This essentially allows us to sponsor our own residency in Japan via our small business: Benton Homestead. We have an akiya-turned-guesthouse, small honeybee and natural farm, and consulting. It's been challenging but nothing is impossible!
Japan has an estimated 10-12 million abandoned houses, and we've purchased *two* of them! The first house was purchased for ¥1 Million ($7,500 USD) and abandoned for 10 years, which we've now renovated into Benton Guesthouse. The second house was purchased for ¥2.8 Million ($18,000 USD) and abandoned for an estimated 40 years. This one was a former 'ryokan' inn, and came with two pieces of land,. I’m documenting everything in hopes of helping others on a similar path.
Since we left the US and our 1/4-acre urban farm in 2021, we've been documenting our travels, house-sitting, Mexico and Japan immigration, and akiya renovation.