Reclaimed wood, hand painted sign, made with formerly abandoned tools #japan #upcycle #reuse #akiya
#island #islandlife #japan #rural #ruraljapan #ferry #sea #ehime #imabari #shimanamikaido
#pollinatorgarden #savethebees #honeybee #japan #pollinators #honey#beekeeping #naturalfarming
Charcoal Hibachi Heater #vintage #vibe #retro #oldschool #yesteryear #1940s #1950s #japanesehouse
Best Friend Dog & Cat Antics 🐕🐈 #rescuecat #streetdog #dogandcat #petfriends #straypet #japan #adopt
Ponkan's Foster Kitten gets a bath #rescuecat #adoptme #feralcat #tomcat #kitten #adoptdontshop
🐕🐈 #streetdog #rescuecat #oddcouple #japan #feralcat #streetpuppy #adoptdontshop #rescue #petfriends
@jennaecreates is a cool friend! IG & Jennae Creates.com #illustrate #artist #handmade #unique
Charcoal Hibachi Heater #japan #oldschool #vintage #antique #charcoal #hibachi #heat #winter
Shoji Screen Repair #washi #shoji #showa #retro #traditional #japan #diy #diycrafts #rescuecat #cat
Two rescue kitties 🥲 #adoptdontshop #rescuecat #rescue #cutecat #love #lovecats #japan #japancat
Accidentally caught another cat 🖤 #adoptdontshop #rescuecat #stray #straycat #japan #neko #cutecat
Japanese bees caught in a bait colony #honeybee #nativebees #japan #beekeeping #swarm #beeswarm
Thanksgiving in Japan 🦃 #charcoal #smokedturkey #turkey #diy #smokedmeat @cocolenchojapan
Winter Garden Prep #japan #garden #tomatillo #growyourown #naturalfarming #rural #bamboo #diy #beans
Rainy drive on a curvy mountain road in a #keitruck #ehime #matsuyama #japan #fog #nature #vibe
Beehive insulation for mild winters #japan #beekeeping #savethebees #naturalfarming #beefarm #honey
Warm Cat Happy Cat #retro #rescuecats #kerosene #oldhouse #heater #adoptdontshop #orangecat #ponkan
New queen! Cleaning house! #honeybee #beefarming #honey #japan #bee #beekeeper #savethebees #beelife
1940 tile roof repair #akiya #japan #traditional #retro #showa #vintage #oldschool #tileroof #diy
The puppy rescue is called One No Wa #streetdog #japan #rescuedog #adoptdontshop #rescue #puppy #pup
Gotta catch all the street dogs... #rescue #rescuedog #adoptdontshop #streetdog #wilddog #norainu
Comfort food! Thank you @cocolenchojapan #cholula #turkey #americanfood #thanksgiving
Bosco's duet with an ambulance #siren #song #rescuedog #howl #doghowling #dogsinging #sillydog
Community Market #popup #japan #retro #vintage #showa #naturalfarming #peppers #tomatillo #basil
Drainage around the garage is our next big project! #akiya #rural #visa #japan #smallbusiness #diy
Japanese honeybee swarm bait colony #beekeeperlife #rurallife #japan #beekeeping #beehive #honeybee
He's not a rain dog #streetdog #rescue #rain #rainyseason #japan #islandlife #streetpuppies #akiya
Super Famicom TV Naizou SF1 #japan #nintendo #famicom #snes #1990s #retrogames #zelda #retro #crt
BFFs Ponkan & Bosco #rescuecat #rescue #streetdog #puppy #catanddog #bff #adoptdontshop #orangecat
Wild Boar Burgers 🐗🍔 Ino Ino Stand on Ōmishima #japan #imabari #wildboar #burger #localfood #boar
Lots of life left #abandoned #showa #retro #vintage #abandoned #recycle #reuse #repurpose #japan
Planting garlic 🧄🧄🧄 #japan #rurallife #farming #garlic #growyourownfood #naturalfarming #garden
Free Cardboard Sheet Mulch, 7 months later #japan #free #diy #sustainability #naturalfarming #farm
Japanese traditional house #shikkui #bamboo #plaster #vintage #retro #antique #throwback #mudwall
Island Life 🏝️ A crab in Family Mart 🦀 #japan #conbini #familymart #islandlife #crab #beachlife
Ōmishima, Imabari, Ehime, Japan on the Seto Sea #rural #countryside #island #islandlife #slowlife
Bosco's "exposure therapy" #rain #umbrella #water #streetdog #puppy #training #dogwalk #sillydog
#scrapmetal #recycle #junk #scrapping #japan #abandoned #metal #lead #copper #aluminium #scrap
Honeybee with "pollen pants" enjoys tomatillo flowers 🐝 #japan #beekeeping #pollinator #savethebees
Honeybee Progress #honeybee #japan #honeyfarming #beekeeping #apiary #countryside #immigration #bee
#streetdog #rescue #rescuedog #adopt #adoptdontshop #shiba #shibainu #doge #shikoku #japan #dog #inu
#startupvisa #japan #akiya #businessmanager #expat #immigration #foreigner #smallbusiness #abandoned
Best Kitty #rescue #cat #sleepycat #orangecat #ponkan #japan #nyan #whiskers #rescuecat
Garage to Retro Shop #akiya #cleanup #abandoned #japan #recycle #reduce #reuse #repurpose #salvage
Rescue dog and cat best friends #adoptdontshop #streetdog #rescuecat #rescue #japan #matsuri #ponkan
#honeybee #hornet #predator #gianthornet #honey #bee #beekeeping #beekeeper #japan #rural #farmlife
#vintage #abandoned #japan #akiya #sailboat #sailing #handmade #sewing #foundit #oldstuff #canvas
X
About
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.
Tags