Keeping up with the Joneses
Even once you loose all desire to get a bigger house or bigger car or greener lawn with a bigger pool, there is still an innate desire to beat the Joneses. In our case the Joneses are friends from Tokyo that, at the same time as us, aspired to escape the hell that is "big city".
The "Joneses" too the lead by looking at available houses from early on. They had been searching for about a year when Tomoe told him one day at work that she was coming to join me in Otari-mura to look at houses (this was back in March when we all still lived in Tokyo). It just so happened that he too was on his way to look at a house in Otari-mura as well. We seemed to be running neck-and-neck.
While we did not find our dream house in Otari, they did. We, however, moved out to Hakuba anyway, deciding that to continue the search from here would be much more effective. Our friends were still back in Tokyo looking at us and feeling a bit of fire under their butts.
They soon moved out to their dream house, and we found our place in Sakae (still living in Hakuba). We soon began hearing stories of how difficult it was for them with all the work they had to put into their house getting it ready for the winter (it sounded as if the whole place needed to be almost completely rebuilt). We were feeling a bit jealous because the place we found is too new and does not require any work - something we were looking forward to doing. But on the other hand, based on theirexplanation, we envisioned their place to be in a small cluster of houses we knew along the main highway connecting Hakuba to the Japan Sea. The place we found had so much support from the village and so much potential in terms of our future plans, that we could not help feeling a bit smug. We thought to ourselves "They should get rid of that place and move to Sakae as well".
As summer rolled around and Tomoe had a chance to visit Sakae again, she came back with some terrible news. Sakae is HOT. Better than Tokyo, sure, but nothing like the cool summer days we had been enjoying in the Hakuba/Otari area. Also, while Sakae has more snow than Hakuba/Otari, it is also heavy, wet snow. Not ideal for enjoying the back-country ski experience Hakube/Otari is known for.
Still, we thought we were winning. Until, that is, we finally got a chance to visit them in their home a few days ago. We met them at the 7-11 along the highway, expecting to be led across the road into the little cluster of houses which are hopefully just out of reach of the constant drone of cars and trucks. Instead, we passed by that little cluster, then another cluster, then another, the road winding further and further upwards, leaving us in awe that their ligh-weight truck could make it with the weight of two people.
Half-way up we knew we had lost the race with the Joneses.
They were living in our dream house. An old (really old) Japanese style farm house that needed lots of renovation. A large field right behind their house. A mountain side filled with trees free for their use. No neighbors preventing them from building an outdoor bath, and, what must be one of the most amazing views in all of Otari-Mura. Not to mention a great one-eyed cat to share it all with.
DANG!!
The photo below is Tomoe's "I think we lost" face, followed by her "good sport" face in the next photo.
Comments
I've been following you on this blog since about the time you moved from your apartment in Tokyo.
I sense the post above is somewhat tongue in cheek, but if not, remember the joy and satisfaction you've felt making your move. The things you do have can just as easily fuel a lifetime as whatever you crave that is missing if you let them.
As always, your words and images are inspiring - thank you.
Posted by: Logan | August 31, 2007 04:13 PM
What do the Joneses do for a living?
Posted by: billy | August 31, 2007 09:29 PM
Thanks Logan. The post *is* toungr in cheek. Although we do envy them, we also know that our choice is the right/best one for us. We have plenty of time to get where we want to go - espcially now that we are moving in the right direction.
Billy,
He is a baker who makes natural german sweets and sells them to several places in Tokyo and elsewhere. One benefit for them to move out of Tokyo is that they now have enough space to make enough cakes and cookies to fill the demand. Their apartment in Tokyo limited their production capabilities. She is a macrobiotic cooking instructor.
While living a quiet life where they are takes amazingly little money, their main costs now are renovations, which are considered investments because they are planning to open a small inn/B&B once it is all done. If money should become tight, they can always get part-time jobs nearby. Not ideal, but better than living in Tokyo where you have no choice but to work all week to pay the rent and lifestyle - and the tarin fair to get out to the mountains on the few days you have off.
Posted by: kevin | September 2, 2007 09:17 PM
My wife is Japanese and is from Tsuyama, Okayama-ken.
We are also interested in buying an old farm house. How did you go about finding a house that was for sale? Did you just talk to the locals in the village, or go to the local government office or talk to a realtor? How did you come up with a price for the house? In addition to the price of the house, what other fees etc. did you have to pay?
Terry & Yoko
Posted by: Terry Eirich | September 22, 2007 01:22 AM
Hi Kevin
Stewart here. I met you once in Hakuba. You still around?
I heard about your friend with the place in Otari from my builder. It’s at Buno Onsen isn’t it? There's an older guy living up there off and on for years who teaches chiropractice or something of that ilk. I think he's American. My missus has met him, but I've not had the chance. I've seen his house though or at least one of them because it was for sale a few years back. Its got a big green tin on thatch roof and is quite close to the onsen at the end of the road. It’s your classic farmhouse and was very nice, but it looked like it would be absolutely freezing in winter. It was basically as is, with a lick of white paint inside to try and brighten it up.
Buno is a lovely area, but we've got a daughter and number two on the way. The kindergarden/school run every day would do my head in. I’d like to have kids in the neighbourhood too, like Yoko and I when we were young. The farmhouse we’re having done up is only five minutes from Hakuba central, so just give me a shout if you want to have a look around. I’ve registered my email in case you want to get in touch. We’re going for a full monty renovation that’s basically a newbuild around, under and over the frame. It may strike some people as costly overkill, but I don’t think the house would have lasted that much longer without one. While gutting it we’ve discovered problems galore below floor level with both moisture and termites. This might be a bit better in Otari, because they say the houses up there tend to have more hardwood in them than in Hakuba. In the Mikka-Ichiba area of Hakuba, there’s a fully renovated place with a grand total of two original timbers. All of the others had been eaten by ants. Our place is being built to kou-kimitsu, kou-dannetsu standards, so it'll cost next to nothing to heat without burning lots of wood. The less firewood everyone burns, the better. Getting it for free doesn't make any difference.
Anyway, good luck in your new home and I’d be interested in meeting your friends. Do macrobiotic people really avoid nightshades? I love them, and they're dead easy to grow.
Posted by: Stew | September 29, 2007 12:41 PM