When Lee Xian Jie first stepped foot within the conventional farmhouse situated in Ryujin-mura, a village in Japan’s Wakayama prefecture, it was “fairly rundown” — with flooring so rickety they shook beneath him with each step he took.
In spite of everything, the primary construction of the deserted residence was 300 years outdated, Lee mentioned. However when he took a better look across the residence, he might inform it was “correctly constructed.”
“The pillars are all Sakura wooden, which is a particularly dense and arduous wooden,” he advised CNBC Make It. “It is also a thatch constructing, which could be very uncommon in Japan now … So it is a constructing with nice historic worth.”
“My curiosity has at all times been in historical past. I needed to see … How did folks construct properties with simply wooden and joinery?” mentioned Lee Xian Jie, who restored three buildings in Ryujin-mura, a village in Japan’s Wakayama prefecture.
Lee Xian Jie
The property, which beforehand housed 4 generations, is one among Japan’s tens of millions of vacant homes referred to as akiya, Japanese for “empty home.”
However in contrast to many akiya which might be on the market, this was for hire as a result of it is on “good land,” and there are two household graves within the space, Lee defined. He was, nonetheless, given permission by its landlord to revive the premises.
“My curiosity has at all times been in historical past. I needed to see what it was like for folks again then to dwell with out chemical fertilizers that we use proper now. How did folks construct properties with simply wooden and joinery?”
Issues to think about
Covid-19 fast-tracked Lee’s goals of dwelling in rural Japan. He began his personal tour firm in Kyoto six years in the past, however moved to the village through the pandemic when there was no work.
He shortly fell in love with Ryujin-mura and determined to hire the farmhouse, together with one other akiya, which is now a co-working house for digital nomads.
The 33-year-old runs a farm-to-table cafe on the farmhouse three days every week, utilizing elements he harvests from the farm, which he additionally makes use of without cost.
However that is not all. He additionally purchased one other 100-year-old constructing subsequent door, which he’s changing right into a guesthouse.
The farmers are the busiest folks right here — the one distinction is that you do not have to take a seat in entrance of a desk.
Whereas akiya typically have low cost worth tags, there are some things to think about earlier than transferring to Japan to buy one, mentioned Lee.
“That is particularly for Japan: If you cannot communicate the language, you possibly can’t get alongside along with your neighbors … communication could be very troublesome,” he added.
“Folks neglect that point invested within the language is lots of time they’ll use elsewhere. It takes anybody a minimum of a naked minimal of 4 years to be fluent in Japanese, seven to eight years to be actually fluent.”
Farm life is commonly romanticized as quiet or peaceable in comparison with town, however Lee says “no farmer right here has a sluggish life.”
“The farmers are the busiest folks right here — the one distinction is that you do not have to take a seat in entrance of a desk,” added Lee, who has nearly 16-hour lengthy days on the farm.
There are additionally “social expectations” similar to sustaining the grass round your land, which requires extra time and vitality than one would think about.
“I can not stress how a lot grass reducing goes on as a result of Japan has lots of rain and crops develop very properly. In case you do not preserve it, it will look very messy and your weeds will have an effect on the neighbors’ crops.”
“Life is sluggish in case you pay to remain on the farm as a visitor. For my visitors, it will be a sluggish life as a result of they’d should do not one of the chores,” he added with fun.
Whereas it is lots of arduous work, it is all price it for Lee — who finds probably the most success from realizing what goes into the meals he serves at his cafe.
“Essentially the most fulfilling a part of the expertise is that after I serve tea now, it is my very own tea that I made. Once I serve rice on this cafe, I do know that I’ve used no pesticides,” he mentioned.
“I’ve made many native pals right here … it is the human connections I’ve right here which might be really priceless.”
Value of renovations
Dwelling in rural Japan is little doubt cheaper in comparison with town. Lee mentioned that he pays “properly beneath” $750 for the primary farmhouse and co-working house, which sit on a property measuring a complete of about 100,000 sq. ft.
“I did my math and realized that if I renovated a spot properly, I might be paying the identical quantity I might have if I lived in Kyoto for 5 years,” mentioned Lee.
Nevertheless, he warned that renovation prices is perhaps hefty, relying on the situation of the akiya. The flooring of the primary farmhouse for instance, had been weakened by the humidity and termites.
“I believed I might substitute the ground [through] DIY however then I fell by means of the ground,” Lee recalled. “Then I simply employed the carpenter who lives about 10 minutes away.”
For the guesthouse, which sits on a separate parcel of land measuring 190,000 sq. ft., he spent about $97,000 with two pals to buy and renovate, with the majority of that going towards renovations.
On the identical property is a 100-year-old constructing, which Lee Xian Jie transformed right into a guesthouse. That is the way it appeared like earlier than renovations.
Lee Xian Jie
One other $37,000 was spent to show the primary home right into a dwelling house for himself and a purposeful cafe.
Lee needed to contain himself within the demolishing work — partly due to a scarcity of manpower within the village.
“However it additionally means you possibly can lower your prices just a little, in case you’re prepared to get your palms soiled,” he shared. “A variety of work went to {the electrical} work, pipes … Getting a correct flushing bathroom, earlier than that it was a gap within the floor.”
Having spent 5 figures on all of the work on the property, whether or not he can recoup these prices is a priority as a result of “there’s loads much less work” to be present in rural Japan.
“If you wish to do agriculture, it’s a must to be an knowledgeable in agriculture, in any other case you’ll fail. There are fewer jobs right here additionally of any type,” he defined.
“Dwelling prices are decrease in rural Japan, however so is the revenue.”
The guesthouse after renovations. Whereas it is going to solely open in June, Lee Xian Jie mentioned he is already been getting some bookings.
However the 33-year-old mentioned he was “by no means apprehensive,” as his expertise as a tour information since 2017 gave him a eager understanding concerning the actions that might entice guests.
“There are going to be tea workshops organized right here for some Europeans later this October. And that was bought out inside an hour.”
“There was curiosity on this. This yr we have had a couple of teams are available to expertise that with me right here,” Lee mentioned.
Whereas the guesthouse will solely open formally in June, he is already been getting some bookings. At full capability, he expects to make about $7,500 a month from the cafe, co-working house, excursions and guesthouse.
“There’s lots of curiosity on this space particularly as a result of we’re two hours from the closest airport … There are additionally lots of cultural and historic issues to see right here — plus the character after all,” Lee added.
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Correction: This text has been corrected to precisely replicate the land dimension
