Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Vacant again October 2014
Had someone lined up to move in, who was coming to Japan this weekend, but his contract fell through at the last minute. Then today a co-worker asked if he could use it this month for 2 weeks as he needs somewhere to stay while he gets his whole apartment repainted.
Monday, July 14, 2014
Vacant again July 2014
Got more sad news from Sarah. As her parents will be in wheelchairs for the rest of their lives, she will not be returning to live in Japan.
In April her parents were victims in a really bad car accident. She had just returned from a trip to visit them in March before starting the new highly paid job I had set up for her (the new school year starts in April in Japan).
Sarah says she will continue paying rent until I find someone nice to move in. She is organizing with an international moving company to pick up and ship all her belongings to her.
She asked me to post this for the next person to live in her home:
I'm missing Japan in a fierce way right now. Having been back in the States for three months now, I've thought quite a bit about what I really miss about life in Nishi-Akashi. These aren't in any particular order:
* Feeling like I was completely safe walking home in the dark at 1:30am.
* Hanging my clothes outside to dry without the neighbors or landlord complaining. And the smell of sun-dried clothes.
* The attentiveness to the seasons - We have four seasons here, but being in Japan made me appreciate them more.
* My organic vegetable garden and all the fresh herbs and veggies not available in the supermarkets I was growing.
* Hanami (cherry blossom viewing) picnics at Akashi castle
* Summer fireworks festivals (different from the 4th of July).
* Warm summers - The humidity usually didn't bother me.
* Great snow and excellent ski-resorts which are inexpensive and have hot-spring spas, only a few hours away by bus
* The transportation system-You can get practically anywhere without having to rely on an automobile. - Going to the seaside after work? No worries as only 5 minutes walk from nearby station to pleasant beach with great view of the Akashi bridge (the bridge has the longest central span of any suspension bridge in the world). - Going out with some friends in the city? No worries as the trains from Sannomiya leave until 1am (or 12:30am from Osaka). - I absolutely hate staying in hotels but with the Shinkansen train station only 10 mins walk, I took a full day trip nearly every Saturday. Day trips to places like Kyushu in the west and Tokyo in the east. Even took a day trip to climb Mt Fuji.
* The antique market in Sumadera temple on the first Sunday of every month.
* All the varied restaurants in walking distance of home - Okonomiyaki at the little family-owned place I'd always get it from. Best I've ever had in Japan. - Bowl of steaming hot noodles delivered to my home when I was too tired to go out (just left the bowl outside my door and they picked it up later that night) - Green's K all-you-can-eat lunch or dinner for only 770yen (sushi, tempura, curry, yakisoba, stew, salads, etc, and for dessert make your own crepes at your table with ice cream, fruit and other fillings)
* Consistently quality service - In the States, you gotta pay out the nose to be treated OK. In Japan, you pay a bit more for everything, but always get decent, polite service without having to worry about tipping. In Akashi, the shopkeepers were always slipping free extras into my bag when they realized I was a regular customer.
* seeing people generally work very hard and take pride in what they are doing, even if it means sweeping floors or cleaning up the street in front of their home.
But what I miss the most is my peaceful home in Nishi-Akashi.
Both my parents worked long hours and as an only child I grew up loving the quiet of being home alone. When I first moved to Japan I lived in the apartment provided by the company. I hated students and other teachers constantly dropping by. Japanese people in the cities always entertain at restaurants and rarely visit friends' homes, but as I was a gaijin they thought it was OK. When I moved to Nishi-Akashi I kept my address secret, even from my Japanese boyfriend (which was good as after I broke up with him, he became a stalker at my workplace for a few weeks). Now I'm back in the States I have to put up with my parents' neighbors stopping in to see how I'm doing at all hours and then oversharing their lives. In Japan I loved hanging out with my many friends, and that my environment was constantly challenging me, but it was heaven to come home alone at the end of the day to my oasis in Nishi-Akashi.
Sarah Jane
In April her parents were victims in a really bad car accident. She had just returned from a trip to visit them in March before starting the new highly paid job I had set up for her (the new school year starts in April in Japan).
Sarah says she will continue paying rent until I find someone nice to move in. She is organizing with an international moving company to pick up and ship all her belongings to her.
She asked me to post this for the next person to live in her home:
I'm missing Japan in a fierce way right now. Having been back in the States for three months now, I've thought quite a bit about what I really miss about life in Nishi-Akashi. These aren't in any particular order:
* Feeling like I was completely safe walking home in the dark at 1:30am.
* Hanging my clothes outside to dry without the neighbors or landlord complaining. And the smell of sun-dried clothes.
* The attentiveness to the seasons - We have four seasons here, but being in Japan made me appreciate them more.
* My organic vegetable garden and all the fresh herbs and veggies not available in the supermarkets I was growing.
* Hanami (cherry blossom viewing) picnics at Akashi castle
* Summer fireworks festivals (different from the 4th of July).
* Warm summers - The humidity usually didn't bother me.
* Great snow and excellent ski-resorts which are inexpensive and have hot-spring spas, only a few hours away by bus
* The transportation system-You can get practically anywhere without having to rely on an automobile. - Going to the seaside after work? No worries as only 5 minutes walk from nearby station to pleasant beach with great view of the Akashi bridge (the bridge has the longest central span of any suspension bridge in the world). - Going out with some friends in the city? No worries as the trains from Sannomiya leave until 1am (or 12:30am from Osaka). - I absolutely hate staying in hotels but with the Shinkansen train station only 10 mins walk, I took a full day trip nearly every Saturday. Day trips to places like Kyushu in the west and Tokyo in the east. Even took a day trip to climb Mt Fuji.
* The antique market in Sumadera temple on the first Sunday of every month.
* All the varied restaurants in walking distance of home - Okonomiyaki at the little family-owned place I'd always get it from. Best I've ever had in Japan. - Bowl of steaming hot noodles delivered to my home when I was too tired to go out (just left the bowl outside my door and they picked it up later that night) - Green's K all-you-can-eat lunch or dinner for only 770yen (sushi, tempura, curry, yakisoba, stew, salads, etc, and for dessert make your own crepes at your table with ice cream, fruit and other fillings)
* Consistently quality service - In the States, you gotta pay out the nose to be treated OK. In Japan, you pay a bit more for everything, but always get decent, polite service without having to worry about tipping. In Akashi, the shopkeepers were always slipping free extras into my bag when they realized I was a regular customer.
* seeing people generally work very hard and take pride in what they are doing, even if it means sweeping floors or cleaning up the street in front of their home.
But what I miss the most is my peaceful home in Nishi-Akashi.
Both my parents worked long hours and as an only child I grew up loving the quiet of being home alone. When I first moved to Japan I lived in the apartment provided by the company. I hated students and other teachers constantly dropping by. Japanese people in the cities always entertain at restaurants and rarely visit friends' homes, but as I was a gaijin they thought it was OK. When I moved to Nishi-Akashi I kept my address secret, even from my Japanese boyfriend (which was good as after I broke up with him, he became a stalker at my workplace for a few weeks). Now I'm back in the States I have to put up with my parents' neighbors stopping in to see how I'm doing at all hours and then oversharing their lives. In Japan I loved hanging out with my many friends, and that my environment was constantly challenging me, but it was heaven to come home alone at the end of the day to my oasis in Nishi-Akashi.
Sarah Jane
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Vacant again Summer 2012
Yay my friend and his new wife are returning to Japan to live! I have missed him while he's been away doing volunteer work.
That also means that all his belongings that have been in storage at my Nishi-Akashi place will go to his new home. So I can sub-let to a quiet person needing a nice place in the Kobe / Akashi / Himeji area. Please read all my posts below to get more details.
That also means that all his belongings that have been in storage at my Nishi-Akashi place will go to his new home. So I can sub-let to a quiet person needing a nice place in the Kobe / Akashi / Himeji area. Please read all my posts below to get more details.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Vacant again Spring 2010
Unfortunately Bill's 3-year teaching contract in Himeji is coming to an end this spring. He has been the perfect tenant.
As our schedules are very different we seldom bump into each other, so to have a chance to chat, we have had to make plans to have dinner a few times a year. He has never had any complaints about the house and said he really doesn't want to have to move. Good luck with your new job, Bill!
Now hopefully I can find another quiet, reliable person to sub-let. v(^_^)v
As our schedules are very different we seldom bump into each other, so to have a chance to chat, we have had to make plans to have dinner a few times a year. He has never had any complaints about the house and said he really doesn't want to have to move. Good luck with your new job, Bill!
Now hopefully I can find another quiet, reliable person to sub-let. v(^_^)v
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Sorry place taken!
Found a really nice guy, who like me, has been in Japan a long time and has many other things in common.
Good luck finding a nice place to live.
Good luck finding a nice place to live.
Friday, March 17, 2006
Photos taken with my old mobile phone when I moved in (bad quality sorry but I do not have a digital camera)
NOT THE BIG FARM-HOUSE ON THE RIGHT :)It is the house 2nd on the left with the upstairs' window shutters closed.
I can't remember what was growing in the field - maybe sweet-potatoes.
I can't remember what was growing in the field - maybe sweet-potatoes.
The kitchen before I got the fridge, 
etc and small bathroom next to it.
In the left photo due to the bright sunlight, it looks dark and through the door the field looks white.
etc and small bathroom next to it.
In the left photo due to the bright sunlight, it looks dark and through the door the field looks white.
Western toilet so you do not need to squat for your 1st chore of the day! Also has a window (which is unusual here) for fresh air circulation.
Monday, March 13, 2006
My first time to write a blog so here goes.....
I used to have my own Eikawa school in Nishi-Akashi but had too many problems with the place I was renting. Then I got work close to where I live in Motomachi so I decided to close the school. Some of the students had become good friends and they begged me to continue an English circle for them and their children. Also at that time my cousin was planning to come to Japan for a year so I rented the house.
The place is a 2-storey semi-detached house in a quiet farming area just 10 minutes walk to JR Nishi-Akashi station -15min to Kobe or Himeji, 38min to Osaka +only 3hrs to Tokyo by shinkansen!
Close to supermarket and shops, cafes, restaurants + 24hour convenience store.
The house has two entrances:
The 1st floor is your 1LDK with small private bathroom
(bedroom is 6 large size tatami mats)
The other entrance goes to the stairs for the 2nd floor (2 rooms and a verandah), which I use about two afternoons/evenings a week. If your relatives or friends visit Japan we can organize these rooms as short-term guest rooms. Of course you can use the verandah whenever I am not there.
It is an unfurnished place as is normal in Japan but I bought light fittings, stove, fridge and basic stuff for my cousin.
Long-term contract(at least 1 year) for quiet single person.
39,500 yen month (No key money but do need a refundable deposit)
Pay for your own utilities/Internet
No pets allowed but maybe if you have an old indoor cat we can find a way to hide it :)
If you are looking for a place you can have home-parties and entertain friends, play loud music and be a typical "gaijin", then this is NOT the place for you :) But if you need a quiet, but really convenient, place to escape to after work then this might be what you are looking for. Being a farming area = lots of free organic veg and of course free fresh air :)
I really do not need a tenant but I have lived in Japan for a long time and I know the challenges of being a foreigner in this confusing country. I like to help people who have similar lifestyles or interests to me so I need to know a little about you please.
please contact me:
*by e-mail:
nippon [[ _ ]] gal [[ at symbol ]] yahoo [[ dot ]] com [[ dot ]] au
*or write to Kayly, Nonoue 2-5-4 #2, Akashi, Japan 673-0017 (I only go there on Wednesdays +Thursdays, so sorry it might take about a week before you hear from me)
The place is a 2-storey semi-detached house in a quiet farming area just 10 minutes walk to JR Nishi-Akashi station -15min to Kobe or Himeji, 38min to Osaka +only 3hrs to Tokyo by shinkansen!
Close to supermarket and shops, cafes, restaurants + 24hour convenience store.
The house has two entrances:
The 1st floor is your 1LDK with small private bathroom
(bedroom is 6 large size tatami mats)
The other entrance goes to the stairs for the 2nd floor (2 rooms and a verandah), which I use about two afternoons/evenings a week. If your relatives or friends visit Japan we can organize these rooms as short-term guest rooms. Of course you can use the verandah whenever I am not there.
It is an unfurnished place as is normal in Japan but I bought light fittings, stove, fridge and basic stuff for my cousin.
Long-term contract(at least 1 year) for quiet single person.
39,500 yen month (No key money but do need a refundable deposit)
Pay for your own utilities/Internet
No pets allowed but maybe if you have an old indoor cat we can find a way to hide it :)
If you are looking for a place you can have home-parties and entertain friends, play loud music and be a typical "gaijin", then this is NOT the place for you :) But if you need a quiet, but really convenient, place to escape to after work then this might be what you are looking for. Being a farming area = lots of free organic veg and of course free fresh air :)
I really do not need a tenant but I have lived in Japan for a long time and I know the challenges of being a foreigner in this confusing country. I like to help people who have similar lifestyles or interests to me so I need to know a little about you please.
please contact me:
*by e-mail:
*or write to Kayly, Nonoue 2-5-4 #2, Akashi, Japan 673-0017 (I only go there on Wednesdays +Thursdays, so sorry it might take about a week before you hear from me)
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