Starting with a special gift from Benton Homestead (guesthouse and more in the inland sea, Setouchi area, Ehime prefecture nearby us kinda, in Japan), make my medicinal tea while talking about hospitals, passings of loved ones abroad, recent visitors and unique itineraries… all to connect dots about the ups and downs of living in Japan
Especially in this case the wonderful work that Dani and Evan do to share a model of how to create a sustainable, multi-channel business in Japan.
Ergo: much more than just ‘throwing money’ at your idea (like many Internet hucksters will tell you), doing a biz *properly* means community connections, collaborations and participation, mundane things like thoughtful (and often expensive) disposal, creating multiple income streams, loads of paperwork – both for business purposes and immigration purposes
And recently the Japan government has “moved the goal posts” requiring creative adaptation and diligence to one’s purpose. In other words: your dreams might very well be possible but requires, creativity and yes a lot of hard work
While I haven’t been able to visit their guest house (i mostly hang out at hospitals in preschools), i really encourage folks to stop by when they’re on the majestic cycling course or otherwise traveling through the spectacular inland sea / Setouchi area, and stop and spend a few days visiting the local scenes and restaurants to see how communities reinvigorate by working together
Plus if you’re really actually curious about moving to Japan (and this is pointed at all you folks who sent me those messages about “wow I heard you can buy a house for five dollars in Japan, does it come with free sushi?”) to watch their frequent live chats in which they break down the nuances of business down to the single yen with charming talk talk about how they sell records and knickknacks, organize all the stuff they accumulate that comes with the houses, how they dispose of it, build beehives, make salsa to sell at farmers market while also welcoming guests, figuring out the best channels to promote and book their accommodations, and how to really tailor to travelers’ needs, keep reviews positive and (again) elegantly stick-handle through all the paperwork (yes Gertrude, the paperwork is all in Japanese). It’s not for the timid but my goodness, I’m here forever so that tells you something, doesn’t it?
Then there’s more stories about our recent 18-year-old traveler circling around the inland sea area (even meeting a girlfriend along the way :-))
…and the gifts that came from his family in SLC, Utah (near where my dear auntie was laid to rest near my mom, detailed in another video ), including postcards from Ken Sanders’ rare books (and of course there’s a backstory to this antiquarian legend from cosmic aeroplane on forward) and the highly-collectible 1987 calendar from Edward Abbey’s legendary book “the monkeywrench gang” illustrated by R. Crumb!
This book has so much backstory to me and my original “Uncle Weed’s Red Rock Adventure” book (which I really need to get out there for people to buy/see but you know I’m busy folding laundry and washing dishes)
More talk of outgoing letters to legends like Gary Snyder, John K Sampson, Nick Bantock and the folks at arts Island center on Naoshima, plus maybe I remember to mention wife’s band rehearsal (now with more cello), wrangling playful kids, upcoming sweet potato harvesting times, coffee from Logan’s Straw Ibis, apple pie chai tea…
I’m not sure even mentioned how the freezer broke in the midst of all of this and my goodness i’m just so tired and because of the stitches (did I mention the whole part about the surgery being much more intense than I thought because I’m a sensitive boy?), and how i’m unable to relax in the bath and have even more difficulty sleeping but well here I am to tell you these things. so we go on…
