Living part-time, unencumbered, in Japan?

[maraboutslim]

While discussing our future, my wife and I discovered we really have different visions and it's prompting me to rethink my plans for my post-50 life. I'm currently slaving away at a job here in California that I'm quite sick of, because it has a good pension plan and retirement benefits (health care!) that I thought would provide a secure old-age for myself and wife. I come to find out that she's not really expecting me to provide such a thing and plans to return to Japan sooner rather than later and doesn't really plan for me to join her there, at least not until much later in life.

On a financial level, this means I'm able to reduce what I expected to have to provide as far as lifestyle here in California. With her safe and secure in a Yokohama condo, I will be free to live the kind of simple, free, pseudo-nomadic life I've often dreamed of here in California. And this lowered economic requirement means I can retire a lot earlier than I'd originally planned to. Maybe even at age 50, or 55 at the latest. Live on a boat or just go on permanent surf-safari up and down the coast in a VW camper. That's still some years off, but I'm trying to flesh out this plan now, as it will impact the career decisions I make in the very near future.

What's this got to do with Japan? Well, as I have friends and family in Japan and really do enjoy it there, I'm trying to figure out how to spend quite a lot of time there as well, without having to maintain a permanent residence or rely on my wife for anything more than a visa (if i even need one).

Do any of you know people living in Japan in the manner I described planning to do in California? Anyone who just travels around or sails or lives out in the countryside or on a farm or...? Is there any possibility of me pulling this off, being able to somehow enjoy a peaceful, quiet life in Japan on the "cheap"? What would you think a minimum budget would be? Any help with brainstorming this would be appreciated.

[nickels]

That's a good question, and one that I've been mulling over myself for some time now. Ultimately I want to be living for six or more months in one country, and at least a couple in the other.

The one obvious solution would be to start some sort of import-export business that would have you traveling back and forth, though that would be a huge undertaking, especially if you wouldn't otherwise have a desire to do such a business.

One other thing to note is, there are apparently quite a lot of old country houses and pieces of property that people are willing to let go for very low prices, simply because most younger people graduate and then move to the city. So, if you're fine with country life, that would be a cheap option.

Beyond those, I don't have any ideas, but I'd be interested in cooperating on some brainstorming in the future if you're interested.

[Russell]

Do any of you know people living in Japan in the manner I described planning to do in California? Anyone who just travels around or sails or lives out in the countryside or on a farm or...? Is there any possibility of me pulling this off, being able to somehow enjoy a peaceful, quiet life in Japan on the "cheap"? What would you think a minimum budget would be? Any help with brainstorming this would be appreciated.

A decade ago I heard about a couple that lived on a yacht and sailed wherever they wanted to go. At that time that was mostly around Japan. I remember from their blog they had an extended stay in Kyushu where they gave English lessons. Moving around by wind may fit in your hoped-for life style.

Alternatively, if you wish to live in the country side, there are lots of opportunities to go low cost. Houses and land tend to be pretty cheap. I used to check out court-auctioned foreclosures and it was amazing what one could obtain for 10 million Yen. That requires Japanese reading skills, though, so it is not for everyone. Still the alternative route of buying on the market is not necessarily much more expensive. Living there could be very cheap too. Growing your own veggies, fishing, or trapping wild life are all options. I know a guy who was taught by the locals how to trap deers and "inoshishi" and how to process them. Some areas where mostly older people live will be happy to let you grow vegs on their land, since it appears that that gives them tax breaks, and they are often too old to do it themselves. Getting rid of the above-mentioned wild life is also high on their priority list, so that is a high-quality source of free meat.

Do keep in mind, however, that some communities in Japan are quite unwelcoming to outsiders, whether they be foreigners or Japanese (some places in Nara prefecture come to mind), but the opposite is also true for some places, because that is the only way to survive as a community. To find the right place where to fit in will require extensive traveling, but it is quite fun to meet with some amazing people that are out there.

Good luck!

[McTojo]

While discussing our future, my wife and I discovered we really have different visions and it's prompting me to rethink my plans for my post-50 life. I'm currently slaving away at a job here in California that I'm quite sick of, because it has a good pension plan and retirement benefits (health care!) that I thought would provide a secure old-age for myself and wife.
[color="Pink"]...<big snip by Taro>...[/color]
Is there any possibility of me pulling this off, being able to somehow enjoy a peaceful, quiet life in Japan on the "cheap"? What would you think a minimum budget would be? Any help with brainstorming this would be appreciated.

What is retirement anyway? You gotta be crazy to be thinking about retiring. There's never enough money to do what you want to do, and living on a low budget is not all what it's cracked up to be, either. Sounds good in your head only. The older you get the more you spend because you are less busy, more idle, and that much closer to being senile. You should work until you die. End of story.

[matsuki]

What is retirement anyway? You gotta be crazy to be thinking about retiring. There's never enough money to do what you want to do, and living on a low budget is not all what it's cracked up to be, either. Sounds good in your head only. The older you get the more you spend because you are less busy, more idle, and that much closer to being senile. You should work until you die. End of story.

So the "We Japanese" salaryman OS has finally been fully integrated on a foreign model. It would only be more ironic if his boss's name is Masa

[maraboutslim]

Nickels, cool - let's figure this out! And thanks for the info Russell. Having a piece of property with some small farming or hunting ability would be nice. It might be more than I'm looking to do though since I do plan to split my life between California and Japan. Back when I lived in Japan (the 90s), I never really spent much time in the countryside so I don't really know what to expect.

The ultimate for me would to be able to stay near the coast so I can surf. My Japanese is good and I'm not without a support system of friends/relatives scattered around the country so I guess I could just start wandering about and talking to surfers and maybe stumble into a low-cost living situation or meet other travelers and gather advice. There is always the condo in yokohama as a base. The bummer about splitting between Japan and Northern California is that the best would be to spend fall and spring in japan and winter and summer in california. But two flights a year would be too much I think. (though it would eliminate the visa necessity).

If you guys stumble across any interesting websites/blogs or meet anyone living wild and free, please come back here to post about it.

[Coligny]

I never really spent much time in the countryside so I don't really know what to expect.

Boredom...

A LOT OF BOREDOM...

And if you choose Hokkaido... Fooking bears, Foxes and rabid locals...

The ultimate for me would to be able to stay near the coast so I can surf.

You should sooo come to Toyohashi... we have them kick ass beaches... (no serious, the surf beaches and the impossible to tally number of kouen are 2 stuffz wezza famous for... -and the boredom also... but you'd have hard time finding a city with so many active old people... somedays it feels like everybody is doing cocaine)

[maraboutslim]

I think I'm the sort who can happily lead a boring life of surfing, reading, writing, running, and finishing it all off by drinking. Just spent an hour looking into Toyohashi - looks great!

One major part of my mobile life plans in California is a membership to a chain gym such as 24-hour fitness. They have hundreds of locations up and down the coast so I will always have access to workout facilities and hot showers! In Japan I suspect the public fitness centers would be a good substitute? I know there were lot in the kanto region and it was only like Y300 to use the pool or gym and showers and whatnot. How about in more rural coastal areas? Anything like that out there? (Are there still a lot of sento around or are they dying out?)

[Coligny]

We got actos gym clubs...

The good thing is we are on the main shinkansen line (not all train stop here but...) so it's easy to jump in for Tokyo or Nagoya/Osaka... Highway is a bit far... but TIJ... the train get you in Tokyo in 2 hours... the car... prepare to be patient...

[Taro Toporific]

...I know there were lot in the kanto region and it was only like Y300 to use the pool or gym and showers and whatnot. How about in more rural coastal areas? Anything like that out there? (Are there still a lot of sento around or are they dying out?)

Hmmm, livin' as a nomadic Dharma Bum surfing the Pacific coast of Japan and camping in your Shaggin' Wagon is doable, but I found a few problems...

In rural coastal areas, sento and/or public gyms are available every 15km or so (except when you really need them).

Local surfers generally welcome gaijin as a novelty (no gang wars unlike Calif.), but the fuckque-wad Japanese fishermen are insanely territorial.

The right of beach access is a pain in Japan and the eco-terrorist fishermen think they own the public access points.

Beach parking is random---Even with a handicapped plate I have received parking tickets (10-20,000yen) at deserted beaches in the middle of nowhere bumfuck rural Japan.

Gas is expensive, especially for a larger Shaggin' Wagon.

The water is radioactive!

However, beach bum life Japan does have a few positive points...

There's almost no beach crime (except rampant littering) or vehicle robberies.

Local surfers often have "secret" natural hot springs rotenburu where you can wash up for free with their naked girlfriends.

[floatr][/floatr]There an entire subculture of old guys who live at the beach with their fishing pole pretending to be sport fishermen (but who are actually homeless). Join/offer them a FUKUCUP cup sake for breakfast and they'll tell you where the free/cheap shower or sento is.

[color="Silver"]<--Omae Mona's is buyin'![/color]

[maraboutslim]

Nice. Just my style. I got along well with all the surfers I met back in the day so hopefully things will go smoothly when I'm there as an old timer. The whole vehicle thing is going to be an issue: how to acquire one (if i use the yokohama address, don't i have to prove i have a parking space for it?), where to leave it when I go back to california each time, and so on. Maybe our more rural relatives can hook me up.

[Taro Toporific]

... The whole vehicle thing is going to be an issue: how to acquire one (if i use the yokohama address, don't i have to prove i have a parking space for it?), where to leave it when I go back to california each time, and so on.

Yes, you have to prove you have a parking space for a Yokohama vehicle. But all you have to do is get a short (or easily cancelable) parking lot lease. When you get the lease, you honestly say that you may end up "working" in a different city than Yokohama and you might have to cancel. Be up front about it to the rental agent and they will understand since "employment" locations[color="Silver"] (or being a surf bum)[/color] often change in Japan.
You only need a parking lot lease to register your vehicle in Yokohama (actually most of Kanto)---Once registered, you don't need to continue the lease until you need to renew your shaken (3yrs).

Maybe our more rural relatives can hook me up.

Ideally you should register your vehicle at a rural relative's address and arrange cheap long term storage/parking in a rural location where the price will be less than 3,000yen/month (rather than paying 12-20,000 yen/month in Yokohama).

[IparryU]

this thread has inspired me to get old, kick the kids out, ditch my wife, and become a hippy...

I never thought I would say that I want to be like Greji... NOW!

[Greji]

this thread has inspired me to get old, kick the kids out, ditch my wife, and become a hippy...

I never thought I would say that I want to be like Greji... NOW!

Welcome aboard.....