At first I thought this video might be 30 minutes.... Now it's an hour long video for those who are seriously thinking about visiting or living in Kofu, Tottori. Take the "Thinking about going to Kofu" survey forms.gle/4FEUGmUPT3B4qUyd7 Join the Unofficial English Kofu Discord to discuss Kofu and get the Unofficial Guide discord.gg/cujp8FFb4b
As a long-term foreign resident of a small town in Japan, my own experience is that people are quite welcoming as long as you make an effort to integrate into the community. This includes joining volunteer duties, local events, and local committees - to the best of your ability. No one cares whether you’ve mastered polite-form Japanese or follow cultural norms perfectly (not even all local people can manage this!). The point is putting in the time and effort. It’s not always easy, but overall my own experience has been great.
@ yeah I’ve heard all of this, but it hasn’t been my personal experience. Sure, in-group-out-group bias is a thing (it is everywhere). But it’s really just a matter of continuing a shared activity until you become part of the group. It will happen eventually. And it doesn’t have to be limited to community weeding or the local fire brigade. Join a taiko drum group, hiking club, or classes at a local community center like cooking or karate or something. (Or if you have kids, join PTA, etc.). I know, we don’t all have unlimited free time… But if it’s important to you, this is what works. From my experience. 頑張って！
@@monicapetitebonita218 socializing doesn’t have to be a constant, full-on thing. Just be polite, and join scheduled local activities when you can. You can step up when you’re ready to.
@@Benisbucker In Japan, if you want to "just live there and do your own thing" you are better off moving to a large city. At least in the experience of my in-group.
Wow… I didn’t expect that my mom’s hometown (She’s from Kofu, Tottori!!!) gets much attention from foreigners… Thank you!!!! Arigato!!!!!! I have visited every spot they mentioned!!! It reminds me of my childhood!!!
We moved to our current town (~11k people, half of pre-tsunami numbers) and everyone has been very welcoming. I do speak passable Japanese, which helps things (though some Miyagiben is difficult, even for my wife who grew up in Tohoku, but everyone is super chill and helpful). I definitely love it as someone who just filed paperwork to start his own company to sell what I grow in the coming year. A few things jump out to me: If you don't like talking to people, the countryisde isn't necessarily the best for you. We have shared responsibility for mowing where we meet at 6am a few times in the summer, and cleaning our han's community center others. We also have various events. You may also get invited to funerals (well, viewings, I think might be the word I would use in US English) for people in your han. All of the events, meetings, etc. come to us by kairanban, a hand-passed bag with a binder where each takes it to the next house. The hancho (the head honcho, as it were) rotates yearly and is responsible for gathering that and managing things. For renovations, even something like changing a light switch out technically requires a licensed electrician. Not doing so could invalidate the insurance in the event of fire and possibly hold more penalties (I've never researched it, but imagine if a mistake caused several houses to burn!) I'm not sure of all the rules around things, but it's definitely something to think about; Japan may be much more strict than wherever you may be from. If you're from somewhere with central heat and AC, you might want to build a tightly-enveloped house with good insulation. This is much more expensive and not popular here. Because of Japan's humidity and mold, you have to get really good ventilation or else the mold will find you and take over. Even in our house (built in the late '90s) with somewhat better-than-average insulation and designed to have constant airflow, we really have to keep dehumidifiers going in multiple rooms much of the year. When we rebuild, I do plan on doing a passivhaus-standard house with mechanical ventilation, but just be careful with that. If you do decide to keep it more Japanese-style (breathable), be aware of which wallpaper or plaster you use. Also, as evidenced by the tanks attached to the houses, many places will have propane rather than city gas with propane being more expensive and also requiring contracts. Our in-laws have a kerosene tank and wall-mounted kerosene heaters. Wastewater is another thing. Some of those places may have pit toilets that require pumping. In Kofu, maybe there is a sewer system that can be connected to in some places, but that's not universal. We have a septic tank, but that may not be possible in some places. Our septic tank requires yearly certification from the government (about 12,000 yen) and a yearly maintenance contract (rates vary). As mentioned, places with farmland require special handling. I went through the process to get approved (required before I could get the mortgage) and it was pretty painless all-in-all. This is a fairly Japanese-intensive process. I've heard how strict and insular the group is can vary based on location, but our farming committee was lovely and happy to have people coming to grow on unused land. The tax, pension, insurance, and other stuff can also be tricky for those that don't know Japanese (for your hard-mode side), and some things aren't super clear even if you do (though staff everywhere have been patient and helpful with us). I wouldn't change having bought a house in the countryside for the world; we love it here! Just thought I'd chime in as briefly as I could with some thoughts and gotchyas.
Hey, thanks for putting all the effort into this video. Your efforts were worth it. As I'm getting older, I'm looking for a place that I could move to and actually make a difference that is just beyond contributing to a local economy. While I don't think Kofu is the right place, it gave me ideas on the challenges and rewards I will encounter better than any leaflet or document could provide. Thank you for your amazing work.
@@earlysda I don't sadly, I'm currently not in a position to apply for those. I'm almost done with school and will be looking to visas and making a point of learning the language properly. (Doing Duo lingo right now 1000+ day streak) I currently can pick up a few phrases from this video as it stands.
@@Matt-Hazel That's great! I'm currently doing Duolingo Vietnamese, but just started this month. . I've been in Japan almost 3 decades, but not consecutively, so haven't been able to get a permanent visa. The govt. is making rules stricter and stricter, so I'll never be able to get it. . Unless you are like a doctor or something, probably your only real paths to a PR is to get married to a Japanese, start a business, or work for a Japanese company. . If you have any questions about life in Japan, I'll be glad to give some insights. 頑張って！
Very well thought out and filmed video, as usual! Great questions. I hope that the town will only get quality people showing interest. I feel like there is a good double filter of people. One, your character and style of video has probably filtered your subscribers to be mostly full of good respectful folks. Two, the town not sponsoring visas right now is probably a good thing. You did a good job being realistic, which just like that lady you interviewed, I appreciate the honesty. Loved Akko's lost shoe and slide back down lol
Greg, what a pleasure it is to watch your videos with Akko. You have a great gift for story telling and you explain things methodically, genuinely and with great intent and passion. Thank you 🙏.
I am one of those who watched till the end. I wasn't sure when I saw that it was more than an hour long but I am glad I did watch it. I have no plans to come to stay or even to visit Kofu, but watching this video gave a foreigner like me a better understanding of life as well as how things work in rural Japan. This video is interesting and way better made than those produced by large established media companies. Well done and thank you.
If it's like my life in Kuzumaki (population of about 5000) in Iwate then yes. You can totally live in a small rural town with no other foreigners. It can be difficult at first and you'll DEFINITELY need to get that Japanese up. But the town (if it's like the one I lived in) can be very helpful and willing to work with you. Just make sure to do your best to learn the culture and remember you're the outsider. It's not up to them to accommodate you. You're the one that has to adapt.
Yeah, I've always felt this. If you're trying your best to learn the culture and fit in, I've seen it work. And although I'm not living in a small town in Japan, I've personally experienced it myself with my children's school and people around the community. If you're really independent though, I think you're better off in a big city, where you're able to better keep to yourself.
I know lots of Japanese speaking people that would move to towns like Kofu (N1 certified). Unfortunately, given the visa requirements for long-term stay in Japan, the type of people it attracts are not those that would move to small towns with Japanese language skills. People like me, who don't speak Japanese nor follow Japanese customs, get fast tracked (the types of jobs we take are management, finance, software, etc. - largely based in Tokyo) while people who love Japanese culture and possess N1 certifications who have regular jobs (say they manage a small online business that grosses USD30-40k/yr) are not going to qualify for long-term Japanese visas. If the Japanese government wants to revitalize small towns, reforming their visas is the way to start. It's incredibly easy for them to find people that would move to smaller towns in Japan - just advertise to N1(maybe N2/N3) holders.
That is my fear, I have a business that is basically location independent (making digital and physical products) but I cannot risk being forced to move out after 6 months or so just because I don’t have the visa. I had made it in Germany with minimal German language proficiency, I am sure I could make it in Japan too. Especially that I love the Japanese culture and German… not so much
Japan is already reforming part of their visa programs. At least, their Startup Visas program is being uplifted so that foreigners can start a business anywhere in Japan, rather than in a few select prefectures like it has been for a while. Obviously, a Startup Visa is not going to be long-term (however, they did extend the amount of time you have have one from 1 year to 2 years), but it can be a good transitionary Visa while you're looking for other opportunities or if you intend to open up a small business long-term, even in the countryside.
Hit the nail on the head. Visa reform is absolutely necessary in Japan. There have been some new ones introduced recently, which is a start, but it can still be insanely difficult to stay in Japan long-term. The current system only seems to reward those who work in tech/management or who have buckets of money, which, I get, but there are a lot of regular folks (including, like you said, many who have advanced Japanese language proficiency), who love Japan and would jump at an opportunity like this but can't because of visas. It really goes beyond this issue though. If Japan wants to remain competitive and attract foreign talent (which it claims to want to do), then make it easier for people to actually build a secure life here.
Yep, I'd love to move to a place like this. I can, and do, work remote for the UK and would move to a place like this to in a flash. However, the Japanese government would make that impossible with their visa rules. To get the digital nomad visa you have to earn $65k (£52k) a year and have $1m in assets and that only lets you stay for 6 months? It's just not worth it for 6 months. It should a min be 12 months and be easy to renew yearly. What rural community wouldn't want many people spending 40-65k a year localy that doesn't take away jobs from locals? The one issue I could see is due to the min wage being quite high, almost 50% more than the national average, it could cause unwelcome inflation in rural areas. As stated in the video there is no work in Kofu and a requirement of any longer visa will require you to work for a Japanese company that sponsers said visa. In the end this makes it impossible for most people that don't have permanant residency. A shame really, I would move to a place like this buy and renovate a nice house, get involved with events and spend money boosting the local economy, but cannot.
Kofu has all the makings of being a language and immersion school, in return for volunteer work such as teaching English or town labor such as preparing for holidays. especially if the Kofu government helped to sponsor student/cultural visas for up to 1 year. Any abandoned home that could be cleaned up and deemed liveable to pay rent could help to pay for back taxes and future renovation.
At first I thought an hour plus might be too long,, but the video was so engaging I still wanted more. It is really nice to see the follow-up--something that js rare. Well done, Greg!
This was an exhaustive video, very thorough. I lived in Japan for two years and towards the end of my stay I felt resentful that Japanese people cared about me as a foreigner not a person. Anyway I married a Japanese woman who is great. We are going to retire in Japan. Japan does have a population challenge. They need people. I like how deep you went in this video. Living in rural Japan sure has its cultural norms and ways people live together.
It's so nice to see that you have done some of the research. If I can visit Japan, I will be there for 2 to 4 weeks and will need a place to stay in various areas. I love your sister-in-law. She asks the best questions and sometimes does the funniest things. It had me ROTF watching her in the BMX track! Thank you guys for the tour and the information. I always look forward to your videos.
I always go to that ski resort! I love the route going there. Very scenic, the mountains, trees, sound of birds and animals, etc. There's also a route around the mountain with views of Tottori and other mountains!
Thanks for this Greg & Akko. The level of detail was amazing. As aJapan lover, japanese cafe owner in australia, and frequent visitor to japa, you explained soooo many little nuances i had never heard before.!
Just wanted to say I love whenever there's a new video from your channel. There's something incredibly soothing about your presentation and the amount of work you put into is very apparent. Thank you so much for your work!
Hi Greg, Thank you so much for this interesting film! I studied japanology at university and participated in a research project on rural revitalization in Japan. Your film resonated greatly with what we discovered during our research, and your portrait of all the complexity of a small town in Japan in relation to visitors, migrants, house renovation, innovation and much more was very accurate and interesting. Thanks again!
One thing you should mention. You cannot work on a tourist visa in Japan. You must have a non-tourist visa to perform any work, including volunteer. A lot of people seem to think working for free is fine, it is not.
Yeah, this would be a good to cover if I can talk with an immigration lawyer. I honestly think you'd could make an hour long video just going through the different types of visas, and that probably still wouldn't be enough time to really cover all the nuances.
What If work remotely? On my laptop? Well technically I don't need to work under any japanese company, so can I stay in kofu for 3 months(tourist visa) while working on my laptop?
@@therandomguy8160so legally no you would need a nomad visa(Remote work Visa ) to “legally work” in Japan it’s up to you if you would want to risk deportation or heavy fines if you are cought working illegally. 🤷
Working Holiday Visa is a thing in some countries (sadly I think not for the US), but the catch is it’s only valid until you’re 30 years of age. I’m 27, I wanted to use it when I was 22 but well, pandemic happened. I can only imagine how annoyed people who hit 30 during that must have been.
@@LifeWhereImFrom Please introduce us to a good immigration lawyer😅 planning to move there next year and seems there are a lot of recent changes, which actually make it easier to move to Japan!
Amazing video! I really wish I could move to a place like Kofu. Canada is beautiful, but after fifteen years here I really wish I could experience that type of slower life. Maybe one day. In the meantime, I'll continue to dream. Thank you so much for all your hard work you two! ❤
Kofu is my goal. Literally why I'm finishing my BA and willing to work as an English Teacher. I don't care if I end up as an 80 year old solo farmer with no family. This town is a goal for me. I practice Japanese every day.
Good luck! My mom is from this town (for sure) and she has shared me many pros and cons so far. All I can say is, for living in this area as foreigners (gaikoku jin), you need the skill of communication, language and driving, I would say. That’s just my opinion tho. Anyways, good luck!! Gambatte!!
Mate, you guys have outdone yourselves!!! Great video! This could be a series in different places. Get the foreign volunteers and film their journey. This could revamp the towns economy!
Many years ago, I lived for 6 months in Kurayoshi, which is also in Tottori Prefecture, about 1 hour away from Kofu. Of all the places I have lived and visited in Japan, I love the Sannin Chiho (山陰地方) the most.
Thank you for all your effort on this video. It is very informative and will be very helpful to us that are interested in the small town life of japan. Thank you very much.
Excellent vid. I found the part about covenant (or neighborhood) rules within the same town really interesting. You’re absolutely right, you can not generalize. The mayor also mentioned a “communal” style of living, I never thought of it that way. Great material. Thanks for covering this topic.
I had a similar experience living in Kutchan town, Hokkaido, for about a year. It was an eye-opening experience for me. Communicating in simple Japanese helped me a long way to find out the local rules. It did help me become more accepted by the locals.
My family moved into a small, mountain farming village in northern Saga. I don't really speak Japanese, and can only understand a small amount. However, nearly all of the locals have been extremely welcoming and seem to really enjoy having me at the village meetings. It's very important that our family participate in the various village tasks, and that we take care of our land. Provided that we do this, everyone is very happy to have us there.
OMG I LOVE Akko-san. Watching her giggle as she slid down the BMX slope....*sigh*. Made my day. Put a smile in my heart. And I really appreciate the hard work you put into this deep dive into the practicalities of moving to a small town in Japan.
Well, I've lived in Japan for 25 years, the past eight years in a smallish fishing village along the Japan Sea coast. I have yet to experience any of the negatives mentioned in so many of those "should you move to...?" or "why you shouldn't move to..." videos (by both Japanese and non-Japanese). In fact, if you're willing to learn (the language, customs, manners, etc.), are ready to adapt to the place and its people, and are prepared to make your destination a permanent home, I highly recommend rural life in Japan. That said, choosing your location carefully is important, as indeed, not all rural towns are equally hospitable and welcoming. Do your research! (Conceivably, you could end up moving somewhere where the accents are so thick, even a native Japanese speaker would have trouble communicating as a member of the community.)
I literally almost always go there 1-2x a week just to ride my motorbike. Summer, Winter, don't care! It's so beautiful I always ride there from Okayama :)
I really enjoy this long form format with a deep dive into this topic. Most living abroad videos are very superficial and unrealistic. Moving to Japan, or even visiting, is not possible for me, but I really enjoy the culture and people. Thanks!
Hi Greg! You can buy a bike without a residence card, but registering the bike without a permanent address may be a little awkward. Out in the inaka, they may care less about this than they did in my neighborhood in Osaka, though. :)
you answered the question immediately and respected my time. immediate thumbs up. now I want to hear you elaborate and see pretty pictures. more videos should be like this.
I have a question... For people who are travelling in campervans I know that michi no ekis are an absolute godsend. Is there anywhere in town to access bathing facilities?
Lol Tokyo and Osaka are already too crowded with just locals. And anyway you probably can't even tell on sight (before listening to what language they speak) who are locals and who are tourists lol. Most of them come from Taiwan, China, S. Korea, or SEA and they often look fairly similar to us.
@@tobbythecat So are you the only foreigner on that island with 200 population? 👀 I'm now living in Fukui, a very rural region, and there's apparently no foreigner in my neighborhood either.
I've had a couple, I think, sponsored videos by JNTO or the ministry of cultural affairs in the past, but this video has no sponsor but my Patreon supporters.
Not gonna lie, Kofu looks like a dream place for me to live. I would do my best to fit in and learn Japanese as fast as possible. The only issue is getting the visa to permanently stay 😅
@@IISocratesII maybe its £75 for you but the prices are different all over the world, and most people are happy to spend £75 for having fast internet in the middle of nowhere
I would love to live in a small japanese city as someone who loves nature. I find japanese nature very lovely and would do pretty much anything to stay and work taking care of nature in Japan. I wouldn't mind never going to tokyo either. Sadly visa and not having good enough education is a hard no to my dreams for now. I'm hoping it gets easier to stay in Japan in the coming years. I have heard Their mental health care is also kind of bad, so my ad/hd and autism might give me more issues. I also love these kinds of videos, because there are a lot of people in the comments telling about their stories around Japan. It was cool to know your first video about this place was so successful. All the best to you and to people thinking of living or visiting Japan.
❤❤❤. Thanks you for this. I’ve always wanted to visit Japan, but my apprehension is where to stay … with that scenery and environment as opposed to the very busy city.
this is an incredible video and I'm incredibly interested in a video about Visa help from an immigration lawyer of you could set that up I want to visit Kofu a bunch now that I see how charming it is. I hope you can also make it out to Yusuhara since they too are quite a small population but with grand ideas and structures
Oh my gosh. I am from Tottori city. Tottori is real a country side. It hasn’t had the population growth for a long time, and their economy not that great. I think people wouldn’t mind people moving there if that will result in more revenue. I feel if you can’t speak or understand Japanese, the quality of life for enjoyment will be limited. Also the culture if different. For example, I moved to US after high school. When I went back to visit family and went to gym, I didn’t know I have to have an indoor workout shoes! My sister in law told me I have to bring indoor shoes. I might have offended people without knowing because I am doing what is acceptable in US, but not in Japan. As for traveling with train, please know that there is no place to put your suitcase. I went back by landing in Osaka, and taking train, it was a hassle. Driving to me is scary. The streets are narrower and opposite side. The food is great though. We had abundant of crabs in winter while growing up. And they have the delicious 21st century pear. Many different hot springs. The neighbors always helped each other. My brother always find some artsy events to go and join.
Great video. Thanks to this video I finally got on the trail of the right resource to finally answer if I can go to Japan without a job. I think I can get a "Designated activities (Long Stay for sightseeing and recreation)" visa for 6 months (and renewed to 12 months) and in that time assess if I think I can get a suitable business going for an "Investor/Business Manager Visa". Mostly it should give me time to get a basic Japanese level and see some of the countryside. The only thing I'm not sure about still is if I can just keep renewing the "Designated activities (Long Stay for sightseeing and recreation)" visa as long as I still have 30M yen, or if I would need to leave and re-apply? But that should buy me 6-12 months to sort it out anyway.
Such a crazy thing to imagine 90-year-olds working.... But it is proven that keeping busy keeps you mentally, emotionally, and physically fit. And they are sharper, more mobile, and more vital than many 70-year-olds here in America.
This was fascinating. Well done, Greg. I think most foreigners who would be interested in relocating and have done/willing to do the language study are also be the type of people who don't want breach the local etiquette; it's just how they're wired. The local mayors could facilitate things by getting these regulations/by-laws/oral traditions written and published online, even in Japanese. With all the community-minded elders who like to volunteer, that's hundreds of years of collective wisdom - they could be put this together quickly. This way interested outsiders could learn about many communities, filter out those that are not a good fit, and spend their time checking out those that are. Such an endeavour would certainly help non-local Japanese as well. And, let's face it, the numbers of interested foreigners are likely dwarfed by Japanese. A village that will thrive is one that entices Japanese, especially those with children or intending to have some. Once the population begins to rebound, then the amenities such as shops, restaurants, etc are set up by entrepreneurs. A directory of local trades people would also be useful, especially if they are willing to use text messaging and understand that some of the messages they receive are in unorthodox Japanese. Plumbers, electricians, tatami mat makers/sellers, carpenters, roofers, housing inspectors, etc. If any are willing to take on apprentices to pass on all those years of know-how, that could be mentioned. In almost every video I see of people hiring trades people, I find all these fellas are at least 60 years old.
For the published covenants, I'm kind of doubtful they'd do it for all the communities, even in Japanese. But, the NPO, Kofu no Tayori, they do that job of taking newcomers to different places and trying to get them a good fit into a community. They know the areas and what could work for one person or family, but not another. For the local trades, yeah, that would be good to know. I kind of tried to do a bit of this that was tourist focused.
57:21 this woman’s annunciation is top notch. I dont speak Japanese but I am learning and even though i don’t understand the vast majority of what she is saying I can hear everything she is saying if you follow.
As Japanese I can tell you that we just don't speak English well (especially speaking). I can't come up with the idea of rejecting someone just because they don't speak Japanese. Is it common in other countries to discriminate against people who do not speak their native language? (thank you deepl translate)
At first I thought this video might be 30 minutes.... Now it's an hour long video for those who are seriously thinking about visiting or living in Kofu, Tottori. Take the "Thinking about going to Kofu" survey forms.gle/4FEUGmUPT3B4qUyd7 Join the Unofficial English Kofu Discord to discuss Kofu and get the Unofficial Guide discord.gg/cujp8FFb4b
i am sorry the discord link is said invalid
@@PipylalaDharmahusada Weird, I just clicked on it and it worked....
I love your videos, pls post more often.
GREG M8 I'M STILL WAITING FOR YOUR 2000's JAPAN TRIP VIDEO😭😭. Great vid as always 🥰🥰
I say do it!
As a long-term foreign resident of a small town in Japan, my own experience is that people are quite welcoming as long as you make an effort to integrate into the community. This includes joining volunteer duties, local events, and local committees - to the best of your ability. No one cares whether you’ve mastered polite-form Japanese or follow cultural norms perfectly (not even all local people can manage this!). The point is putting in the time and effort. It’s not always easy, but overall my own experience has been great.
i have days when i dont want to socialize.. how do they react with that type of thing?
@ yeah I’ve heard all of this, but it hasn’t been my personal experience. Sure, in-group-out-group bias is a thing (it is everywhere). But it’s really just a matter of continuing a shared activity until you become part of the group. It will happen eventually. And it doesn’t have to be limited to community weeding or the local fire brigade. Join a taiko drum group, hiking club, or classes at a local community center like cooking or karate or something. (Or if you have kids, join PTA, etc.). I know, we don’t all have unlimited free time… But if it’s important to you, this is what works. From my experience. 頑張って！
@@monicapetitebonita218 socializing doesn’t have to be a constant, full-on thing. Just be polite, and join scheduled local activities when you can. You can step up when you’re ready to.
This is what I don't like about small communities. If you just want to live in the area and do your own thing you'll end up being harassed.
@@Benisbucker In Japan, if you want to "just live there and do your own thing" you are better off moving to a large city. At least in the experience of my in-group.
Your long form content is so relaxing yet informative. The narration is so calming .
Wow… I didn’t expect that my mom’s hometown (She’s from Kofu, Tottori!!!) gets much attention from foreigners… Thank you!!!! Arigato!!!!!! I have visited every spot they mentioned!!! It reminds me of my childhood!!!
We moved to our current town (~11k people, half of pre-tsunami numbers) and everyone has been very welcoming. I do speak passable Japanese, which helps things (though some Miyagiben is difficult, even for my wife who grew up in Tohoku, but everyone is super chill and helpful). I definitely love it as someone who just filed paperwork to start his own company to sell what I grow in the coming year. A few things jump out to me:
If you don't like talking to people, the countryisde isn't necessarily the best for you. We have shared responsibility for mowing where we meet at 6am a few times in the summer, and cleaning our han's community center others. We also have various events. You may also get invited to funerals (well, viewings, I think might be the word I would use in US English) for people in your han. All of the events, meetings, etc. come to us by kairanban, a hand-passed bag with a binder where each takes it to the next house. The hancho (the head honcho, as it were) rotates yearly and is responsible for gathering that and managing things.
For renovations, even something like changing a light switch out technically requires a licensed electrician. Not doing so could invalidate the insurance in the event of fire and possibly hold more penalties (I've never researched it, but imagine if a mistake caused several houses to burn!) I'm not sure of all the rules around things, but it's definitely something to think about; Japan may be much more strict than wherever you may be from.
If you're from somewhere with central heat and AC, you might want to build a tightly-enveloped house with good insulation. This is much more expensive and not popular here. Because of Japan's humidity and mold, you have to get really good ventilation or else the mold will find you and take over. Even in our house (built in the late '90s) with somewhat better-than-average insulation and designed to have constant airflow, we really have to keep dehumidifiers going in multiple rooms much of the year. When we rebuild, I do plan on doing a passivhaus-standard house with mechanical ventilation, but just be careful with that. If you do decide to keep it more Japanese-style (breathable), be aware of which wallpaper or plaster you use. Also, as evidenced by the tanks attached to the houses, many places will have propane rather than city gas with propane being more expensive and also requiring contracts. Our in-laws have a kerosene tank and wall-mounted kerosene heaters.
Wastewater is another thing. Some of those places may have pit toilets that require pumping. In Kofu, maybe there is a sewer system that can be connected to in some places, but that's not universal. We have a septic tank, but that may not be possible in some places. Our septic tank requires yearly certification from the government (about 12,000 yen) and a yearly maintenance contract (rates vary).
As mentioned, places with farmland require special handling. I went through the process to get approved (required before I could get the mortgage) and it was pretty painless all-in-all. This is a fairly Japanese-intensive process. I've heard how strict and insular the group is can vary based on location, but our farming committee was lovely and happy to have people coming to grow on unused land.
The tax, pension, insurance, and other stuff can also be tricky for those that don't know Japanese (for your hard-mode side), and some things aren't super clear even if you do (though staff everywhere have been patient and helpful with us).
I wouldn't change having bought a house in the countryside for the world; we love it here! Just thought I'd chime in as briefly as I could with some thoughts and gotchyas.
This is a great amount of information, thanks for sharing!
God this sounds like h3ll, i am an introvert i dont want to be forced to interact w strangers
@@LynnHermionethen don't move to rural Japan.
This is great information. Most videos don't give. Even from area to area in some counties you don't know how to act say or go for help. Thank you
How does it feel to be living the dream??
The mayor seems like a real character. Definitely a get it done kind of guy . My type of person.
The QR postcard is a great touch. This is lovely and I will hop on the discord soon
Hey, thanks for putting all the effort into this video.
Your efforts were worth it.
As I'm getting older, I'm looking for a place that I could move to and actually make a difference that is just beyond contributing to a local economy. While I don't think Kofu is the right place, it gave me ideas on the challenges and rewards I will encounter better than any leaflet or document could provide. Thank you for your amazing work.
So you have a permanent visa already, or maybe citizenship?
@@earlysda I don't sadly, I'm currently not in a position to apply for those.
I'm almost done with school and will be looking to visas and making a point of learning the language properly. (Doing Duo lingo right now 1000+ day streak) I currently can pick up a few phrases from this video as it stands.
@@Matt-Hazel That's great! I'm currently doing Duolingo Vietnamese, but just started this month.
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I've been in Japan almost 3 decades, but not consecutively, so haven't been able to get a permanent visa. The govt. is making rules stricter and stricter, so I'll never be able to get it.
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Unless you are like a doctor or something, probably your only real paths to a PR is to get married to a Japanese, start a business, or work for a Japanese company.
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If you have any questions about life in Japan, I'll be glad to give some insights.
頑張って！
Very well thought out and filmed video, as usual! Great questions. I hope that the town will only get quality people showing interest. I feel like there is a good double filter of people. One, your character and style of video has probably filtered your subscribers to be mostly full of good respectful folks. Two, the town not sponsoring visas right now is probably a good thing. You did a good job being realistic, which just like that lady you interviewed, I appreciate the honesty.
Loved Akko's lost shoe and slide back down lol
Greg, what a pleasure it is to watch your videos with Akko. You have a great gift for story telling and you explain things methodically, genuinely and with great intent and passion. Thank you 🙏.
I’m excited to see Kofu! I live in Lodi California where we have a park named Kofu Park. Kofu has been our sister city for decades. Great video.
Unfortunately that is a much bigger Kofu in Yamanashi. It's a different town.
I am one of those who watched till the end. I wasn't sure when I saw that it was more than an hour long but I am glad I did watch it. I have no plans to come to stay or even to visit Kofu, but watching this video gave a foreigner like me a better understanding of life as well as how things work in rural Japan. This video is interesting and way better made than those produced by large established media companies. Well done and thank you.
If it's like my life in Kuzumaki (population of about 5000) in Iwate then yes. You can totally live in a small rural town with no other foreigners. It can be difficult at first and you'll DEFINITELY need to get that Japanese up. But the town (if it's like the one I lived in) can be very helpful and willing to work with you. Just make sure to do your best to learn the culture and remember you're the outsider. It's not up to them to accommodate you. You're the one that has to adapt.
Yeah, I've always felt this. If you're trying your best to learn the culture and fit in, I've seen it work. And although I'm not living in a small town in Japan, I've personally experienced it myself with my children's school and people around the community. If you're really independent though, I think you're better off in a big city, where you're able to better keep to yourself.
I know lots of Japanese speaking people that would move to towns like Kofu (N1 certified). Unfortunately, given the visa requirements for long-term stay in Japan, the type of people it attracts are not those that would move to small towns with Japanese language skills. People like me, who don't speak Japanese nor follow Japanese customs, get fast tracked (the types of jobs we take are management, finance, software, etc. - largely based in Tokyo) while people who love Japanese culture and possess N1 certifications who have regular jobs (say they manage a small online business that grosses USD30-40k/yr) are not going to qualify for long-term Japanese visas. If the Japanese government wants to revitalize small towns, reforming their visas is the way to start. It's incredibly easy for them to find people that would move to smaller towns in Japan - just advertise to N1(maybe N2/N3) holders.
That is my fear, I have a business that is basically location independent (making digital and physical products) but I cannot risk being forced to move out after 6 months or so just because I don’t have the visa. I had made it in Germany with minimal German language proficiency, I am sure I could make it in Japan too. Especially that I love the Japanese culture and German… not so much
Japan is already reforming part of their visa programs. At least, their Startup Visas program is being uplifted so that foreigners can start a business anywhere in Japan, rather than in a few select prefectures like it has been for a while. Obviously, a Startup Visa is not going to be long-term (however, they did extend the amount of time you have have one from 1 year to 2 years), but it can be a good transitionary Visa while you're looking for other opportunities or if you intend to open up a small business long-term, even in the countryside.
Hit the nail on the head. Visa reform is absolutely necessary in Japan. There have been some new ones introduced recently, which is a start, but it can still be insanely difficult to stay in Japan long-term. The current system only seems to reward those who work in tech/management or who have buckets of money, which, I get, but there are a lot of regular folks (including, like you said, many who have advanced Japanese language proficiency), who love Japan and would jump at an opportunity like this but can't because of visas. It really goes beyond this issue though. If Japan wants to remain competitive and attract foreign talent (which it claims to want to do), then make it easier for people to actually build a secure life here.
Yep, I'd love to move to a place like this. I can, and do, work remote for the UK and would move to a place like this to in a flash. However, the Japanese government would make that impossible with their visa rules. To get the digital nomad visa you have to earn $65k (£52k) a year and have $1m in assets and that only lets you stay for 6 months? It's just not worth it for 6 months. It should a min be 12 months and be easy to renew yearly. What rural community wouldn't want many people spending 40-65k a year localy that doesn't take away jobs from locals? The one issue I could see is due to the min wage being quite high, almost 50% more than the national average, it could cause unwelcome inflation in rural areas.
As stated in the video there is no work in Kofu and a requirement of any longer visa will require you to work for a Japanese company that sponsers said visa. In the end this makes it impossible for most people that don't have permanant residency. A shame really, I would move to a place like this buy and renovate a nice house, get involved with events and spend money boosting the local economy, but cannot.
Why import foreigners though? Doesn't the government exist to serve the people, not replace them?
Kofu has all the makings of being a language and immersion school, in return for volunteer work such as teaching English or town labor such as preparing for holidays. especially if the Kofu government helped to sponsor student/cultural visas for up to 1 year. Any abandoned home that could be cleaned up and deemed liveable to pay rent could help to pay for back taxes and future renovation.
At first I thought an hour plus might be too long,, but the video was so engaging I still wanted more. It is really nice to see the follow-up--something that js rare. Well done, Greg!
This is actually a very good informative video. Thanks!
This was an exhaustive video, very thorough. I lived in Japan for two years and towards the end of my stay I felt resentful that Japanese people cared about me as a foreigner not a person. Anyway I married a Japanese woman who is great. We are going to retire in Japan. Japan does have a population challenge. They need people. I like how deep you went in this video. Living in rural Japan sure has its cultural norms and ways people live together.
Been waiting for this video.
It's so nice to see that you have done some of the research. If I can visit Japan, I will be there for 2 to 4 weeks and will need a place to stay in various areas. I love your sister-in-law. She asks the best questions and sometimes does the funniest things. It had me ROTF watching her in the BMX track! Thank you guys for the tour and the information. I always look forward to your videos.
I always go to that ski resort! I love the route going there. Very scenic, the mountains, trees, sound of birds and animals, etc.
There's also a route around the mountain with views of Tottori and other mountains!
i'd love to live in a small city like kofu if it was easier for foreigners to get a visa, i'd be willing to do pretty much anything
Thanks for this Greg & Akko. The level of detail was amazing. As aJapan lover, japanese cafe owner in australia, and frequent visitor to japa, you explained soooo many little nuances i had never heard before.!
GREG M8 I'M STILL WAITING FOR YOUR 2000's JAPAN TRIP VIDEO😭😭. GREAT VID AS ALWAYS🥰🥰
Just wanted to say I love whenever there's a new video from your channel. There's something incredibly soothing about your presentation and the amount of work you put into is very apparent. Thank you so much for your work!
Thank you for the in-depth video. I hope it reaches all the brave souls that are thinking about visiting. Kofu seems like a cool place!
This was awesome to see. Would love more of these videos about other small towns too!
Hi Greg,
Thank you so much for this interesting film! I studied japanology at university and participated in a research project on rural revitalization in Japan. Your film resonated greatly with what we discovered during our research, and your portrait of all the complexity of a small town in Japan in relation to visitors, migrants, house renovation, innovation and much more was very accurate and interesting.
Thanks again!
One thing you should mention. You cannot work on a tourist visa in Japan. You must have a non-tourist visa to perform any work, including volunteer.
A lot of people seem to think working for free is fine, it is not.
Yeah, this would be a good to cover if I can talk with an immigration lawyer. I honestly think you'd could make an hour long video just going through the different types of visas, and that probably still wouldn't be enough time to really cover all the nuances.
What If work remotely? On my laptop? Well technically I don't need to work under any japanese company, so can I stay in kofu for 3 months(tourist visa) while working on my laptop?
@@therandomguy8160so legally no you would need a nomad visa(Remote work Visa ) to “legally work” in Japan it’s up to you if you would want to risk deportation or heavy fines if you are cought working illegally. 🤷
Working Holiday Visa is a thing in some countries (sadly I think not for the US), but the catch is it’s only valid until you’re 30 years of age. I’m 27, I wanted to use it when I was 22 but well, pandemic happened. I can only imagine how annoyed people who hit 30 during that must have been.
@@LifeWhereImFrom Please introduce us to a good immigration lawyer😅 planning to move there next year and seems there are a lot of recent changes, which actually make it easier to move to Japan!
Amazing video! I really wish I could move to a place like Kofu. Canada is beautiful, but after fifteen years here I really wish I could experience that type of slower life. Maybe one day. In the meantime, I'll continue to dream. Thank you so much for all your hard work you two! ❤
For the past few years these videos make me weirdly happy, its nice and calm.
Kofu is my goal. Literally why I'm finishing my BA and willing to work as an English Teacher. I don't care if I end up as an 80 year old solo farmer with no family. This town is a goal for me. I practice Japanese every day.
Good luck! My mom is from this town (for sure) and she has shared me many pros and cons so far. All I can say is, for living in this area as foreigners (gaikoku jin), you need the skill of communication, language and driving, I would say. That’s just my opinion tho. Anyways, good luck!! Gambatte!!
would love to see a video on mall culture in japan!! went to an Aeon mall in the middle of nowhere a few months ago and it was absolutely bustling
So much info to breakdown! Nice job as always.
Wow, can't this had the length of a feature-film... thank you so much for your work - super interesting (and in a way relaxing!) content
Mate, you guys have outdone yourselves!!! Great video! This could be a series in different places. Get the foreign volunteers and film their journey. This could revamp the towns economy!
Many years ago, I lived for 6 months in Kurayoshi, which is also in Tottori Prefecture, about 1 hour away from Kofu. Of all the places I have lived and visited in Japan, I love the Sannin Chiho (山陰地方) the most.
Thank you for all your effort on this video. It is very informative and will be very helpful to us that are interested in the small town life of japan. Thank you very much.
Excellent vid. I found the part about covenant (or neighborhood) rules within the same town really interesting. You’re absolutely right, you can not generalize. The mayor also mentioned a “communal” style of living, I never thought of it that way. Great material. Thanks for covering this topic.
This is just what i needed to listen to while i work on my paper for university!!
What a great channel. Legendary effort
I had a similar experience living in Kutchan town, Hokkaido, for about a year. It was an eye-opening experience for me. Communicating in simple Japanese helped me a long way to find out the local rules. It did help me become more accepted by the locals.
Thank you so much for making another great video! This one along with your last tottori video give me a lot of inspiration on migrating to Japan.
This is an excellent video. Thank you!
My family moved into a small, mountain farming village in northern Saga. I don't really speak Japanese, and can only understand a small amount. However, nearly all of the locals have been extremely welcoming and seem to really enjoy having me at the village meetings. It's very important that our family participate in the various village tasks, and that we take care of our land. Provided that we do this, everyone is very happy to have us there.
As such a large topic, your video is actually a concise introduction. Thank you both for the hard work!
OMG I LOVE Akko-san. Watching her giggle as she slid down the BMX slope....*sigh*. Made my day. Put a smile in my heart. And I really appreciate the hard work you put into this deep dive into the practicalities of moving to a small town in Japan.
I'm loving this town and the people in it! Thank you for sharing it with us!
Well, I've lived in Japan for 25 years, the past eight years in a smallish fishing village along the Japan Sea coast. I have yet to experience any of the negatives mentioned in so many of those "should you move to...?" or "why you shouldn't move to..." videos (by both Japanese and non-Japanese). In fact, if you're willing to learn (the language, customs, manners, etc.), are ready to adapt to the place and its people, and are prepared to make your destination a permanent home, I highly recommend rural life in Japan. That said, choosing your location carefully is important, as indeed, not all rural towns are equally hospitable and welcoming. Do your research! (Conceivably, you could end up moving somewhere where the accents are so thick, even a native Japanese speaker would have trouble communicating as a member of the community.)
Fascinating. I hope you'll visit them again so we can see what progress they've made.
I literally almost always go there 1-2x a week just to ride my motorbike.
Summer, Winter, don't care! It's so beautiful I always ride there from Okayama :)
I really enjoy this long form format with a deep dive into this topic. Most living abroad videos are very superficial and unrealistic. Moving to Japan, or even visiting, is not possible for me, but I really enjoy the culture and people. Thanks!
Welcome back, your video is inspiring. Thanks
Im glad this channel appeared in my recommendation again, I miss it
Than you so much for your hard work and so much research.
Great research and presentation , Greg! I love Akko 🎉
Greg and Ako, you are doing a great job. Entertaining, Informative.
My favorite part of the video is when Akko reacted to hearing about the bar 😂 great video!!
Affordable and beautiful plot of land in exchange for adoption of local rural customs and rules is very fair trade.
This dope. Thank you.
Hi Greg! You can buy a bike without a residence card, but registering the bike without a permanent address may be a little awkward. Out in the inaka, they may care less about this than they did in my neighborhood in Osaka, though. :)
Very informative. Thanks 😊
This is a very interesting video, thank you for the effort. It's quite educational to see this perspective of Japan!
I've been waiting for you to upload a video, fan from the Philippines!
Clicked immediately. Love your content. ❤
This is great and you should document other Japanese small towns!
Excellent informative stuff, thanks :)
You have inspired me to follow this dream to fruition. Something so impossible no longer seems that way. Okini!
Great video as always!
you answered the question immediately and respected my time. immediate thumbs up. now I want to hear you elaborate and see pretty pictures. more videos should be like this.
Super interesting video!
I have a question... For people who are travelling in campervans I know that michi no ekis are an absolute godsend. Is there anywhere in town to access bathing facilities?
I love your Channel is very informative 👍❤️
just like me, i don't want to go to osaka or tokyo everytime to go to japan, it's too crowded these days so many tourist than the local japan on sight
It should depend on where in Osaka and Tokyo you go.
Lol Tokyo and Osaka are already too crowded with just locals. And anyway you probably can't even tell on sight (before listening to what language they speak) who are locals and who are tourists lol. Most of them come from Taiwan, China, S. Korea, or SEA and they often look fairly similar to us.
@ I live in Tokyo, and there are almost zero foreigners in my neighborhood. Did you know Tokyo even has an island with a population of 200?
@@tobbythecat
So are you the only foreigner on that island with 200 population? 👀
I'm now living in Fukui, a very rural region, and there's apparently no foreigner in my neighborhood either.
@@Amorphous19995 I think I haven't said I'm a foreigner. I'm a Tokyo-born Japanese.
japanese tourism ministry should absolutely sponsor Gregg
I've had a couple, I think, sponsored videos by JNTO or the ministry of cultural affairs in the past, but this video has no sponsor but my Patreon supporters.
Circle back segue way with the bike turning was a classy touch.
I really like your videos. If I get the chance to go back to Japan I'll try and visit Kofu
Wow gonna enjoy this one! I'm interested in relocating to a small town in Japan to build for the future :)
Not gonna lie, Kofu looks like a dream place for me to live. I would do my best to fit in and learn Japanese as fast as possible. The only issue is getting the visa to permanently stay 😅
Rural Japan in the middle of nowhere on a slow internet connection has better internet than the best in Australia!
Not true anymore thanks to Starlink
@@Puretea4711 £75 a month starting price just for internet is a heavy price.
@@IISocratesII maybe its £75 for you but the prices are different all over the world, and most people are happy to spend £75 for having fast internet in the middle of nowhere
1:03:33 the Suntory sound effect was hilarious. I don’t know why that got me laughing 😂😂😂
A small channel capable of such impact in a community is no small feat.
I would love to live in a small japanese city as someone who loves nature. I find japanese nature very lovely and would do pretty much anything to stay and work taking care of nature in Japan. I wouldn't mind never going to tokyo either. Sadly visa and not having good enough education is a hard no to my dreams for now. I'm hoping it gets easier to stay in Japan in the coming years. I have heard Their mental health care is also kind of bad, so my ad/hd and autism might give me more issues.
I also love these kinds of videos, because there are a lot of people in the comments telling about their stories around Japan.
It was cool to know your first video about this place was so successful. All the best to you and to people thinking of living or visiting Japan.
❤❤❤. Thanks you for this. I’ve always wanted to visit Japan, but my apprehension is where to stay … with that scenery and environment as opposed to the very busy city.
I love this long format informative video, you should turn this into a series and visit all the country side towns that need repopulation
this is an incredible video and I'm incredibly interested in a video about Visa help from an immigration lawyer of you could set that up
I want to visit Kofu a bunch now that I see how charming it is.
I hope you can also make it out to Yusuhara since they too are quite a small population but with grand ideas and structures
Oh my gosh. I am from Tottori city. Tottori is real a country side. It hasn’t had the population growth for a long time, and their economy not that great. I think people wouldn’t mind people moving there if that will result in more revenue. I feel if you can’t speak or understand Japanese, the quality of life for enjoyment will be limited. Also the culture if different. For example, I moved to US after high school. When I went back to visit family and went to gym, I didn’t know I have to have an indoor workout shoes! My sister in law told me I have to bring indoor shoes. I might have offended people without knowing because I am doing what is acceptable in US, but not in Japan. As for traveling with train, please know that there is no place to put your suitcase. I went back by landing in Osaka, and taking train, it was a hassle. Driving to me is scary. The streets are narrower and opposite side. The food is great though. We had abundant of crabs in winter while growing up. And they have the delicious 21st century pear. Many different hot springs. The neighbors always helped each other. My brother always find some artsy events to go and join.
50:49 wow that is a huge unflushed dumpling 💩
Great video. Thanks to this video I finally got on the trail of the right resource to finally answer if I can go to Japan without a job. I think I can get a "Designated activities (Long Stay for sightseeing and recreation)" visa for 6 months (and renewed to 12 months) and in that time assess if I think I can get a suitable business going for an "Investor/Business Manager Visa". Mostly it should give me time to get a basic Japanese level and see some of the countryside. The only thing I'm not sure about still is if I can just keep renewing the "Designated activities (Long Stay for sightseeing and recreation)" visa as long as I still have 30M yen, or if I would need to leave and re-apply? But that should buy me 6-12 months to sort it out anyway.
Such a crazy thing to imagine 90-year-olds working.... But it is proven that keeping busy keeps you mentally, emotionally, and physically fit. And they are sharper, more mobile, and more vital than many 70-year-olds here in America.
I visited Sakaiminato and loved the area. Kofu seems to be about 1 hour away on the train.
This was fascinating. Well done, Greg.
I think most foreigners who would be interested in relocating and have done/willing to do the language study are also be the type of people who don't want breach the local etiquette; it's just how they're wired. The local mayors could facilitate things by getting these regulations/by-laws/oral traditions written and published online, even in Japanese. With all the community-minded elders who like to volunteer, that's hundreds of years of collective wisdom - they could be put this together quickly. This way interested outsiders could learn about many communities, filter out those that are not a good fit, and spend their time checking out those that are.
Such an endeavour would certainly help non-local Japanese as well. And, let's face it, the numbers of interested foreigners are likely dwarfed by Japanese. A village that will thrive is one that entices Japanese, especially those with children or intending to have some. Once the population begins to rebound, then the amenities such as shops, restaurants, etc are set up by entrepreneurs.
A directory of local trades people would also be useful, especially if they are willing to use text messaging and understand that some of the messages they receive are in unorthodox Japanese. Plumbers, electricians, tatami mat makers/sellers, carpenters, roofers, housing inspectors, etc. If any are willing to take on apprentices to pass on all those years of know-how, that could be mentioned. In almost every video I see of people hiring trades people, I find all these fellas are at least 60 years old.
For the published covenants, I'm kind of doubtful they'd do it for all the communities, even in Japanese. But, the NPO, Kofu no Tayori, they do that job of taking newcomers to different places and trying to get them a good fit into a community. They know the areas and what could work for one person or family, but not another.
For the local trades, yeah, that would be good to know. I kind of tried to do a bit of this that was tourist focused.
57:21 this woman’s annunciation is top notch. I dont speak Japanese but I am learning and even though i don’t understand the vast majority of what she is saying I can hear everything she is saying if you follow.
As Japanese I can tell you that we just don't speak English well (especially speaking). I can't come up with the idea of rejecting someone just because they don't speak Japanese. Is it common in other countries to discriminate against people who do not speak their native language?
(thank you deepl translate)
Nice work
Maybe if they started a Japanese language and culture school for foreigners it would help people who move there.
As long as they are willing to adapt and submerge themselves into iapanese culture, the answer is always YES.
@52:00 that Kura comes with the house? (I have a big love for kura for some reason lol)
Yes it does! I was wondering that myself.
The main thing that would attract me to this is the culture, I would want to fully integrate and learn the language and customs.
Akko's reaction to the 2nd floor bar 😂🤗