House Hunting in Japan

Someone really should have told us "what to know" before house hunting in Japan. While we are not staying in traditional Japanese homes, they still are quite different than in the states. No wall paint. Everything here is white or if you are lucky an off-white cream textured wallpaper. Now you can't really tell that it is wallpaper, but still. Very white. And open floor plans are very rare. No yards. Sometimes a small patch of grass, but that is it. Many times there will be gardens, but they will be flowers and plants.

So we set out Tuesday to look at our first set of houses. Everything thing we saw was not our cup of tea or it was far off the train lines. This is important because you get almost everywhere by train. So the closer to the train the easier your life will be. Let's just say that by the end of the day Tuesday I was ready to stay in NC for 3 years alone.

Tuesday night I actually had a decent night of sleep (have I mentioned that jet lag stinks) and I woke up feeling hopeful. Matt and I set off again with our realtor Yuko and another expat wife and saw some more houses.

We wound up choosing the second house that we saw. It is a 5 minute walk from one train line and a 15 minute walk from another. The "bus" stop for school (if the kids choose to not ride the train) is a five minute walk. Our little "subdivision" consists of five houses plus the landlords property. Two of the families are from the United States (one being Matt's co-worker) and another is from Germany. The house right next to us is empty. There are also almost 10 Caterpillar expats in our area. The "subdivision" is on a private driveway, allowing lots of space for the kids to play. We will be within walking distance from some shopping stores, a few restaurants and a bakery.

The house has four bedrooms, some garden areas (there really is never any grass or yards) and a patio, a remodeled kitchen, all American appliances, and a real laundry room with a sink. There is hardwood floors in all the rooms, however we have asked that the kids rooms have area carpets if possible.

I think we are going to be very happy with our choice. Below are a few pictures. You can also see many more here.

The private drive leading to all the houses.

View down the street going to our house.

Living room.
Looking from living room to the dining room to the kitchen.

Our front door.

Walkway to our front door.
Patio off my office.

View from master bedroom window.

Part of kitchen. We will be able to put bar stools on the other side of the counter for an eat-in area.

Arrived Safe and Sound

I am here! I am where soon will be called "home". Wow. I still can’t believe I will be living here. I think once we actually start looking at houses maybe it will seem more real. Until then it's just Matt and I on a trip enjoying the sites.

The plane ride was good. I flew from Raleigh to Detroit and then straight into Osaka, Japan. The flight wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Because of the distance Cat always flies us business class. I had my own LCD TV set, radio and even video game system. The food was actually decent and I loved the free drinks.

It was already dark when I got in here (it seems to get dark early) so I couldn't see much except for the outline of the mountains. Stepping off the plane my first thoughts were dang it is hot. It is incredibly humid here. Much more than NC.

We spent all Sunday exploring the area on our own before our guide meets us. We managed to find the school and even a few of the areas we will be looking at houses.

Ferris wheel in Harborland.
The front of the Canadian Academy, the school the kids will attend.

Street in Shoyia neighborhood.

View across the harbor.
Walking up the huge hill into Shoyia neighborhood.
Back yard of one of the houses we will be seeing on Wednesday.

It’s going to take some getting used to living in a city. The train system the first night looked so overwhelming, but after taking it everywhere yesterday it actually is pretty simple. (as long as you have a map)

I think I could just sit everyday and people watch. If someone can figure out the fashion statement here I would love to hear it. Anything goes. And I mean ANYTHING. I probably saw 20+ people in Uggs. Some people had winter stocking caps on (even though its the same here in the winter as NC). The only non-heeled woman shoe I saw was crocs. And the shoes... Oh my. I love shoes. Leggings with shorts. Shorts and tights. Mini skirts and thigh high socks. Thigh high boots. The younger guys in skinny jeans. Straighted hair (on men!!). And the list just goes on.

Shopping... There are more stores than people. Kid you not. It is the strangest thing. Some expensive, some not. I already found Gap and we have quickly found a store called Uniqol that we love.


The first night we had pizza for supper. Not what you would think as pizza though. And mozzarella & tomato salad! It was to die for. Matt said that the food here is amazing. He was right. I had an actual Japanese lunch and last night we went to a "Japanese steakhouse". The menu’s aren’t in English, heck nothing is in English, but they have pics and between that and a word guide we were able to figure out what to get. I can say water, beer and wine in Japanese. You know, the important words. Eating will be an experience that is for sure.


The bugs are scary. There is a common centipede that is poisonous and I think all the bugs are on steroids. We found this dead bug and its about as long as my fist. No joke. Then we had one buzz past us and we thought it was a bird.


Our toilet seat is heated and it has a butt washer and dryer on it! It is the weirdest thing ever.


Today is our first official day of our house hunting trip. We are meeting our guide for orientation and then going to tour the school and then look at our first set of houses. Then tonight one of the expats are hosting us for supper.

My sleep schedule is so screwed up. I didn't sleep well the first night, despite only the 2 hours I slept on the plane. Last night I crashed at 8pm and now am wide awake at 2:30 am. I am sure once I get on a schedule it will be Friday and I will be going back.

After being here less than 36 hours I can honestly say this is where we are supposed to be. This is going to be an amazing adventure for our family. The experience the kids will have in the 3 years we are here will be life changing. I cannot wait for them to see everything themselves.

You can see more pics from our first day here. If you watch the slide show make sure you mark to see the titles and comments so you will know what you are seeing.

Sayonara

My bags are packed. My passport is in my purse. And I am already checked in for my flight tomorrow. I **should** be able to get online while I am gone, so I will will try to check in. Otherwise "see" you in a week!