I'll bet no one has thought of this:

[Jeff S]

Had an interesting conversation with a Japanese buddy while out fishing yesterday and he told me of many abandoned villages in the rural parts of Japan where a nice home could be bought for a few thousand dollars. Of course, a ways from the cities and from train stations, but nonetheless nice areas.

So I was doing a little web surfing on the subject and came across this article:

http://www.escapeartist.com/efam15/Homesteading_In_Japan.html

Hmmmmm maybe a winery, or a fly fishing school ....

- Jeff S.

[Dave H]

... in response to I'll bet no one has thought of this:, posted by Jeff S on Oct 28, 2002

Hey Jeff,

That was very interesting! A good Filipina can probably pop out 16 or more kids...$$$$$$$ I told my wife we may be moving to Japan. ;o)))

Dave Hirohito.

[Jeff S]

... in response to Hmmmmm..., posted by Dave H on Oct 30, 2002

Not only that but they seem to know how to take care of chickens, too!

- Jeff

[Windmill Boy]

... in response to I'll bet no one has thought of this:, posted by Jeff S on Oct 28, 2002

Allright  Jeff  you  got me  out  of  lurk mode  for  this  one  ha ha ha.

Recently  I  was  reading  through  a  book  that  I  borrowed  from my  teacher  and I  showed a  picture  of  a  traditional  Village  virtually  abandoned.  It  is  very  hard  to  believe  that  this  is  occuring in  a  densely  populated  country  like  this.  I  have heard  of  a  recreated  English villa  where they  teach english mannorisms  and  eticate (- sp ?)  also  a  recreated  dutch  town  exists too somewhere.   Take  over  an abandoned  village and  recreate medieval times  AKA Shogun  days  Just  a  thought .....

For the last couple of weeks I  have  been  corresponding  with  a  cute 31  single  mother and she has a cute 8 year old girl also. They  are  in Sapporo  -- a city  that I have wanted  to  visit,  but  not  neccesarily  in  the  winter.  It looks optimistic  though after  a  few  e-mails.  If it  remains  good and  the  friendship grows, I  might  change  the  travel  iteinerary  and  eliminate  some  of  the southern  cities of  Japan.  Not  too  crazy  about  the  cold  of  Sapporo  (neither  is  she  ha ha ha)  but  I  grew  up  in  the  stuff  and I  can  take  it.  my  timing  will  be nice  to  catch  the  winter snow festival  that  they  are  famous  for first week  of  february though.   Ahh  the  chilly price  I  pay  to  see  a  potentially  nice  woman  and  her  daughter  and  check  out  some  huge  ice and snow  sculptures  at  the  same  time.

Now  does  any  one  want  to  give  me  an  extra  $1500  for  the  Japan  fund ?  ha ha ha.  If  only  these  homeworker spam e- mails I  consistently get  had  any  shread  of  validity  I'd  be  living  high  of  the  hog  YEE HAW.

Well I  gotta  go  back  to  studying  for  my  Chapter 4  Japanese  test  tomorrow.  

Windmill  Boy

[Jeff S]

... in response to Re: I'll bet no one has thought of this:, posted by Windmill Boy on Oct 29, 2002

Never been to Hokkaido in all my Nihon forays, but would like to get there someday. Not so sure about during winter festival, though. These past 30 years or so in the California sunshine has thinned my once Minnesota blood, so that I get out the winter woolies when the temps plunge below the 70s.

As Bob said, it's supposed to have great food and so long as you have something nice and warm to snuggle up to....

Mari-chan calls me kotatsu-gin in the winter )

- Jeff

[Bob S]

... in response to Re: I'll bet no one has thought of this:, posted by Windmill Boy on Oct 29, 2002

I hear great things about Hokkaido (good beer and sea food).  Because it is less densly populated, there is room for wider roads and bigger American-size homes complete with insulation and double-pane windows.  I also hope to get a chance to go up there during the Snow Festival (teaching schedule permitting). (Still got the arctic snow gear from my forays into near Siberia.)

Gambatte on the Nihongo o benkyo suru.  But don't forget the ohashi lessons!

[Jeff S]

... in response to Sapporo, posted by Bob S on Oct 29, 2002

Kon-nichi-wa Bob-san. O genki desuka?

Too bad Eric's allergic to seafood. But, hey, Sapporo is supposed to have the best ramen in Japan and the kuro-buta is mighty good too.

Making friends with any cute locals, yet? How about a suburban Japan dating scene report for the lurkers?

-- Jeff

[Bob S]

... in response to Re: Sapporo, posted by Jeff S on Oct 29, 2002

Genki desu.
Allergic to seafood?  Fish broth is a major part of many dishes here.  But fortunately there's plenty of yaki-niku and yaki-tori to keep him well fed and happy.  And if worse comes to worse, there is always Yoshinoya for a gyu-don bento.

Ah, the women.  Plenty of eye-candy to be sure.  It's a good thing I can usually find a seat on the subway.  All those cute slender office girls with their short skirts, fishnet stockings, and high heels are just TOO much! (As a matter of fact, I AM glad to see you.)

I got a few gals in my circle of aquaintences, (4 that wanna own me, 2 that wanna stone me...) but none I'd consider bringing back to America just yet.  To name names, there's my long-distance GF Ako-chan who physically is my polar opposite (where as I'm a giant foreigner, she's a wafer thin local) but on the inside could be my spiritual clone; my imoto (little sister) Naka-chan who I think I want to adopt (a sweet genki kid); and a few o-jo-sama's looking to marry a prestigious doctor or accountant (eh? yeah, accounting is a prestigious occupation here for some reason).  If I went back to engineering, I could easily snatch up one of those statuesque elegant beauties.  But who wants a woman who's only marrying you for your title?  I could get a similar shallow relationship in L.A.  Better to find an inaka jo-sei who is not so ambitious in her social climbing.  But I will be happy to let the o-jo-sama's pay me for private English lessons. (-8

[Windmill Boy]

... in response to Re: Sapporo, posted by Jeff S on Oct 29, 2002

Jeff

I"ve  been reading  about  some local  specialty  called the  Ghenghis  BBQ  that  has  my  interest  piqued  though.

WB

[Stephen]

... in response to I'll bet no one has thought of this:, posted by Jeff S on Oct 28, 2002

Say....that's an interesting article.

I liked the part about paying you $3,000 to have a baby.  Let me ask you, Jeff....since I've had a vacetomy do you think I could get ever more money?  Just a thought.

Stpehen

[Jeff S]

... in response to Re: I'll bet no one has thought of this:, posted by Stephen on Oct 28, 2002

I think it's China where they pay you to shoot blanks, isn't it? LOL

- Jeff