Hello from Indonesia

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Eric in Japan
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Re: Hello from Indonesia

Post by Eric in Japan »

I have goats. They are pets. If I was selling any meat or milk products that would be a different story.
Basically, if money is involved, you need permits/permissions. If not.... it is better to ask forgiveness than permission.
But for the love of god and all that is holy, don't get goats! Sure they are cute... the first year. Then you have 10-15 years of them escaping and eating ALL your vegetables, or at least the good parts. All the while growing in size and strength. "Just Don't Do It" is my advice.

Zasso is right about the land. Very few people I know have fields connected to their property, although they are generally very close.
I think renting might be better than buying in the long run. They say the bubble burst 30 years ago, but people in Japan have long memories. They remember what they paid, and they won't take a loss on that while they are alive. Their descendants though....

Some owners will be satisfied with rent equal to property taxes. After you make local contacts, they might just let you use it in exchange for cutting the brush off it 3x per year.


Relating to you previous post, about why I live in Ibaraki- An acquaintance of mine from grad school founded a school here in Ibaraki so he could study Shaolin Kung-Fu (Takahagi is the second most famous Shaolin school in Japan, after Tadotsu (I think that is right) in Shikoku). Anyway, he had an offer to go to Tadotsu to teach economics at the Shaolin temple's college... I think. That was like 20 years ago. So he asked around if anyone wanted a working English School with students for a reasonable price. It fit my needs and we came here.

Probably most people could just copy paste most of the benefits I list below for their area, but here goes.
Climate: We live in the northern limit for reasonable mikan growth, but still have enough chill hours for apples and cherries. It snows 2-3 times a year, melts in 2 days.
Economics: Land or rent is dirt cheap, and so are (especially vegetable) prices. Easy access to Tokyo by train or highway.
Atmosphere: people are friendly. Downsides include it is a really conservative area in some respects- very old fashioned ideas about gender roles, education, etc... I was told that my kids JHS club activities were not mandatory, but...
"... so, the cucumbers said to the cabbage, `Lettuce Go.`"

mrsmorotomi
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Re: Hello from Indonesia

Post by mrsmorotomi »

Zasso Nouka wrote:If we're talking a few ducks and chickens then they are classed as pets and no license necessary. Think you can get away with a couple of goats as well (Eric, do you have goats ?). Not sure about pigs, cattle or sheep, you might need a license there. When looking at potential properties don't mention animals at all to anyone, that could turn the community against you as a potential neighbour. We lost a great property because we happened to mention we'd like to keep a few chickens and maybe a pig and the local community pressured the owner not to sell as they were worried about the smell.
This is a great advice. Thanks!

I will check how much the tax would be. Can you do anything on the forest land, like cut a tree or two for wood, raise bees, etc, or do you have to leave it as it is? Sorry, I realized that I've got heaps of questions :shock:

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Re: Hello from Indonesia

Post by mrsmorotomi »

Eric in Japan wrote:I have goats. They are pets. If I was selling any meat or milk products that would be a different story.
Basically, if money is involved, you need permits/permissions. If not.... it is better to ask forgiveness than permission.
But for the love of god and all that is holy, don't get goats! Sure they are cute... the first year. Then you have 10-15 years of them escaping and eating ALL your vegetables, or at least the good parts. All the while growing in size and strength. "Just Don't Do It" is my advice.
Oh no!!! My plan is to have goats. Do you eat your goats? I wanted to have cows, but after working with them, I realized that I can't afford to feed them. Can't afford to buy a land big enough for them to roam around too. I thought I'd have to make do with goats...

I don't think free rent and housing is applicable for the area I'm looking at. I phoned up the NPO at Shodoshima, and they advised me to check Akiya bank daily, because there are that many people interested in Shodoshima. It's been featured in local Japanese news a few times, thanks to the growing hipster population there, and there's a competition for properties. I'm going to rely on luck hereafter :pray:

Shaolin school in Japan?? That's so funny. My sister spent a year in China learning Tanlanquan (praying mantis). I'll let her know about this, in case she's interested to check out the school in Ibaraki. What's the website for the school? I tried googling it, but couldn't find it. I learned a bit of Tang lan quan in Beijing, where my husband and I lived in, prior to Indonesia.
Eric in Japan wrote: Economics: Land or rent is dirt cheap, and so are (especially vegetable) prices. Easy access to Tokyo by train or highway.
Atmosphere: people are friendly. Downsides include it is a really conservative area in some respects- very old fashioned ideas about gender roles, education, etc... I was told that my kids JHS club activities were not mandatory, but...
Easy access to Tokyo sounds good. That's something Shodoshima can't offer, but have to question myself whether that matters or not...

Thanks for all the information. This forum is helping me out big time. :D

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Eric in Japan
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Re: Hello from Indonesia

Post by Eric in Japan »

Oh no!!! My plan is to have goats. Do you eat your goats? I wanted to have cows, but after working with them, I realized that I can't afford to feed them. Can't afford to buy a land big enough for them to roam around too. I thought I'd have to make do with goats...
I don't eat my goats, but I jokingly call them my emergency rations. You can make do with goats, just beware that they love to escape and wreak havoc. And the bucks stink to high heaven and that smell will contaminate the doe's milk if they are kept close together. But they do have more character than cows. They are to cows as ducks are to chickens. Goofy mischief makers that poop everywhere and anywhere without warning or care.
I will never have goats again, but you decide what is right for you.

Here is the link for the dojo here
"... so, the cucumbers said to the cabbage, `Lettuce Go.`"

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Zasso Nouka
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Re: Hello from Indonesia

Post by Zasso Nouka »

mrsmorotomi wrote:I don't think free rent and housing is applicable for the area I'm looking at. I phoned up the NPO at Shodoshima, and they advised me to check Akiya bank daily, because there are that many people interested in Shodoshima. It's been featured in local Japanese news a few times, thanks to the growing hipster population there, and there's a competition for properties. I'm going to rely on luck hereafter :pray:
Shodoshima is regularly on the tv, just this lunchtime it was on again so that is going to prove a huge draw to many folk looking to get away from the city. Not sure about other cities but I know our city doesn't list every property they get offered only ones they think people will be interested so some more rural places with a small plot of land don't ever get listed as the staff don't think anyone would be interested so speaking to them directly and explaining what you are looking for might yield more results.

What Eric says about access to big cities is an important point I feel, living in the deep inaka could be really rewarding but being able to get into a big city for a change of scenery is also important. Even if the best part is on the way home as you turn off the highway and head back into the countryside and your village.

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Hello from Indonesia

Post by mrsmorotomi »

Just realised I've never replied to this. A lot of things have happened, and it's our second year of living in Hyogo-ken now. Thanks for answering all my previous questions :) :)

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Hello from Indonesia

Post by Zasso Nouka »

Great to hear from you mrsmorotomi, sounds like things are working out for you which is brilliant.

Have you managed to set up a farm and are doing some permaculture ?

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Hello from Indonesia

Post by mrsmorotomi »

Yes! We managed to find a land attached to the house, along with a backyard forest. We're currently on our second batch of chickens now, since the first ones got eaten by who-knows-what in the middle of the night a few months ago. Working on building the soil and planting edible trees. Started hunting last winter too, and managed to not buy any supermarket meat for the whole winter :D

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Hello from Indonesia

Post by Zasso Nouka »

mrsmorotomi wrote:
Wed Jun 08, 2022 9:12 am
Started hunting last winter too, and managed to not buy any supermarket meat for the whole winter :D
That's awesome :dance:
mrsmorotomi wrote:
Wed Jun 08, 2022 9:12 am
We're currently on our second batch of chickens now, since the first ones got eaten by who-knows-what in the middle of the night a few months ago.
Have you put up an electric fence to this lot safe ?

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Hello from Indonesia

Post by mrsmorotomi »

No electric fence around the coop. We just let them out in the morning and lock them back up in the evening. Our land's big enough for them to free range without bothering the neighbors (so far, fingers crossed).

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