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In Episode 04 of Snow Country Stories Japan*, I speak with Murai Shota. Shota is a young man originally from Nagoya and now living in small town of Nakano in Nagano; and tasked with finding solutions to, or it could be said new beginnings for, Nakano’s estimated 1000 empty houses. 

Known as ‘空き家 / akiya’ in Japanese - a word that translates as ‘empty house’ – it is estimated that 13% of houses in Japan are unoccupied or abandoned. They can be exceptionally cheap to buy but also, notoriously few are available to purchase. Shota’s multifaceted role involves him negotiating with owners to list their now unused homes for sale and finding the right buyer. A process that requires him to help people visualise the possibilities inherent in these old homes and once thriving communities. 

It’s a huge topic and one that can’t be covered in a single episode. As such, this episode is intended as a general introduction to the challenge of akiya and one that we will continue to discuss in future episodes. Should you be interested in speaking with Shota about properties available in Nakano, including the 100円 properties – the equivalent of $1 houses – available through the ‘Akiya Gateway’ project, you can find more information through the links below (please note, website and Instagram accounts are in Japanese):

Akiya & Kurashi:

https://akiya-and-kurashi.com/

https://www.instagram.com/akiya_nakano/

Akiya Gateway:

https://www.instagram.com/akiya.gateway/

*please note, at the time of upload of this episode, the name of the podcast was 'Snow Country For Old Men'. It has since changed to 'Snow Country Stories Japan'. For more information about that change, listen to the special announcement uploaded on April 24th 2023.

Outland Japan is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Peter Carnell - a freelance tour guide based in northern Nagano – that transports you to rural, regional and the wilds of Japan in pursuit of stories that lie outside the neon hum of Tokyo and golden trimmings of Kyoto. Stories of travel, life and culture beyond the big cities. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Please note, prior to October 2024, Outland Japan was named Snow Country Stories Japan.

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In Episode 03 of Snow Country Stories Japan*, I speak with Komatsu Haruna, a multi-talented musician and performer based in Iizuna, Nagano. Haruna is a member of Iizuna Gongen Daiko, a local ‘taiko’ (drum) group that has been performing for over 30 years. Haruna joined Iizuna Gongen Daiko in 2017 and now both performs and composes music for the group, including compositions to tell the story and promote the ‘Iizuna Saburo Tengu’ – a ‘yokai’ (supernatural being) said to live deep in the forests of Mount Iizuna and focus of devotion for followers of ‘Iizuna Shugen’. 

The interview begins with Haruna talking about growing-up bored in Iizuna, unaware of the importance of the local mountain, before we delve a little into Iizuna Shugen and the mischievous Iizuna Saburo Tengu, taiko and more. Haruna discusses her time living and performing in London – where she found her way into taiko performance – before returning to Japan and discovering her old home of Iizuna wasn’t as boring as she once thought. You can find more information via the following websites (please note, all websites are in Japanese):

Iizuna Gongen Daiko: 

https://www.youtube.com/@iizunagongendaiko

https://www.instagram.com/iizunagongendaiko/

https://iizunagongendaiko.amebaownd.com/

Iizuna Saburo Tengu: 

https://iizunasaburotengu.my.canva.site

*please note, at the time of upload of this episode, the name of the podcast was 'Snow Country For Old Men'. It has since changed to 'Snow Country Stories Japan'. For more information about that change, listen to the special announcement uploaded on April 24th 2023.

Outland Japan is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Peter Carnell - a freelance tour guide based in northern Nagano – that transports you to rural, regional and the wilds of Japan in pursuit of stories that lie outside the neon hum of Tokyo and golden trimmings of Kyoto. Stories of travel, life and culture beyond the big cities. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Please note, prior to October 2024, Outland Japan was named Snow Country Stories Japan.

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Episode 02 of Snow Country Stories Japan* transports us to Togari, Nagano to chat with Rich Morgan. Rich and his wife Maiko are engaged in the ongoing restoration of their home, a 200 year old traditional farmhouse. Known as ‘kominka’ in Japanese, these beautiful houses acted much like lifeboats within the heavy snow, allowing families to sustain themselves through winter. The skill and strength of the construction required to withstand the snow means that kominka survive to this day, however many now lie abandoned and under threat of collapse or demolition. 

Rich and Maiko began renovation of their kominka in 2017, a project that continues today as they experiment with what’s possible when restoring these beautiful houses. Interwoven into the tale of breathing new life into an old house, Rich tells his own story including how he ended up in Japan and once here, how he found his way to the deep snow and an old house in Nagano. We discuss the ongoing restoration of the house including the tantalising prospect of a ‘katana’ (sword) hidden above, surprises below, and just why these buildings are worth saving - an eloquent argument for which Rich makes at the close of the interview. 

Sachi-ya: http://sachiya.net/ 

*please note, at the time of upload of this episode, the name of the podcast was 'Snow Country For Old Men'. It has since changed to 'Snow Country Stories Japan'. For more information about that change, listen to the special announcement uploaded on April 24th 2023.

Outland Japan is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Peter Carnell - a freelance tour guide based in northern Nagano – that transports you to rural, regional and the wilds of Japan in pursuit of stories that lie outside the neon hum of Tokyo and golden trimmings of Kyoto. Stories of travel, life and culture beyond the big cities. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Please note, prior to October 2024, Outland Japan was named Snow Country Stories Japan.

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Hello and welcome to the first episode of Snow Country Stories Japan* – a podcast about life in Japan’s legendary ‘yukiguni’. In Episode 01 of the podcast I sat down for a chat with Mark of Madarao Mountain Lodge. Originally from Sydney, Australia, Mark has been living in Japan for years and operating his ski lodge in Madarao since 2017. He’s a big part of the community and a wealth of knowledge about Madarao, life in the snow country and Japan in general. 

The interview starts with Mark and I talking about the season that’s been and the return of inbound tourism before discussing Madarao Mountain Resort and why Mark rates it so highly. Along the way he drops the ‘orographic effect’ into the conversation and we talk tree zones, backcountry and the need to follow the rules before moving onto Mark’s story and just how a Sydney native came to be living in the snow country.  

Kaesa Farm Stay: https://www.madaraomountainresort.com/japan-farmstay.html

*please note, at the time of upload of this episode, the name of the podcast was 'Snow Country For Old Men'. It has since changed to 'Snow Country Stories Japan'. For more information about that change, listen to the special announcement uploaded on April 24th 2023.

Outland Japan is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Peter Carnell - a freelance tour guide based in northern Nagano – that transports you to rural, regional and the wilds of Japan in pursuit of stories that lie outside the neon hum of Tokyo and golden trimmings of Kyoto. Stories of travel, life and culture beyond the big cities. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Please note, prior to October 2024, Outland Japan was named Snow Country Stories Japan.

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Welcome to Snow Country Stories Japan*, a bi-weekly podcast all about life in Japan’s legendary ‘yukiguni’. This is a brief trailer episode to introduce the show - what it's all about and who it's for, your host and what to expect.

Known as ‘yukiguni’ in Japanese, snow country refers to the prefectures and areas renowned for their heavy snowfall of winter – best-known to international visitors for the many outstanding ski resorts on offer. While we'll definitely be talking skiing and snowboarding on this podcast, Snow Country Stories Japan is a show on which we'll talk about all aspects of life here. We’ll talk about life in the snow, mountains and villages, ski resorts and national parks, buying old houses, fixing old houses, festivals and traditions, travel,  food, breweries and distilleries and a whole lot more. 

It’s a podcast for anyone who thinks escaping modern life to life or travel in Japan’s legendary yukiguni is a good idea. Or perhaps you just need some audio escapism. If that’s you, then you might just enjoy it. Hosted by Peter Carnell - a freelance writer and guide based in Nagano, Japan - the first full episode will be available on Friday 31st March.

Make sure to visit the website - www.snowcountrystories.com - subscribe to the podcast and follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. 

*please note, at the time of upload of this episode, the name of the podcast was 'Snow Country For Old Men'. It has since changed to 'Snow Country Stories Japan'. For more information about that change, listen to the special announcement uploaded on April 24th 2023.

Outland Japan is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Peter Carnell - a freelance tour guide based in northern Nagano – that transports you to rural, regional and the wilds of Japan in pursuit of stories that lie outside the neon hum of Tokyo and golden trimmings of Kyoto. Stories of travel, life and culture beyond the big cities. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Please note, prior to October 2024, Outland Japan was named Snow Country Stories Japan.