American couple Dani and Evan Benton who run a guesthouse and honeybee farm on an island in Japan say, 'The move is the best decision we ever made.'
In 2021, my husband Evan and I sold our small urban farm in Louisiana and set out on a continent-spanning adventure that would change our lives.
Today, we run a small guesthouse and honeybee farm on Japan's Ōmishima Island and own two formerly abandoned homes that we restored back to life. The move is the best decision we ever made.We emigrated to Japan on a Startup visa, which is meant to help foreigners set up businesses here.when we bought it in the spring of 2023. It is built in the traditional Japanese style, with massive wooden beams, interlocking joinery, tile roofs, sliding screen doors and tatami mat flooring.
We pay about $40 for the internet, $15 for water, up to $120 for electricity and $10 for gas. We spend about $400/month on groceries, and $100 for our phone bill.The kitchen when we first bought the guesthouse.We bought our second abandoned house, around the corner from the guesthouse, in September 2023, for $18,500. The property, which used to be an inn, includes two plots of unmaintained land.
To us, even the smallest details can make a space special. We sourced a Nintendo Famicom system from the 1980s, for example, for our entertainment room.Photo: Dani Benton This photo of the kitchen is a great example of items found in the houses that we were able to restore and reuse. Everything in this photo was either found in the house, given to us, or purchased from local recycle shops.Once these additional renovations are complete, we will be able to comfortably increase the number of guests we host from six to 10, which will boost our revenue.This is my favorite room in the house.
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