This was a big project for us. Let us know if you enjoy it. If you want to learn more about Shelley's project or the AirBnB here are the links Her website www.sasuichi.org/ Her AirBnB www.airbnb.com/rooms/39117472?s=67&unique_share_id=f73b8be4-fb99-4259-a511-a0c1effd7192
I am a Japanese. I really appreciate you, Shelly-san that you take care the Japanese traditional house as it is and keep all o the things belong to the house. I also respect you that you love all the people relating the house including the pictures.
I appreciate your openness to allowing someone to come into a culture and make themselves a part of it. The more people like yourself and Shelley there are, the better off we will all be ❤️
We only get a few of those moments in life. To really come forward fully to embrace the moment will be very rewarding to anyone, as we see here in this video.
I am not a woodworker but, when I visited Japan, I marveled at traditional Japanese construction techniques. Entire buildings constructed without nails, wattle and daub walls, wooden beams, tatami mats, etc. Such respect for natural materials and so much of the construction on display and not hidden from view.
@Bruno Desrosiers You are joking, right? Have you looked at modern Japanese construction? The framing is good, albeit made of sugi, which is about the worst wood for strength and durability. The rest, not so good. Often, they'll obsess over minor details, true, but miss the big picture which results in things warping, aging fast, and generally not lasting. And for a country plagued by earthquakes and typhoons, most of the construction details wouldn't pass basic building regulations in Australia...
The thing that blows my mind as a cultural footnote, is that in all the time it was abandoned, it wasn't squatted and vandalized or robbed. There's few places in the world orderly enough that that would happen..
Few places have the police presence and heavy penalties that japan has. Its worth mentioning as well that even within the homeless population in japan, drug abuse is not very common like it is in other areas around the world.
@@mikeyjohnson5888 That's a good reminder, thanks. I've watched interviews about stern rules/jail-time even for foreign visitors. And the cultural & policing taboo against cannabis. Stricter gun control laws (great!) All despite looser laws around public drunkenness, domestic abuse & rape litigation (the one stat that's notably higher than average [non-US] western nation criminalities)
I'm not sure it's about order as a cultural idea, or policing as someone else said (Japan is not in the top 100 for police per capita, and have fewer cops per person than, say, the US, where homelessness is rampant), so much as it is about social support and how the society is built. At least as reported, Japan has the third or fourth lowest homelessness rate in the world - out of a population of 126,000,000, there are about 4,000 homeless people. That's a choice that a government makes, through direct action, wage guarantees, and how property is handled, among other things. I suspect, too, that most of the folk who are homeless reside in and around major cities, where what services are available to them can be accessed, and they can attempt to get help from as large a population as is possible - I dont know where someone would get food from living out in an abandoned mansion, or help, medicine, etc. Most human life revolves around cities and community centers - living away from other people requires either uncommon skills and unusual willpower, or money. Or rather, it always takes some money to get started if you didnt begin that way, and it takes a LOT to live a 'normal' life away from major population areas, as I think this property is.
@@Mitch_Feral Good research! It's worth mentioning that Japanese homeless are mostly invisible & underreported, with many "internet cafe refugees" living precariously, and many more people below the poverty line. But overall much better than the US. You don't have to be a homeless squatter to damage empty property though. Kids regularly vandalize things just for fun. So it's still surprising to me that it was never robbed. I think it's village/remoteness helped, as you mentioned.
@1Sik_SE , I know, right? Plus, they didn't repeat the same thing over and over, like some doccos do. Usually right after a commercial or Ad, they regurgitate the same thing they said before the break, lm leaving little time for new info before the next Ad. It's so frustrating! This short docco was not like that. Very succinct, well edited and well shot. Not that I'm any expert... However, I know what I like and liked this! My only critique and its not really a really a critique at all, is I would've liked to have seen the rest of the home, out buildings and property. Beggars can't be choosers though. You can't have a short movie AND see every little detail. I'll stop rambling now. Lol Much appreciated guys. Well done.
I have so much respect for Shelley, this was a monumental task and it looks beautiful, she is so respectful and appreciative of the treasure she was entrusted with. I am so happy to see that she has been accepted and respected by the local community. Hopefully when this pandemic is behind us we can go and stay, it just looks amazing.
Wow! This is amazing! I’m Japanese, but I don’t believe I could have found the value of this house when it was abandone. I believe the house found you as a perfect owner to belonged! After you remodeled it, I had a new life and it’s so beautiful! Good job!!
Most greedy magnates would buy that place for cheap and turn it into a restaurant. She bought it to be restored and made it into an open museum with a cafe bar. Excellent.
Turning it into a restaurant helps fund for the renovations and brings jobs to the area. Not everyone can afford renovating a 600 year old property (in Japan houses are required to be retrofitted AND earthquake proof so it’s not as easy or affordable as you guys would think). Plus a cafe is technically still a restaurant of some kind just casual and less maintenance. She’s an American who can afford moving to another country like Japan (expensive country) so she definitely could afford doing this.
This woman is living my dream. She should write a book about that house, its history, the villagers and herself. It would lovely. Hope you guys will show more videos of this kind of traditional stuff, most of us don't get to see it unless we travel.
I agree. She should get in a really good photographer and write a book about the history of the house, its renovation, and the museum it is today. She has done a superb job of historic restoration and preservation. The house is stunningly gorgeous. Too bad that gracious way of life is disappearing into the mists of time. But thank heavens for people like Shelley. 😃
I love that she didn't do it to show off her wealth but give back to the community that had never been able to fully appreciate this estate before. That's really great
Neither would have been particularly comfortable. Japan does get cold and these traditional buildings just like European castles get very cold and drafty. That’s why both traditional Japanese and European medieval clothing were created to keep people warm.
im literally losing my mind, A HUNDRED THOUSAND USD?!?!?!?!?!? holy shit thats so insane for such a beautiful piece of property (coming from someone who lives in california only 4 miles away from the beach)
As a long retired jewelry appraiser, i say that Shelly might want to photograph her antique swords AS IS, and email the photos off to some of the world class auction houses. Their response might help clarify what the strange word of "polish" the swords means. My experience is that polishing an antique, of ANY KIND, can reduce the value by 50% OR MORE! In other words, DON'T DO THAT polishing thing until you have had world class experts at least see multiple photos of the items. I strongly suspect that there might even be "local" resident experts in Japan who consult with such world class auction houses about things like antique swords, who will gladly come to the estate to examine the swords in person, for little or no charge to her. The net result to Shelly should be a very small outlay of cash on her part in order to obtain first class advice! GOOD LUCK!
That, s true.Any antique object if polished and restored, usually loses value. Search , and study and after try to sell. them.The one from 1600 is rare for sure. Contact Auction Houses. , perhaps is the best idea.Good luck.
The house is lovely, but I enjoy even more trying to imagine the delight of finding all of the furniture and family artifacts, and imagining the stories that go with them. It's like she bought a treasure chest.
Can tell that Shelley has spent a lot of time in Japan. Her mannerisms and composure is just like a Japanese person. Those are the first 2 behaviors one should learn when living in Japan. To be able to adopt to their culture and show respect. What you do behind close doors is up to you. I used to live in Japan and never learned to speak properly Japanese. I was always surrounded by Japanese friends who simply wanted to talk (practice) English. But by showing Japanese mannerism people thought I was fluent in Japanese, so outsiders would always talk to me in Japanese and I would understand most of it, just by nodding and basic language knowledge I was able to communicate. But it well get you really far in Japan, especially as a foreigner. Amazing property and well done Shelley.
absolute respect for the american lady who bought the house and kept it - mostly - in its original form for her love of the japanese culture. wonderful!
i'm so happy to see the obvious emotion she has for the community where she lives and the house is located! it's one thing to restore a house and respect the culture and its past so much to keep certain elements and even display things like plates and photos belonging to the original family, but it's an entirely different level to invite someone with memories of the house and not being able to enter inside and give them a tour. you can tell she was deeply touched to be a part of that moment. i hope someday i am blessed with enough funds to restore a house like this, keep the memory alive, and be able to pass it on to someone who will appreciate the history and effort
I love when people save old houses and other things like furniture, books etc. Old things are often made with care and quality that is rare theese days. They have a soul and story to tell. ❤️
I was born in Fukuoka in 1955. I have dreamed of returning to visit Japan someday and perhaps even finding Michiko, the nanny that took care of me, to tell her thank you. I don't know why but watching this video actually brought tears to my eye.
this is absolutely FASCINATING. Can you imagine stumbling across such a grand place--with all of the goodies left inside it!--and picking it up for practically a song? Wow, she really lucked out. What a beautiful place, she restored it beautifully too!
I Loved learning about this place and the story behind it. Being a woman in residential construction for 32 years, I am especially interested in what she had to do to restore the home. Next time I'm in Japan, I'm coming to visit and hopefully meet Shelly. What am amazing woman to take this project on!
Good thing she was able to fix it up!!! Finding out she is an American, and as an American myself, makes me very proud! She seems to understand and respect the culture. I have an uncle that went to live in Japan and work as a professor at least 20 years ago. He says he is absolutely never moving back to California. To me, that says a lot about what a great country Japan and it’s people are. I am going to get there someday! I already know I’ll fall in love with it as well.
As a Canadian woman who lived alone in japan from 1982-1991, I know how challenging life for any foreign woman can be. Shelley has done an amazing job here on a beautiful home worth saving. While this is a dream home for many, the lack of services, medical specialists, and the small town mentality can be wearing to deal with. I certainly would have checked into the laws before approaching the Japanese police about anything. Anything. Good for you Shelley.
LOL I know right? Especially as a foreigner, the Japanese police are the LAST people you'd want to approach about anything. That said, she admits she was naive about it.
I've been to Japan myself, and the locals would tell me that the police are definitely not helpful, and if you were to be accused of something, never admit it or sign a confession. It's not like the western countries justice system, it's harsh and often without adequate representation of the accused.
We were there at similar times - I was there from ‘76 to ‘81. I am also Canadian. I never found the police to be unapproachable rather the opposite. Different area. Different stories. I relished my time living in Japan.
Shelly is literally living my dream!To live in Japan,and in such a gorgeous home.😍Wow.100k is a trailer in California where i live.Her home was the deal of the century.I would love 2 meet her and chat.
I admire this woman for her kind in welcoming visitors to the house. How sweet to give tours to people of the village and running an air B and B . The antiques make the cost of the house a bargain.
Hey Sean, thanks for giving an update, I really appreciate it. I am really glad everyone is doing well. Sad to know about the videos but I really, really hope you upload solo at least contents like this in the nearest future. I really enjoy the works and so do others on here. All the best Sean stay safe and well. @@SeanandOreo
There's a special place in heaven reserved for people who restore notable old homes just because they deserve to be restored. People who spend small fortunes to restore a Frank Lloyd Wright home, or some of the mid-century masterpieces, or a neglected Japanese estate. Kudos for your commitment.
The American lady did a really good job restoring the entire estate from scratch. I just want to say thank you to her for understanding and appreciating Japanese culture.
Shelley you are such a special person the fact that your preserved so much of the home and even kept the life of the families. It makes things all the more real. You've done wonderful work 💓
I think I can watch this documentary 100 times and not get bored... the house is so beautiful and the owner projects such warmth and kindness that I feel like I am being welcomed into her home. Thank you for sharing yourself and your beautiful home.
I’ll be honest this is the second time I’ve watch this and I I am moved by your accomplishment and your dedication and I honor your value in respecting other people culture and their history because it is important to things are preserved what a great pleasure to see what you’ve done I wish you well in all of your endeavors
Wow, Bravo for Shelly! When I lived there, I was told foreigners couldn't buy property anywhere in Japan. It would've been a nice option since I lived there during the bubble years. Thank you, Sean & Nami for this report! So nice to know!
Very emotional how destinies synched. This house was waiting patiently for her all thru the years, nobody else but a soul connection could have dedicated to restore it with so much respect and loving care as Shelley did.
That is absolutely wonderful that she is restoring it to it's natural beauty. The fact that the locals can come in and look at the house and she welcomes people to visit the property. I am kind of envious she has all those amazing beautiful treasures that came with the house.
Yeah, someone should go visit this place. But like the lady, I'm not waiting for someone because I will be the one to go visit this place as soon as I can clear a month of time off from work and COVID lets me travel. :D
jamesonknott old ghosts probably must have looked at her with all curiosity at first, thought her strange and had thoughts like "Oh, look at that yellow hair of hers. or "Look at how tall she is." It seems they like her, as she cares for their home and keeps it in order. Ghosts are very sentimentally attached to places and items therein. They love having custodians keeping their places in original state.
Wow! Absolutely awesome! Thanks to Shelley for her dedication to historically restoring this gem .... and to you, Sean & Nami, for creating this video!
That thing you were beating is some times known as a fish, and was used to set the rhythm for chanting. What an amazing restoration, you should be proud to have done it justice. Congrats for restoring a real treasure!
It's an amazing house and all its content. So many stories to tell. SHELLEY purchased it at 100k...in the end it's all worth near $3M prob more is my estimate. It's an amazing little Doco! Well done!!
Awesome! I will be talking iwth Shelley Clark tomorrow on my talkshow Seek Sustainable Japan! She is also a brainiac about our common oceans and fisheries working with the UN- love her love for restoring old houses like this and helping to reinvigerate dying rural communities like this :) Thanks so much for sharing her story!
Thank you! This was an amazing video and lady. I could feel the emotion when she talked about that woman who was not allowed to enter the house as a child, though she was a relative to the family. Thank you again.
absolutely loved this video. Shelley seems brilliant, empathetic, and centered... She's well deserving of this treasure that she shares with the community. Amazing !
@@davidjacobs8558 there true value is realised once the sword is restored & how well its been restored, watched a small documentary specific to this subject, how they were being restored & some were going to auction.
Wow she made a really good deal with that house! Of course I don't know how much she spent on renovating that place, however the preexisting furniture is probably worth the purchasing price.
I admire and respect Shelley. I only wished she kept a video or photo journal of the restoration. It would had been another incredible video documentary. Who knows - 600 years from now, some other stranger may come across this place old and abandoned again and want to restore it. The circle and cycle of life continuing.
Her story about the condition of the house reminds me of mine. It's an old kominka with bathhouse, two kura storage buildings, a shed/horse barn, and used to have a pond. It even has its own water flowing in from a small mountain, springs, stone walls all around, large fields behind and rice fields in the front. After I bought it, I found all sorts of valuables that were left behind: a Meiji period Buddhist bible copied from Edo period texts, large butsudan, two irori, a diamond, 163 old coins, old paper money, a collection of pictures over 100 years old, and a WWII katana in great condition. I'm still cleaning and finding more stuff to this day. It needs so much work and keeping the animals out is a huge challenge, but the place deserves to be restored. Long ways to go. Thanks for sharing this place! Inspiring!
I love how respectful she is of the house and its history. She keeps its historic character, she restored its historical details and pays tribute to the memories of the estate.
Hi Sean & Nami, wow, you two did a great job on this video. It was very interesting to see how much history and culture was hidden in this house for all these years. Also, big thanks to Shelley for granting us an insight in this amazing building. Keep it up guys!
Thank you Shelly for seeing value where Japanese couldn’t see it. Near my house in Kyoto an estate like this was completely demolished to make space for 4 condos, an extremely depressing sight to witness. Once it’s gone history doesn’t come back. The black and white photos are beautiful, and the antiques ❤
Thats depressing. I just came back from Japan after visitng 24 years ago. I lived in Hokkaido in a traditional Japanese wooden home and it was a neighborhood full of them, but I am sure it has changed drastically. Anyway, I stopped in Japan on my way back from Thailand to the US and I only stayed a week as I was disappointed in the culture it has become
I broke into a sweat and like... almost sobbed at the price. That... that is amazing. What a glorious opportunity. What a blessing. My heart ...oooof... I would do anything...
I was fortunate to be able to visit Japan while I was serving in the U S Air Force. Everyone I met seemed to be so friendly and polite. They really made me feel welcome in their country. Because of that, I have grown to love the Japanese people and respect their culture. I found this video to be very interesting. Thank you for sharing it.
Hello Sean, Thank you for making this lovely video! I was totally captivated by every word of it & the entire visual, as well! You did a wonderful job editing this video! I hope you do continue to create content to share because that everyone can do such a beautiful job from start to finish!! You can! You are talented & extremely creative!! Take care!!
I like how emotional she got in the end when talking about the villagers being in the house for the first time. Very respectful woman when it comes to Japanese culture.
I am so moved and surprised your passion, and appreciate very much.Your comments about Japanese people are correct.Your playing koto is so beautiful.Thank you so much🙏
Gorgeous. It always takes a person like this wonderful lady, who really appreciates the history and culture of a site or building to restore it. I wish people in the U.S. would do that with beautiful neglected buildings instead of letting a greedy developer destroy it to replace it with horrible eyesores. Kudos to Shelly for her efforts. The Japanese villagers should be very grateful to her.
Shelley has done a Beautiful job so far in her restorations! It is wonderful that she is honoring the village and the home she now owns. Thanks for sharing! 💓
This house is so restful to the eyes and mind. The Japanese built for the ideal climate they never had. The doors wide open in summer to catch the breezes, the cicadas incredibly loud. In winter with the outer panels in place, the cold wraps around the house like a blanket, the fire seems too small. Outside, nature groomed to incredible perfection, nothing out of place. The new bamboo shouts its greeness out at you, the koi pond its own microcosm of activity. Off in the distance, another train goes clattering by, steel wheels ticking as it slows down for its stop. The sun rises so early here, the people so industrious, so many old people walking around, I look like one of them now.
Wow, this is an amazing video guys, I'd love to visit this property some day. Comes closest to that very traditional, age-gone-by vision of Japan that presumably is hard to come by these days. This is like the equivalent of being able to visit a preserved stately home in the British countryside here in the UK where I'm from, so very cool to see a restored and preserved home like this!
so tragic what happened to the original owners, seeing the black and white photographs almost made me cry.... its so sad how one can lose standing so easily in the blink of an eye.
I'm extremely nostalgic and love to see old things taken care of. How wonderful to see this woman carefully and respectfully take ownership of this treasure. I just love it all - the property, the antiques, the stories... Very well done video. I'm from California and was able to visit Japan once, as my brother has lived there for 25 years now. I would have loved to have seen this property.
This is a lovely and fascinating mini-doc on Shelly, her property and Japanese history. Thank you both for sharing this. I'm currently studying Japanese and shared this video with my classmates and our Japanese teacher. Our Teacher (who is from Japan ) found the video interesting too ^_^. I also study Film making and you did a great job telling this story. I'm looking forward to seeing what else you and your partner have to tell.
![Stromae, Pomme - “Ma Meilleure Ennemie” (from Arcane Season 2) [Official Visualizer]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1F3OGIFnW1k/mqdefault.jpg)
This was a big project for us. Let us know if you enjoy it. If you want to learn more about Shelley's project or the AirBnB here are the links
Her website
www.sasuichi.org/
Her AirBnB
www.airbnb.com/rooms/39117472?s=67&unique_share_id=f73b8be4-fb99-4259-a511-a0c1effd7192
I loved it! Shelley’s my step-cousin. One day, I hope to return to Japan and explore this area.Beautiful video. Exquisite property.
I hope I could visit after the pandemic
Love it. Your coverage of this treasure is perfect. I would want to see that place soon. Let the pandemic be gone.
Beautiful restoration. Japan is so beautiful.
You've shot and edited this beautifully too
I am a Japanese. I really appreciate you, Shelly-san that you take care the Japanese traditional house as it is and keep all o the things belong to the house. I also respect you that you love all the people relating the house including the pictures.
I appreciate your openness to allowing someone to come into a culture and make themselves a part of it. The more people like yourself and Shelley there are, the better off we will all be ❤️
The sincerity and respect that Shelley has for Japanese culture and traditions is heart warming. She is a genuine person. I wish her all the best.
I higly respect anyone who says "someone should" and becomes that someone!
What's wrong with shoulda, woulda, coulda?
@@palmespilates1294 Better with done, finished, completed, lol.
We only get a few of those moments in life. To really come forward fully to embrace the moment will be very rewarding to anyone, as we see here in this video.
Well said
@@palmespilates1294 pretty much all of mind's ailments come from them so the answer is everything?
素晴らしい家屋ですね。
今の一戸建てには、こういう日本らしい風情は失われてしまっているので、こういう日本文化を愛して下さる方が家主になってくれて良かったと思います。
日本家屋は新築すると高いからな。昔から土地を持っている田舎の方が日本家屋の保存状態がいいのは当然のこと。
As a woodworker I can say that the Japanese for hundreds of years were masters of woodworking and joinery and houses like this exemplify that
I am not a woodworker but, when I visited Japan, I marveled at traditional Japanese construction techniques. Entire buildings constructed without nails, wattle and daub walls, wooden beams, tatami mats, etc. Such respect for natural materials and so much of the construction on display and not hidden from view.
yes because they did not have nails
its interesting that it took a MAINER to appreciate and take on the restoration.
@Bruno Desrosiers not everything is about america mate
@Bruno Desrosiers You are joking, right? Have you looked at modern Japanese construction? The framing is good, albeit made of sugi, which is about the worst wood for strength and durability. The rest, not so good. Often, they'll obsess over minor details, true, but miss the big picture which results in things warping, aging fast, and generally not lasting. And for a country plagued by earthquakes and typhoons, most of the construction details wouldn't pass basic building regulations in Australia...
The thing that blows my mind as a cultural footnote, is that in all the time it was abandoned, it wasn't squatted and vandalized or robbed. There's few places in the world orderly enough that that would happen..
Few places have the police presence and heavy penalties that japan has. Its worth mentioning as well that even within the homeless population in japan, drug abuse is not very common like it is in other areas around the world.
@@mikeyjohnson5888 That's a good reminder, thanks. I've watched interviews about stern rules/jail-time even for foreign visitors. And the cultural & policing taboo against cannabis. Stricter gun control laws (great!) All despite looser laws around public drunkenness, domestic abuse & rape litigation (the one stat that's notably higher than average [non-US] western nation criminalities)
Only in Japan
I'm not sure it's about order as a cultural idea, or policing as someone else said (Japan is not in the top 100 for police per capita, and have fewer cops per person than, say, the US, where homelessness is rampant), so much as it is about social support and how the society is built. At least as reported, Japan has the third or fourth lowest homelessness rate in the world - out of a population of 126,000,000, there are about 4,000 homeless people. That's a choice that a government makes, through direct action, wage guarantees, and how property is handled, among other things.
I suspect, too, that most of the folk who are homeless reside in and around major cities, where what services are available to them can be accessed, and they can attempt to get help from as large a population as is possible - I dont know where someone would get food from living out in an abandoned mansion, or help, medicine, etc. Most human life revolves around cities and community centers - living away from other people requires either uncommon skills and unusual willpower, or money. Or rather, it always takes some money to get started if you didnt begin that way, and it takes a LOT to live a 'normal' life away from major population areas, as I think this property is.
@@Mitch_Feral Good research! It's worth mentioning that Japanese homeless are mostly invisible & underreported, with many "internet cafe refugees" living precariously, and many more people below the poverty line. But overall much better than the US.
You don't have to be a homeless squatter to damage empty property though. Kids regularly vandalize things just for fun. So it's still surprising to me that it was never robbed. I think it's village/remoteness helped, as you mentioned.
This was a great short documentary. It wasn’t over produced and had a genuine feel about it. Really enjoyed this!
Thanks so much
Same here! Loved this documentary🤗
Agree with your critique! I really appreciated the style of the documentary video production matched the elegance of the subject matter.
@1Sik_SE , I know, right? Plus, they didn't repeat the same thing over and over, like some doccos do. Usually right after a commercial or Ad, they regurgitate the same thing they said before the break, lm leaving little time for new info before the next Ad. It's so frustrating! This short docco was not like that. Very succinct, well edited and well shot. Not that I'm any expert... However, I know what I like and liked this!
My only critique and its not really a really a critique at all, is I would've liked to have seen the rest of the home, out buildings and property. Beggars can't be choosers though. You can't have a short movie AND see every little detail. I'll stop rambling now. Lol
Much appreciated guys. Well done.
PS: l forgot to mention... It looked like a lovely home that was restored with thought, love and a perfect mix of new and old.
日本の伝統家屋を丁寧に修復し
維持してくださり、
ありがとうございます。
I have so much respect for Shelley, this was a monumental task and it looks beautiful, she is so respectful and appreciative of the treasure she was entrusted with. I am so happy to see that she has been accepted and respected by the local community. Hopefully when this pandemic is behind us we can go and stay, it just looks amazing.
Wow! This is amazing! I’m Japanese, but I don’t believe I could have found the value of this house when it was abandone. I believe the house found you as a perfect owner to belonged! After you remodeled it, I had a new life and it’s so beautiful! Good job!!
Most greedy magnates would buy that place for cheap and turn it into a restaurant. She bought it to be restored and made it into an open museum with a cafe bar. Excellent.
I agree with you.
So a restaurant
@@PenguinCinema correct
I dont see much ethical difference between the two but whatever...
Turning it into a restaurant helps fund for the renovations and brings jobs to the area. Not everyone can afford renovating a 600 year old property (in Japan houses are required to be retrofitted AND earthquake proof so it’s not as easy or affordable as you guys would think). Plus a cafe is technically still a restaurant of some kind just casual and less maintenance. She’s an American who can afford moving to another country like Japan (expensive country) so she definitely could afford doing this.
進む道にあるものをあるがままに受け入れる彼女の姿勢は、見ていて清々しい。どこかひょうひょうとしていてとても自然だ。
そんな彼女だからこそ、この家との出会いがあったのだろう。
建物も囲炉裏も琴も写真も彼女が拾ってくれて本当によかった。
This woman is living my dream. She should write a book about that house, its history, the villagers and herself. It would lovely. Hope you guys will show more videos of this kind of traditional stuff, most of us don't get to see it unless we travel.
Its* history.
It's = it is *or* it has.
Its = belonging to it.
@@englishatheart Petty lol
I agree. She should get in a really good photographer and write a book about the history of the house, its renovation, and the museum it is today. She has done a superb job of historic restoration and preservation. The house is stunningly gorgeous. Too bad that gracious way of life is disappearing into the mists of time. But thank heavens for people like Shelley. 😃
*Excellent idea!* 😍
That is a great idea!
素晴らしい！ここまで大きな邸宅をお手入れ＆再生するのは本当に大変なことだったでしょう。並大抵の情熱で出来ることじゃないと思います。土地も家もきっと喜んでいると思います。
I love that she didn't do it to show off her wealth but give back to the community that had never been able to fully appreciate this estate before. That's really great
I agree.
She seems like a really good person.
Glad she was highlighted for it!
Neither would have been particularly comfortable. Japan does get cold and these traditional buildings just like European castles get very cold and drafty. That’s why both traditional Japanese and European medieval clothing were created to keep people warm.
素晴らしい家！家を見るのが好きで色んな動画を見てますが、断トツに素敵な古民家です😳
行ってみたい、、！
あなたのお陰で家もきっと喜んでいますね。仏壇に祀られている方も。絶対そんな気がします。
im literally losing my mind, A HUNDRED THOUSAND USD?!?!?!?!?!? holy shit thats so insane for such a beautiful piece of property (coming from someone who lives in california only 4 miles away from the beach)
Japan’s already losing population, and the young people are leaving rural areas. Demand is incredibly low in some places.
It's a great price, but I imagine the investment to restore it was significant. So, it wasn't 100k for something move-in ready.
100,000 sounds pretty appropriate to me.
@@anahata2009 here in california even if you want any property its at least 500k, being move in ready or not
That's cheap. In my area in Germany, you pay 500k for trash
As a long retired jewelry appraiser, i say that Shelly might want to photograph her antique swords AS IS, and email the photos off to some of the world class auction houses. Their response might help clarify what the strange word of "polish" the swords means. My experience is that polishing an antique, of ANY KIND, can reduce the value by 50% OR MORE! In other words, DON'T DO THAT polishing thing until you have had world class experts at least see multiple photos of the items. I strongly suspect that there might even be "local" resident experts in Japan who consult with such world class auction houses about things like antique swords, who will gladly come to the estate to examine the swords in person, for little or no charge to her. The net result to Shelly should be a very small outlay of cash on her part in order to obtain first class advice! GOOD LUCK!
That, s true.Any antique object if polished and restored, usually loses value. Search , and study and after try to sell. them.The one from 1600 is rare for sure. Contact Auction Houses. , perhaps is the best idea.Good luck.
Cultural heritage swords are not allowed to leave japan. Most of those that hit the market were not legally exported.
The house is lovely, but I enjoy even more trying to imagine the delight of finding all of the furniture and family artifacts, and imagining the stories that go with them. It's like she bought a treasure chest.
I enjoy thinking about the old family living there years ago
Oh yes can you imagine! Magical
Can tell that Shelley has spent a lot of time in Japan. Her mannerisms and composure is just like a Japanese person. Those are the first 2 behaviors one should learn when living in Japan. To be able to adopt to their culture and show respect. What you do behind close doors is up to you. I used to live in Japan and never learned to speak properly Japanese. I was always surrounded by Japanese friends who simply wanted to talk (practice) English. But by showing Japanese mannerism people thought I was fluent in Japanese, so outsiders would always talk to me in Japanese and I would understand most of it, just by nodding and basic language knowledge I was able to communicate. But it well get you really far in Japan, especially as a foreigner. Amazing property and well done Shelley.
absolute respect for the american lady who bought the house and kept it - mostly - in its original form for her love of the japanese culture. wonderful!
i'm so happy to see the obvious emotion she has for the community where she lives and the house is located! it's one thing to restore a house and respect the culture and its past so much to keep certain elements and even display things like plates and photos belonging to the original family, but it's an entirely different level to invite someone with memories of the house and not being able to enter inside and give them a tour. you can tell she was deeply touched to be a part of that moment. i hope someday i am blessed with enough funds to restore a house like this, keep the memory alive, and be able to pass it on to someone who will appreciate the history and effort
I love when people save old houses and other things like furniture, books etc. Old things are often made with care and quality that is rare theese days. They have a soul and story to tell. ❤️
I was born in Fukuoka in 1955. I have dreamed of returning to visit Japan someday and perhaps even finding Michiko, the nanny that took care of me, to tell her thank you. I don't know why but watching this video actually brought tears to my eye.
Did anyone else melt when she began playing the koto? ☺️☺️
Which one is that
I did! The feeling I experienced was unusual, almost mystical. Encouraged to see someone else was touched as well.
@@sarah3796 flat board with strings
She had wonderful timing and rhythm. She’s very musical and also must have an excellent teacher.
Yes! I was pleasantly surprised that she was great at it.
Beautiful story! This woman did not only restore the house, but also brought peace to the community.
So impressed by Shelley’s respect and knowledge for the Japanese culture. ❤️ we really need more people like that!
Yes. We need more people like her and fewer who are bent on destroying other cultures. She is an inspiration.
Good to see someone with respect for the property they purchased actually putting the effort in to keep it going. Good for her.
Absolutely wonderful to learn about Shelley and her renovation of this lost treasure. Thanks!
Thank God for this Lady for she restored something that should be valuable!!
this is absolutely FASCINATING. Can you imagine stumbling across such a grand place--with all of the goodies left inside it!--and picking it up for practically a song? Wow, she really lucked out. What a beautiful place, she restored it beautifully too!
I Loved learning about this place and the story behind it. Being a woman in residential construction for 32 years, I am especially interested in what she had to do to restore the home. Next time I'm in Japan, I'm coming to visit and hopefully meet Shelly. What am amazing woman to take this project on!
Good thing she was able to fix it up!!! Finding out she is an American, and as an American myself, makes me very proud! She seems to understand and respect the culture. I have an uncle that went to live in Japan and work as a professor at least 20 years ago. He says he is absolutely never moving back to California. To me, that says a lot about what a great country Japan and it’s people are. I am going to get there someday! I already know I’ll fall in love with it as well.
Wow - impressed. This lady is a saint. Cares about people, their history, their culture, puts her money where her mouth is. Many blessings to her.
As a Canadian woman who lived alone in japan from 1982-1991, I know how challenging life for any foreign woman can be. Shelley has done an amazing job here on a beautiful home worth saving. While this is a dream home for many, the lack of services, medical specialists, and the small town mentality can be wearing to deal with. I certainly would have checked into the laws before approaching the Japanese police about anything. Anything. Good for you Shelley.
LOL I know right? Especially as a foreigner, the Japanese police are the LAST people you'd want to approach about anything. That said, she admits she was naive about it.
I've been to Japan myself, and the locals would tell me that the police are definitely not helpful, and if you were to be accused of something, never admit it or sign a confession. It's not like the western countries justice system, it's harsh and often without adequate representation of the accused.
We were there at similar times - I was there from ‘76 to ‘81. I am also Canadian. I never found the police to be unapproachable rather the opposite. Different area. Different stories. I relished my time living in Japan.
この動画をみれて本当によかったです。日本人として大切な事がたくさん入っている動画だと思います。ありがとうございます！
The house sounds like it had a sad history, I'm glad it could be restored with new energy! I'd love to visit someday ☺️
Shelly is literally living my dream!To live in Japan,and in such a gorgeous home.😍Wow.100k is a trailer in California where i live.Her home was the deal of the century.I would love 2 meet her and chat.
Yes but I wonder how much she spent on the renovations?! A LOT I would imagine! Great job though, no doubt about it 🙂
I was able to purchase mine for less than $3000. It was an unbelievable deal.
I admire this woman for her kind in welcoming visitors to the house. How sweet to give tours to people of the village and running an air B and B . The antiques make the cost of the house a bargain.
I was impressed by the fact that they carefully preserved the old Japanese buildings.
These places are so important to preserve and not enough people care enough to do it
Haven;t seen you guys upload in ages. I hope you guys are okay? I really enjoy watching your documentaries/interviews. Please come back.
We split up but we’re both well. Probably no videos in the near future but maybe I’ll return to this eventually. Thanks for checking in! ❤️
Hey Sean, thanks for giving an update, I really appreciate it. I am really glad everyone is doing well. Sad to know about the videos but I really, really hope you upload solo at least contents like this in the nearest future. I really enjoy the works and so do others on here. All the best Sean stay safe and well. @@SeanandOreo
There's a special place in heaven reserved for people who restore notable old homes just because they deserve to be restored. People who spend small fortunes to restore a Frank Lloyd Wright home, or some of the mid-century masterpieces, or a neglected Japanese estate. Kudos for your commitment.
The American lady did a really good job restoring the entire estate from scratch. I just want to say thank you to her for understanding and appreciating Japanese culture.
I'm glad such a caring and respectful person ended up with such a beautiful treasure to restore and safe guard.
Shelley you are such a special person the fact that your preserved so much of the home and even kept the life of the families. It makes things all the more real. You've done wonderful work 💓
I think I can watch this documentary 100 times and not get bored... the house is so beautiful and the owner projects such warmth and kindness that I feel like I am being welcomed into her home. Thank you for sharing yourself and your beautiful home.
I’ll be honest this is the second time I’ve watch this and I I am moved by your accomplishment and your dedication and I honor your value in respecting other people culture and their history because it is important to things are preserved what a great pleasure to see what you’ve done I wish you well in all of your endeavors
Wow, Bravo for Shelly! When I lived there, I was told foreigners couldn't buy property anywhere in Japan. It would've been a nice option since I lived there during the bubble years.
Thank you, Sean & Nami for this report! So nice to know!
Very emotional how destinies synched. This house was waiting patiently for her all thru the years, nobody else but a soul connection could have dedicated to restore it with so much respect and loving care as Shelley did.
He said ‘the price MIGHT surprise you’ haha ya think??? Shelly’s voice is beautiful to listen to too. Great great video
That is absolutely wonderful that she is restoring it to it's natural beauty. The fact that the locals can come in and look at the house and she welcomes people to visit the property. I am kind of envious she has all those amazing beautiful treasures that came with the house.
I absolutely love that she’s restoring the house and outbuildings! What a gem!
I love how her dogs runs around in the garden as if to say, "Hey! Look how huge this place is! This is our garden!".
Me at the beginning: this house is haunted
Me at the end: she's a nice lady, I want to visit this place
Me too
Me too I want to visit!!
Yeah, someone should go visit this place.
But like the lady, I'm not waiting for someone because I will be the one to go visit this place as soon as I can clear a month of time off from work and COVID lets me travel. :D
It probably is haunted but the ghosts were probably just like everyone else in the comments here and the video: “oh... Shelly seems nice.l
jamesonknott old ghosts probably must have looked at her with all curiosity at first, thought her strange and had thoughts like "Oh, look at that yellow hair of hers. or "Look at how tall she is." It seems they like her, as she cares for their home and keeps it in order. Ghosts are very sentimentally attached to places and items therein. They love having custodians keeping their places in original state.
Wow! Absolutely awesome! Thanks to Shelley for her dedication to historically restoring this gem .... and to you, Sean & Nami, for creating this video!
Wow this is so cool!
I really love these documentaries that you two do. I'm humbled and impressed! =O
Thanks so much ☺️
You did such a good job capturing Shelley's kindness.
Thank you for sharing this with us.
That thing you were beating is some times known as a fish, and was used to set the rhythm for chanting. What an amazing restoration, you should be proud to have done it justice. Congrats for restoring a real treasure!
素晴らしいセンスでリニューアルして活かしてくださって感謝します
It's an amazing house and all its content. So many stories to tell. SHELLEY purchased it at 100k...in the end it's all worth near $3M prob more is my estimate. It's an amazing little Doco! Well done!!
100k?! My goodness, that's incredible. And to have all those treasure's left for her to find and treat with respect is unbelievable m
I loved this documentary! shelly is such a wholesome woman. Faith in humanity restored
Awesome! I will be talking iwth Shelley Clark tomorrow on my talkshow Seek Sustainable Japan! She is also a brainiac about our common oceans and fisheries working with the UN- love her love for restoring old houses like this and helping to reinvigerate dying rural communities like this :) Thanks so much for sharing her story!
Thank you! This was an amazing video and lady. I could feel the emotion when she talked about that woman who was not allowed to enter the house as a child, though she was a relative to the family. Thank you again.
absolutely loved this video. Shelley seems brilliant, empathetic, and centered... She's well deserving of this treasure that she shares with the community. Amazing !
wow a priceless treasure for $100,000!
It's maybe what the swords a worth when they're restored...
@@davidjacobs8558 there true value is realised once the sword is restored & how well its been restored, watched a small documentary specific to this subject, how they were being restored & some were going to auction.
Plus restoration costs
Shelley is doing it RIGHT. Community-building, restoration, preservation, and sharing the history and property.
Wow she made a really good deal with that house! Of course I don't know how much she spent on renovating that place, however the preexisting furniture is probably worth the purchasing price.
I admire and respect Shelley. I only wished she kept a video or photo journal of the restoration. It would had been another incredible video documentary. Who knows - 600 years from now, some other stranger may come across this place old and abandoned again and want to restore it. The circle and cycle of life continuing.
I'm so happy she respected the history of the home and the people of the community. It's gorgeous.
Such a wonderful mansion was left unattended! It's a national treasure.
・・・本当に価値のわかる人に渡って、この家もきっと喜んでいることでしょう。😉😉😊
Her story about the condition of the house reminds me of mine. It's an old kominka with bathhouse, two kura storage buildings, a shed/horse barn, and used to have a pond. It even has its own water flowing in from a small mountain, springs, stone walls all around, large fields behind and rice fields in the front. After I bought it, I found all sorts of valuables that were left behind: a Meiji period Buddhist bible copied from Edo period texts, large butsudan, two irori, a diamond, 163 old coins, old paper money, a collection of pictures over 100 years old, and a WWII katana in great condition. I'm still cleaning and finding more stuff to this day. It needs so much work and keeping the animals out is a huge challenge, but the place deserves to be restored. Long ways to go.
Thanks for sharing this place! Inspiring!
Never in my life did I feel so envious. so amazing!!!
@@jtakayama6294 Yes, "lover of all things Japanese" from almost as far away from Japan (Tel Aviv). Thanks for the response.
I love how respectful she is of the house and its history. She keeps its historic character, she restored its historical details and pays tribute to the memories of the estate.
Hi Sean & Nami,
wow, you two did a great job on this video. It was very interesting to see how much history and culture was hidden in this house for all these years. Also, big thanks to Shelley for granting us an insight in this amazing building.
Keep it up guys!
She must have tons of boyfriends
Thank you Shelly for seeing value where Japanese couldn’t see it. Near my house in Kyoto an estate like this was completely demolished to make space for 4 condos, an extremely depressing sight to witness. Once it’s gone history doesn’t come back.
The black and white photos are beautiful, and the antiques ❤
Thats depressing. I just came back from Japan after visitng 24 years ago. I lived in Hokkaido in a traditional Japanese wooden home and it was a neighborhood full of them, but I am sure it has changed drastically. Anyway, I stopped in Japan on my way back from Thailand to the US and I only stayed a week as I was disappointed in the culture it has become
I broke into a sweat and like... almost sobbed at the price. That... that is amazing. What a glorious opportunity. What a blessing. My heart ...oooof... I would do anything...
Both Shelley and the house are exquisite.
I was fortunate to be able to visit Japan while I was serving in the U S Air Force. Everyone I met seemed to be so friendly and polite. They really made me feel welcome in their country. Because of that, I have grown to love the Japanese people and respect their culture. I found this video to be very interesting. Thank you for sharing it.
Hello Sean, Thank you for making this lovely video! I was totally captivated by every word of it & the entire visual, as well! You did a wonderful job editing this video!
I hope you do continue to create content to share because that everyone can do such a beautiful job from start to finish!! You can! You are talented & extremely creative!! Take care!!
Thank you so much for the kind words. Perhaps one day I’ll return but for now I’m pursuing other endeavors.
I like how emotional she got in the end when talking about the villagers being in the house for the first time. Very respectful woman when it comes to Japanese culture.
I am so moved and surprised your passion, and appreciate very much.Your comments about Japanese people are correct.Your playing koto is so beautiful.Thank you so much🙏
This is a stunning renovation. The estate looks amazing, and the restoration to the building was very well done. Kudos to Shelley!
Gorgeous. It always takes a person like this wonderful lady, who really appreciates the history and culture of a site or building to restore it. I wish people in the U.S. would do that with beautiful neglected buildings instead of letting a greedy developer destroy it to replace it with horrible eyesores. Kudos to Shelly for her efforts. The Japanese villagers should be very grateful to her.
Shelley has done a Beautiful job so far in her restorations!
It is wonderful that she is honoring the village and the home she now owns.
Thanks for sharing! 💓
よくぞ日本の宝を見つけていただきまして感謝します。木造の古民家は耐久性があり梁がしっかりしていれば１００年以上長持ちします。
This house is so restful to the eyes and mind. The Japanese built for the ideal climate they never had. The doors wide open in summer to catch the breezes, the cicadas incredibly loud. In winter with the outer panels in place, the cold wraps around the house like a blanket, the fire seems too small. Outside, nature groomed to incredible perfection, nothing out of place. The new bamboo shouts its greeness out at you, the koi pond its own microcosm of activity. Off in the distance, another train goes clattering by, steel wheels ticking as it slows down for its stop. The sun rises so early here, the people so industrious, so many old people walking around, I look like one of them now.
I'm glad she is caring& made it back to show its zenThank you for Sharing.
Wow, this is an amazing video guys, I'd love to visit this property some day. Comes closest to that very traditional, age-gone-by vision of Japan that presumably is hard to come by these days. This is like the equivalent of being able to visit a preserved stately home in the British countryside here in the UK where I'm from, so very cool to see a restored and preserved home like this!
i love japanese traditional designs so much.i wish i can build mine someday😢
so tragic what happened to the original owners, seeing the black and white photographs almost made me cry.... its so sad how one can lose standing so easily in the blink of an eye.
Certainly, a lovely woman who is clearly a respectful custodian of Japanese history.
Bravo Shelley!.
I’ve always loved Japanese culture and history so seeing someone honor this is very nice to see.
Shelley is a godsend for being true with the traditional house preserving it. OMG this place is gorgeous
I'm extremely nostalgic and love to see old things taken care of. How wonderful to see this woman carefully and respectfully take ownership of this treasure. I just love it all - the property, the antiques, the stories... Very well done video.
I'm from California and was able to visit Japan once, as my brother has lived there for 25 years now. I would have loved to have seen this property.
Traditional Japanese Houses inspire serenity! Very beautiful and unique!
This is a lovely and fascinating mini-doc on Shelly, her property and Japanese history. Thank you both for sharing this. I'm currently studying Japanese and shared this video with my classmates and our Japanese teacher. Our Teacher (who is from Japan ) found the video interesting too ^_^.
I also study Film making and you did a great job telling this story. I'm looking forward to seeing what else you and your partner have to tell.
Wow thank you so much 😊 and good luck with your studies!