Winter preparations for my home in Japan
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- Опубликовано: 21 ноя 2024
- Overview:
This is my first winter in my home in Japan. I’m sharing my winter preparations for first timers like me.
My goal:
Do the absolute minimum and spend as little money and resources on home winterizing my home in Japan. This is basically how the locals prepare with some added luxuries of gas and heat pump heating systems.
Overall, I don’t want to over engineer and overspend unnecessarily. Instead, my preference is to find a comfortable and economical in between.
What I did in this video:
Outside
1. Clear the garden to make snow removal easier and avoid crushing my things.
2. Marked out the water and sewerage points to make it easier to find them when snow covered.
Inside
1. Added gas heaters to the kitchen and chill rooms upstairs. I found these second hand, just a couple of years old, online for just $200 which are more than $2000 new.
2. Installed new heat pumps to the bedrooms for roughly $1000 each including installation cost.
3. Added simple curtains to close the space which were surprising effective.
4. Replaced/repaired the washi paper in the shouji doors to close air gaps. I could really feel hot air entering the room where some holes existed in the paper!
5. Added a kotatsu, a heated table, which was great to snug up on a cold winter day.
6. Added an heater to the bathroom.
What I didn’t show:
1. I covered the windows with wood when the snow level increased to avoid the glass caving in.
2. I made sure I have enough shovels and snow removing equipment for the winter.
3. I took down my gutter downpipes to avoid ice clogging and cracking the pipes.
This was my first attempt to an economical approach for winterizing my Japanese home. There were a lot of lessons learned that I’ll add to another video.
About Myoko Kogen:
Did you know that Myoko Kogen is deep snow country. In fact, close to this area is one of the snowiest places in the world. The temperature is usually well below sub zero throughout the winter months.
Take a walk around the neighborhood if you have the chance to visit snow country Japan. You’ll see that locals, especially the older generations, really have incredible winter stamina. They have barely any insulation, use kerosene heaters, close off the house and only use a few rooms in their homes, and work hard to clear snow.
Feel free to give me more ideas in the comments!
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I am Brazilian and have never seen snow in my life, but here I am, taking notes. 🙂
Hahahaha one day 🏂🎿❄️
I have fond memories of the kotatsu I lived with on my first visit to Kyoto in December, 1983.
I like how at 13:52 when he opens the window there’s this random whimsical music playing outside
i was just gonna post about this, why is the music playing at this moment?
depending on the prefecture, this music plays at school childrens time to return home. 16.45 or 17.00 or something like that. It kind of puts the neighborhood on alert. Children are going home, watch out for them.
As someone who has lived in New England all my life, I've seen and lived through many many many blizzards.
When you get snowed in, and you will, make sure you have shelf stable foods. Losing electricity happens here all the time. Having a generator is pretty much the norm. But, even getting a large battery helps a lot. I have used mine to plug in a single electric burner and when you can't get out to get kerosene, which yes is very dangerous, you will have a heating source for food, coffee, tea, etc. Kerosene not only is dangerous as far as causing fires, but the fumes can be lethal. Keeping warm in the worst times? I have a sleeping bag rated for 40 below zero. A pantry stocked with shelf stable food is a must. You can get decent canned and freeze dried foods. Don't forget meds as well. Cough medicine is a life saver when you can't get out and you are sick.
Having beans, canned veggies and fruit, canned or boxes of bone broth, noodles, powdered milk and eggs, canned beef stew, beef jerky, canned or bags of nuts, and nut butters have gotten me through many winters where roads were closed and I could get anywhere.
This sounds kind of odd to me. I live in Siberia, and even during the worst month going out was no issue, electricity have never failed in my entire life during winter, same with heating. Sure, there is still idiocy when it comes to keeping roads clear of snow as if it doesn't happen every single damn year, but we don't need to be as prepared as you said.
I live in New England, too, and so we LOVE our woodstove! We always keep plenty of firewood on hand (usually 2 cords plus plenty of boards salvaged from wooden pallets). My wife is an absolute CHEF at cooking atop the woodstove! :D
@@elu9780 You don't know the difference between Siberia and New England?
@@equalityforall8418 how is that any relevant? I'm pointing out that regular weather events should not strongly impact infrastructure because the said infrastructure should be designed for that, considering that the said regular weather events have a very long history, and so not having infrastructure that can withstand them is shortsighted and massively stupid.
The amount of work you put into this is amazing. Thank you for sharing.
So that curtain is a great idea. You can also double up the curtain as well. Just put one curtain flush against the other one, sharing the single rod. More layers=less air transiting across. You can also use a couple small fans to help circulate the warm air from the living room into the bathroom, which also protects the bathroom pipes a bit from freezing.
Awesome! Thanks :)
Best way to keep heat in….. like we do in freezing winters plastic on all the windows works awesome
you could always put a very heavy curtain across the front door having two layers of curtains would help with winds and the cold
We did this to separate our mud room from the rest. It was not insulated and was so cold but the curtain made a huge difference.
田舎の家を素敵のリフォームして住むなんてすごいです👏
When you raise the inside humidity level, it makes the room feels warmer.
Jack, the Japan Alps Brit
Hey Matt, Canadian here, heat pumps are a solid choice, but oil (kerosene) or Natural gas (and propane) heating are perfectly safe, and are used in millions of wood framed houses here in Canada, where we get very similar winter
a man still passionate about fossil fuels.... yeah boy
@@samuelhowell7364 haha I'm not, its just theres no sense in making it out that using either fuel will 95% likely you will die in your sleep or your house will burn down.
@@samuelhowell7364heat pumps are fine, however, an alternative in case of power outage or an extreme weather event can be a wise investment.
Absolutely...use natural gas and it's the most efficient way to heat your home...I'm in Ottawa and have almost identical winters as what he would experience in Japan...no issues with natural gas...
Heat pumps are the way to go, although the cost of electricity is higher in Japan so the energy bills will be higher. But it is safer, you aren’t burning fossil fuels and you can air condition in the humid Japanese summers. Too bad your electrician couldn’t hide the cables going from your mini splits to the outside. Those shouldn’t be exposed inside a room-they should be put through the wall behind the mini split so you don’t see them.
Regarding your entryway. I used to have windows that allowed ALL the wind in, even when closed. Fortunately, this was a "closed" porch. So I hung pretty shower curtains on the outside of the window and door entering from the porch to living area. Worked perfectly. I had tried cloth, but it was not as effective ad plastic shower curtains. You should try those!
Hi Matt, Regards from The Netherlands, what a fantastic house you have bought. I love Japan so like your channel very much. But the kerosine heating system…did not know that. Good that you put up a heating pump !. Nice to be a virtual guest at your house in Japan. Take care and enjoy Matt 🙏🏻☀️👍🏻💪🏻
You brightened things up !!!! So so nice you didn’t need a interior decorator at all 😂❤
I have a big window in my bathroom too and it was very cold in winter then I made a small greenhouse against that window, now everything is better.
Looking at your shed, you should get an angle grinder and out a wire brush wheel or cone on it and knock down the rust on the corrugated steel, then go over it with naval jelly (gelled phosphoric acid) to remove and neutralize the rest, then prime and paint so it doesn't deteriorate.
FYI: the mini splits don't bring in any outside air at all. That's kind of the whole point. They are heat pumps, they bring in heat from the outside and use that to warm the air in the house. That's what makes them so efficient.
It also makes them inefficient as well. We call them split systems here in Australia as well. I have two in my house (bedroom and lounge room). And I live in a part (southern) that gets cold at night in winter. And if it drops to 2 or 3 degrees or lower the heat exchange coils on the outside unit doing all the heavy lifting ‘ice over’ when operating and the entire unit struggles. So I imagine in the temps in Japan at sub zero they must really struggle to maintain heat.
Lets not forget once it drops to 20 and below they no longer will work for ac or heating
This is fascinating content, I’m very interested in seeing how your winter there goes, love the changes to your home it’s so nice.
I am really enjoying your channel, thank you! I wish that sometime you could post videos showing what it is like in winter when the deep snow comes, and what life is like then. I live in a subtropical climate and I can’t even imagine what it would be like. 😊
enjoy your winter!
Yeah 😃 me too! Wonder do they play music through out streets there during winter? Perhaps to replace bird song??
But did like the music.
Great to see another video, Matt! Your home is looking very cosy and inviting! You’ve done a fantastic job! xo
Lovely home video yep show all the shops near your home what they sell and everything
Create more videos like this and do day in the life vlogs. Show us your town where you live and your house bro.
And i love your videos bro they are awesome.
Here in Finland we have triple windows, douple front doors to keep us warm in winters. Plus we have good insulation in our houses. Newer houses have floor heating that is so nice in bathrooms. Your house looks great and loving tour channel. Thank you ❤
Looks very nice. ❤ Great new toilet. You've done an amazing job.
Thanks so much! 😊
Very interesting video. You explain things so well.
That’s a lot of snow coming… sir blessings to you
I just found your channel and subscribed. I really like all the renovations. Simple and tasteful. Also I appreciate that you describe everything honestly. Cheers!
Thanks, appreciate your comment and the time you took to write it!
I like to be genuine and think things through out loud and tweaking ideas as I go along :)
@@im.mattguy I think that’s the best way! Cheers and congrats on your new home!
I know Im late but your guest rooms would be soooo cool with many bonsais. It would actually be an incredible touch to have them all over the place. Like perpetual x mass trees but bonsai
I wouldn’t mind the snow if I didn’t need to go out much. I grew up in the hot desert and being snowed in would be kind of cozy- hot tea. Curtain is a great idea!
You're living my dream! I want to move to Japan!! Hope it's going well! :)
It’s a fun journey :) thank you!
the heat pump system is the way
The air is much fresher than gas :)
@@im.mattguy In regards to the windows, given that you've already overwintered once - get those double glazed windows and better doors ASAP. Insulation is key when it comes to saving heat and from what I know Japanese houses are very underinsulated.
Throwing out the gas and going full heat pump might also not be a bad option, just look for units that support HYPER HEAT (aka they pump out more heat at lower temperatures and are optimized for heating - very important since you're in snow country). Europe's been using them for well over two decades already, but Japan absolutely leads the forefront with these heat pumps. Mitsubishi Electric is a really good choice too when it comes to the brand. There's also a version that heats domestic hot water instead of the air, might be another interesting option if you ever opt to forego the gas heater for the water.
Woud be interested to see some snow removal videos later!
I’ll add a few :)
Hi Matt. Joe here from the central Gulf coast of Florida. Amazing price for the house! I'm from northern US originally and winters were brutal. Glad I found your channel
You've made the place so nice
Also by the way I love your videos, and a little side note to my previous comment another good way that I like to heat up the house is baking!! During the winter you can have some tasty treats and it's very therapeutic baking with the snow falling and the oven heats up the house a good amount!!
A very nice home. Stay snug.
Looks good! I'm really happy for you😊😊 ありがとう！
Winter the bonsai in the shed.
Thank you from Houston, Texas. Be Blessed
Your house is awesome and just area you live in. Live your channel!
BTW, hauling that waste across the road for the community garden would be easier if you get a plastic reinforced tarp, fill it with the waste, fold the edges over and drag to the dump areas
You should pipe the lower vent higher than snow level, or if it gets buried in the snow, it won't vent.
It’s always higher as that road is cleared regularly which is why it could be placed there
Great video. By the way, not sure which country you originally come from (sounds Australian or NZ but not sure) - they are what we call split systems (combined heating/air con). Made by Daikin, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, LG etc. Hence the machinery is out side and inside you have a unit on the wall with the fan unit. They are the standard type of unit used in Australia and NZ to save having individual units for air con and heating. BUT, and a big BUT in winter (I live in a cold part of Australia) they don’t work well around zero. The outside unit heat exchange coil (those lots of tiny slices of metal you can see on the sides of the unit) WILL ice up and the performance drops. I am not sure they are cheaper overall - they use electricity. I find they work best between above 5 degrees. We have two ourselves (bedroom & lounge) and we placed the outside units in the Lee of the house but relatively protected from both winds, rain and the direct sun (for summer).
By the way gas heatings or wall furnaces are also common in Australia and NZ and they are always vented outside through the roof.
I was operating them at -10 som days and they worked great. I like that the temperature can be controlled a lot easier than gas and doesn’t have the thick air feel :):) thanks for the comment!! Appreciate the advice!
You thought of everything...Looking really good!!! :))
Thank you!! 😊
Could you make a video of how the house looks from inside and outside, when the snow hits the worst?
I’m curious, what do you do for a living? What made you choose Japan for your home?😊
Following 😊
Food and a grill also key if power out, should have a 30 day supply food, water.
Love the channel, just found it and binged through everything. I take it these are reuploaded from December? What has happened in the past 6 months any updates?
Thanks!! Spent the winter snowboarding and took time off renovation. I’ll put more time into it now and make more effort in documenting it for the enjoyment :)
I wanted to understand how the house performed during the winter before making big changes. Seems like the smarter and more economical approach
Thanks for the follow up video. Looking good!
We use heat pumps in GA, USA!
Love them for the fresher air! Can feel the difference
Have you thought about solar panels on the roof (including the shed?) If you angle them right, they may work decently in the winter too.
In that case you could cut down on your heating bill by warming up the whole house w/ the AC in the day time.
solar panels are insanely expensive
@@hazexo1131 🤣 they’re on about one out of 4 new homes in Japan and 1/10 existing ones.
Japan has net metering which reduces your pay back period even faster.
I would keep all the wood, nice and fresh Osmo everything. Paint everything else.
I kept all of the wood besides the kitchen. I wanted a different feel to the rest of the house and happy with the decision :)
Do some Dow Chemical blown in insulation. The black out insulated curtains will help
I use kerosene heaters here in America for emergency heating and my house is wood framed over 100 years ago. And the diy mini split is a good choice for heating/cooling. However they do not bring in outside air.
Thank you for the wonderful video.
Thank you too!!
Soapstone ovens are very good and burns up to 8 hours you can use wood or pellets
Snow is a great isolation. Just as long its under 0 celcius
You have a nice home. Very cozy.
I recommend natural gas very inexpensive and works wonders i live up north in canada it gets -40( even colder some days) in winter and it has no problem keeping the house warm
Natural gas is more expensive than electricity in Japan
@@im.mattguy really that's crazy it's way cheaper than electricity in Canada
Actually it fluctuates here. Depends on the area and depends on the economy. Two years ago it was gas and now it’s electricity
I would still get a carbon dioxide and monoxide detector anytime you have a gas appliance. Leaks are pretty common.
Just found your channel and watching your experience my first thought was...oh crap no split AC. Looks like you remedied that issue LOL. I live in Yoko we get hot and the cold those split A/C's are a god send. Though it looks like you get more cold then heat. My first place I rented only had a split in the front room it was horrible.
I used bed comforters on my windows
That is a lot of snow! Keep us updated…
Wool blankets will keep the cold out and the warmth in. You could even use it to cover the window in the bathroom… Natural fiber of the wool Is an excellent insulator?
Great video man ❤❤
Profile pic is a rough design into a clean sustainable electric generator... some equipment and help reinforce the grid and be self sustainable incase of grid failure. Needs some fine-tuning in final design for application. Safe travels.
Awesome heating solution! What kind of visa are you on?
He may or may not be illegal immigrant ?
Air pumps are only any good if the house is insulated up to the hilt, particularly in old houses
Such a Cool house man!!!!
So heat pump technology is NOT designed to be turned off. Find a temp you like “set it and forget it”!
If you turn the unit off “when you’re not using them and then back on when you want them” it’ll end up costing you a lot more money!
Heat pumps do what ever it takes (high draw/more money) to to bring a room to temp but it just takes pennies to keep it there
So, find a comfortable temp, set it and leave it run. This will save you money AND help to dehumidify the home (leave interior doors open for best comfort, performance and longevity of the home).
How do you cook in your new home? I have not been able to see a stove, propane countertop, or even a microwave in your kitchen. Do you eat all your meals at little restaurants close by your place? Your home is looking so beautiful, you have accomplished so much and it looks very comfortable, a cross between the two cultures, both Japanese and westernized living. Very curious to see how much snow you get, let us know.
Thanks for the kind comment l!
I have an induction stove top that works great for me. Also have a microwave. Otherwise there are a lot of restaurants close by but usually cook.
We had around 10 meters / 32ft of snow last winter :)
@@im.mattguy WOW! I love snow, look forward to it on the rare occasion we get a little bit here in Virginia, but believe 32 feet might be a bit much, overkill I'd say. Glad to see you survived it all. Now you have the experience to know what to expect and how to handle it in the coming years.
Great video
Beautiful house you have bruh. i will visit Japan soon, where in Japan is your house ?
Matt your accent sounds like a mix of Aussie and South African
Any space in the roof or under floor for batts or some kind of foil-backed foam insulation? It’s a pain in the butt to install but can be done by yourself and is a pretty cost effective way to increase heat retention.
Make sure you get a carbon few monoxide monitors if you are using gas heaters .......
So cool.
I looked up the weather for MYOKO KOGEN, over next 10 days high is just under 90F and low about 70. I remember could still see snow on the mountain peaks when lived in Aizu till summer, but really confused, it really is snowing where you are now, the middle of July?
Concrete isn’t safe due to earthquakes so I’d be happy with wood and steel. Then add extra insulation and heated floors for winter and summer. However I think you’re doing a great job with what you have.
Concrete isn't safe? My guess is that they don't build with it properly where you live. I live in earthquake zones and they have just finished re-inforcing all the schools with concrete. It's the interior steel that makes it strong.
@@marceld6061 I lived/grew up in San Diego California and they have some of the most stringent building codes in the US. Due to the risk of concrete breaking and falling during earthquakes it’s not used. Wood is much more flexible and safe in that respect. I’m interested to know where you live that they think concrete is better during earthquakes, it’s ultimately cheaper but I doubt safer.
@@vc8666 The northern end (opposite end from you) of the Cascade subduction zone.
@@marceld6061 so other than northern California and Alaska not an area known to have had many significant or frequent earthquakes. When was the last earthquake you felt in your house/school? I felt dozens in the 36 years I lived in San Diego. I think Alaska also builds with more timber than concrete for similar reasons. BTW not trying to be rude, just interested in knowing what earthquake prone areas encourage concrete use.
@@vc8666 We've had 67 in the last year. Most have been quite small. In July there were five that ranged from 4.3 to 6.4 I only felt the largest of those because they were far enough under the ocean surface. Another one I felt was a 5.5 in about 2004. Before that was in the 1990s. But I moved away for a few years in-between those times.
We are expecting, and overdue for, a 7 or greater.
The work I have seen done at the schools runs 2 large (about 4 feet square) reinforced concrete beams through the schools along the length with much larger angled braces outside like this: /-----\ I'm not sure if there are any additional re-inforcements inside the buildings. I've not been inside. Many of the schools around here were built before 1960 and others before 1920. I think their focus is preventing the building's collapse with kids inside. I was in the building business most of my life. Code started requiring hardware (like Simpson Strong Ties) in the late 80s. The idea being to keep the building on the foundation, while allowing for some flex in the building at the same time, keeping it from shaking apart. There have been updates in footing to foundation connections as well as sizing too.
My understanding is the earthquakes in the San Diego area are 'Transform' (side-by-side) and ours are 'Convergent' (one under the other). There is another type, Divergent, where the plates spread apart. That has a lot to do with building construction requirements. They are not all the same! Different needs for different places.
Could you do a bit more on the heat pump? Do you have both systems installed? As you mentioned Aircon, gas heater and Heat pump. So a little confused to what systems you have. It's something we might get ourselves. Prices? construction? Any further issues with mold?
You should have a fence since the road so near
Those air-air ACs dom bring in air from the outside. Its the chemicals that heat or coola from the outside part to the inside part.
I used to live in a house that required wood stove heating, which can also poison you if not used properly. Just make sure you have Carbon Monoxide detectors on both floors, just to be safe.
I just found your channel and I am fascinated with your house. Are you in Japan permanently? Do you speak Japanese. Do you work there ? As an interior designer ? I have only been to Japan once. The very best vacation my late husband and I ever had. Such an impressive country ! Sorry if I am being nosy, just curious. I subscribed. Best wishes
Thanks for comment! Yup living in Japan and speak Japanese. I work in tourism :)
I’m in Tokyo Japan right now it’s hot as heck outside. What part of Japan is this house located?
It’s n the description.
YOu're the man!!!
In all these videos i was looking forward to seeing 3-5 metres of snow, what do i get to see? a couple of centimetres.
I am enjoying your videos. Just curious, do yo feel that you need a larger refridgerator to get you through the winter months since it might be difficult to go shopping?
I learned a few years ago that locals actually turn the fridge off in winter and use somewhere outside and a space under the house. This is to save money on electricity
Where did them massive trees come from ?
The ones where you was going to park your car in the garden ?
Try Bubble wrap on the window
Wow, now is summer and Japan got snow already !?
I'm thinking manly, just cast iron woodstove and a few blankets
Maybe for the shed 😂
Hi Matt how did you find a house to buy like yours? Are there many in that area that are priced that low
Is there a certain link you can share to look at different prices on houses, please
Thanks!
How did you go about buying your home? Did you use a company like NTI to handle all the transactions? Does living in a rural area require a car? And if so how hard is it to obtain all the proper paperwork and licenses ? Many thanks
I lived in Aizu-Wakamatsu for 5 years. We had some winters where get a lot of snow, but not like what you are describing. Is it really snowing in July? In Aizu we did not get snow till much later in the year.
Maybe live upstairs in winter heat rises and downstairs in summer
So hot in Los Angeles now I’ll take winter at this point and super cold !
No pets Matt ?
In the next 3 days? It’s summer in Japan. Where are you getting that sort of snow in summer?
Yeah I'm guessing the video was recorded 6 -8 months ago