Update on drainage

Upon our return to Oba chan chi's during my Spring break holidays we were confronted with watercress that had happily grown all along the drainage line that we had dug on our previous visit.

Our little helper was eager to get her new garden gloves dirty!

Once we  pulled away the watercress  and dug a drainage line that was straight, rather than  the original curved one, we were ready to lay the gravel and PVC piping.

              

 What great progress my treasures had made in one day!

A concrete U drain was set in place beside the flow of water and then the seams were sealed together with water resistant concrete.

This is the side view from the opposite side.

We used the concrete lids to the U drain to make a retaining wall.

Front view of the retaining wall with a bit of the concrete chiseled away to allow for the water to flow.

We laid the PVC pipe down just to see if it was sitting correctly against the retaining wall before making any adjustments.

While its not pictured here,  gravel was laid under the PVC pipe for support, as we are planning on covering the pipe over, but just wanted to wait and see if the water was flowing where it should be. 

So we achieved a lot on this particular day. We also developed a back ache from digging and lifting heavy concrete! So the onsen was a welcoming treat come the evening.

Eco-friendly comfort

So...after making do with our bucket toilet system for awhile we eventually went with the composting toilet, Porta Potti and so far we love it!
                 

                           

It made me think why on earth we don't have these in our own toilets, but then the reality of handling the composting in built up areas may not always seem so realistic. In the countryside it works perfectly!
My treasure took great pleasure in assembling the Porta Potti and explained that the bottom and top sections are filled with water and a neutralizing solution that  wards off odours and also rinses the toilet bowl. 

There is a lever on the side (along with the toilet paper) of the toilet that opens a shutter door within the toilet. Once you are finished you just push a button which releases a swish of water and pushes everything down into the top section of the toilet. The shutter is then closed inside the toilet.

Just in the front below the toilet seat there is a green indicator which lets you know when the  tank is full and needs to be emptied.

Now let's take a look at what we needed to do before we could even install this beauty.

Oba chan previously had a squat style toilet which was very typical in Japan years ago and are still used today throughout Japan. However with modernization the western style is now more widely used. As Oba chan grew older the squat style was becoming difficult for her to use, so she placed a sit down style over the top of the existing. So this is what we were confronted with in the beginning.

While this looks similar to what we installed, look what was under it.....

                                         

The ceramic and floor boards were pulled out to reveal the pit underneath.

A panel of thick ply board was installed, but we plan on adding wooden flooring over the top for extra strength and for aesthetics.

We couldn't be more happy with the results of our new toilet, but it seems that the eight legged residents also enjoyed hanging out on the walls and behind the basin sink tap! In Australia we have songs written about the spider in the toilet, but when you are confronted with not one but Mr & Mrs Spider you are at first freaked out, but after awhile you learn to co-exist when nature calls.

So, what do you think? What an improvement, right! But this is a project that is definitely~

 TO BE CONTINUED.

If the walls could talk......

You may have noticed last week that the wall behind the tansu project has been painted white. This was another one of those jobs that I really wanted to get to and start. You see the tatami room is where we sleep and as you look up at the walls it can feel quite depressing and dreary. 

See what I mean...depressing!

I felt the walls were crying out for some paint. It may sound funny to say, but as I was painting the walls I felt them say, "Thank you" or rather "Arigato." 

Once I had washed down the walls I was ready to paint and I have to say that once I had the paint roller in my hand and some music playing in the background I was in my element. 

Little did I know as a young girl on my first trip to Japan and to Oban chan chi's, that 23 years laters I would return to paint the walls of this humble farmhouse. As my mother always says, "You never know what will happen from one day to the next." 

The walls inside the main area of the house are primarily mud walls, so I applied a coat of "Milky White" paint with a paint brush first to cut in and then afterwards used the roller. 

I have to say that the small narrow roller was brilliant to use. In my home country of Australia we have smaller rollers, but not this narrow and it isn't as heavy when it is loaded with paint. So it made the job much more enjoyable.

The mission was to paint the whole tatami area which took me a full day. I was happy that I only needed to stand on a box rather than a ladder, as the ceiling height is a bit lower making the job less back breaking.

It seems that Oban chan had a grey undercoat applied, but didn't go any further which I imagine wasn't on her mind financially at the time. 

My next job is to paint the wood trims a dark chocolate brown, as opposed to black which is a traditional look for the area but with it being such a small area it may feel a bit overwhelming. A bit more research will be needed to make our final paint purchase decision. While I only needed to stand on a box to paint, my back was still feeling the ache and so it was time for another onsen!

Cherry blossoms and canola flowers line the Naka river in Oba chan's town

A face lift

On so many trips to Izu I have various projects that I want to tackle, some big and some small, but one that has been on the top of my list for some time is to sand and wax a set of draws or as they are known in Japanese- tansu.

BEFORE

It is not an expensive antique find that we had unearthed by any means, just a simply made unit made of pine. I imagine the draws held many things for Oba chan over the years and it served her well.  I just felt it was time to give it a little love, so on this past weekend I made it my mission to breath some life and moisture back into this very farmhouse style piece of furniture.

Firstly, I sanded all the draws and frame with a 120 grade sandpaper and then with a finer 320 grade. I then gave it a good vacuum and wipe down. 

At first I wasn't too sure of whether I wanted to use a lacquer or wax and even what colour I should use. What I did want to do is honor the farmhouse look we are going with at Oba chan chi's. In the end I went with Briwax, which claims to be a world famous product from England. We went with the colour "Jacobean."

Left: wax applied & right: no wax

I'm happy with the results!

AFTER

The tansu is not totally finished because as you can see the four draw pulls on the bottom were removed. Over the years Oba chan must have changed them to some nasty cheap pulls. They where a hassle to remove, but they just had to go. I'll be on the hunt for new ones of similar design. When I have completed this project I will update you later with the end result, but I just wanted to show you my progress with this weekend project.

Now I am thinking about what lovely Japanese inspired flower arrangement I can display on top of the tansu. I know it will hold what blooms around Oban chan chi's, as with the change  of seasons brings a different flower to behold in this little part of the world. After sanding all day long and with dark brown wax that has managed to seep into my fingernails, I really need that onsen. However,  before that a girl needs to stop and sample the local treats like a sakura flavoured ice-cream and of course take in the nearby sakura trees that line the riverbank!

The lady of Izu

One thing you will notice if you ever get the chance to travel to this little piece of heaven are the sculptures that are dotted around the town. Interestingly from my observations, most of these works of art are mainly females. As you enter and exit Obachan's town you are greeted and farewell by this lady (sorry, the statue is so small, as I was taking this pic quickly from the back of our car). It is a statue of a woman holding a child in her arms overlooking the ocean.

Here is another woman displayed in the middle of Michino eki (road side station), right near the local onsen I shared with you last week.

 With Spring just around the corner there is another attraction that has begun in the local area called, "Tanbo wo tsukata hanabatake," Spring flowers in the rice fields.

Not only can you enjoy walking amongst the beautiful spring blossoms with the mountains surrounding this peaceful town, you can also soak your toes into a small foot onsen (hot spring) in the open air. This spring time flower display is on from the beginning of March until 5th May. After this time the local farmers will again begin planting in their rice paddy fields.

This week we had an exciting delivery arrive at our door for a much needed item at Obachan chi's. I hope to share with you next week. Until then its time for another onsen!

Local attractions

About 10 years ago there was a Japanese television drama called, "Sekaino chushinde Ai wo Sakebu" that was filmed in Obachan chi's town. The storyline follows the lives of two young high school sweet hearts with the backdrop of Izu and its beaches. The climax of the story has the girlfriend diagnosed with a terminal illness. Yes, it was young love and yes it was also sad. The boyfriend travels to Australia (my homeland!) as a last wish to his girlfriend to scatter her ashes in the Northern Territory. Interestingly, the funeral parlor used in the drama was the same used for dear Obachan. The original story was also translated into English which is called, "Socrates in Love".

The lookout overlooking the town below as shown in the tv drama

Obachan chi's town is not only famous for this particular drama, but is also featured in the current Pasco bread advertisement showing this same lookout. 

Another popular attraction with both the passing tourists and locals is the local onsen (hot spring). It is always a welcome treat for us too at the end of our day to relax and recharge our tired muscles. The onsen is open to the public 7 days a week. As we are part-time locals (meaning we pay for the utility bills) we can  also enjoy this local attraction for ¥300 per visit and for non-locals ¥500. It's a bargain in my opinion as there are both indoor and outdoor onsens with a blossoming sakura tree overhanging and mountains to set the scene......so now you know where we head too!

Nature's calling

The last visit to Obachan chi's we realised two things that would make our experience somewhat more comfortable while we renovate the old farmhouse. One was to be able to use a kitchen sink...Obachan's kitchen is like a black hole at the moment and not a place you want to be in for any length of time. Sorry to say, its seen better days. 

However, worse than this is the toilet situation that needs our urgent attention. Obachan chi's was originally fitted out with a pit latrine, pit toilet or thunder box, however you like to call it. The truck stopped calling some time ago when septic came to town, but this little farmhouse is behind the times and hasn't been updated since. I was a bit hesitant to share this photo which shows the state that we found the toilet in 8 years old. Safe to say its been cleaned up since. Actually, when I gave the toilet a good clean out I found that little crab bodies had become trapped in the small sink and died. I never in my life would have thought that I would be cleaning out little crabs from a sink!  

Our options at present are to  (a) install a septic system to be able to flush, (b) install a composting system to be environmentally friendly with nature or (c) a portable toilet system that separates for later composting.
Since we don't stay at Obanchan's for long periods of time (wish we could though), the expense of a septic tank operation doesn't warrant the financial outlay, as we are definitely on a budget. However, like I said before that doesn't mean we can't be comfortable in the process of renovating this little place.

I'm going to be quite straight with you when I say I have no problem with presently using a bucket as a temporary measure, but it was the other members of our family namely our sweet little girl who was no fan of my beloved bucket system. 

So, we did some research and came up with a marine style toilet that may work for us and is up for consideration. 



The portable toilet allows our waste to be separated and then composted later, which works because like I said if we had a authentic composting set up with peat moss/wood chips we would need to be around Oba chan chi's to sort out the waste. What do you think? Have you had any experience with a marine style toilet? We would love to hear your thoughts. But now its time for another onsen.