Aaaah, the cloudy weather is hanging in here in Kumano. But, it hasn’t stopped me from getting a chance to swim in the mountain rivers and enjoy some good beaches. Many people have an image of Japan as a concrete jungle. Well, parts of Japan are covered with concrete. But, it is very concentrated in cities, mostly along the Bullet Train lines. But, few people realize that Japan is still 66% forested with many rice fields and farms on top of that. This leaves a small bit of space for the concrete.

Basically, rural Japan is a great place to live and it is not all that expensive either. I have seen small lots with beat up houses selling for $10,000. You can find a very comfortable home in the countryside for $40,000 to $250,000.  The higher end would be newer and very comfy.

Rent is also quite inexpensive. Of course you don’t get a lot of space for your money. But, it is quite enough for the Japanese lifestyle and everyone learns to adjust to smaller spaces on this small archipelago.

In Canada, I was paying over $1000 a month. In Japan it costs me about $700 a month and that is considered the high end.

I prefer not to own at this time. Perhaps later when the prices drop even further.

If you would like to explore a bit of Kumano virtually you can visit these sites.

http://www.kumanoworld.tv

http://kumano-world.org

When I lived in Kobe I kind of dreaded summer a little. But, here in Kumano, summer conjures up images of rivers, lakes, and streams, and hikes in the mountains with the sound of cicadas everywhere. It also means lots of great Japanese summer delicacies.

If you ever come to Japan in the summer you have to visit Kumano and enjoy the abundant nature here.