airbnb – Whose house is it anyway?

No Carp, No Life (apparently).

“There’s no more tickets left.” I told my husband in disbelief. We were trying to see a game of the beloved local baseball team the Carp. It was only a few days after the tickets went on sale. Sold out instantly for the entire season which goes for six months or so. Unbelievable. This was obviously some years ago, we are now better educated than to expect anything left at the official ticket office.

Miyajima – this World Heritage island is popular with both domestic and international tourists.

When you come to Hiroshima, there are two things you do: visit the Peace Memorial Museum/A-bomb Dome; and see Miyajima (“Itsukushima” as the locals traditionally call it). It may be controversial but I would like to suggest the third “must-do”. That’s if you are visiting the town in its baseball season – go and watch a game live at the stadium!

Make no mistake, I’m no baseball fan. In fact, I’m a city girl from Tokyo who refuses to wear any sports club gear whatsoever. Usually. But trust me, it is a truly unique “Hiroshima” experience, I can assure you.

It’s inevitable you will learn about the Carp if you spent time here. Even if you are not a fan. First of all, you will see the Carp EVERYWHERE. Local ads are filled with its players. If you open a bank account, you’ll get a tissue box with the Carp logo printed on it (and yes, people do want it). Any lucky draw prize would involve game tickets. People’s greetings, followed by the weather, will be about the results of the night before. Your TV host will tell you it’s some player’s birthday today. You will be “educated” on the sport whether you like it or not. It’s worse than the Kiwis with their rugby here.

Yep. Everywhere you look, you will find…

My husband had never seen a baseball game before he came to Hiroshima. But it wasn’t long after we moved that he came home with a red T-shirt that says “No Carp, No Life”. He once wore it on the plane coming back from Sydney, arriving in Tokyo. He was transferring to a domestic flight to Hiroshima and everyone was staring at him, asking the same question. “Are you a Carp fan?” In Hiroshima, you never get asked that question. He wasn’t aware that it is only Hiroshima that people wear baseball gear as everyday wear.

*Reserved Seat Tickets for the Hiroshima Carp vs the Yokohama Bay Stars*

“Bikkuri Terrace” translates as “Amazing Terrace” which is a special seating area where you can enjoy BBQ while watching a game.

So where do you get tickets? I go to discount ticket shops or online auction sites. If a ticket costs $40 officially, then you may pay double or triple that price. This is regrettable but that’s how it is. Try to choose an ethical seller. Re-selling of Carp tickets has been a big issue here. Especially towards the end of the season if they are close to winning league championship, ticket prices can go up the roof. Easiest to get are “visitors” seats which are technically not for Carp supporters but for the visiting team’s. You are not allowed to wear red or cheer for the home team there. These regulations need to be in place as we all know that even these seats will be filled by disparate Carp fans.

Visitors’ seats are OK. They are cheaper and much easier to obtain but I would recommend sitting somewhere else if you can because it’s fun to sit with the locals and go crazy together with every hit or home run. Even if you don’t care who wins, just be surrounded by these passionate fans is an amazing cultural experience. They even have chants and songs for each player. No matter what the score is, these guys cheer like it’s a close game. You would not see sport supporters quite like them anywhere in the world. They are passionate and crazy but super well-behaved and gentle. Lots of them go and watch with very small children too.

Another special area with comfy mattresses – “Nesobe Area”

If you are a tourist, this is a great opportunity to connect with the locals. Japanese can be shy but inside the stadium, they are rather keen to share joyful moments with total strangers sitting next to them.

My kids came home from school one day rather distressed. They said they were the only kids at school who had never been to the stadium to see the Carp. We needed to rectify. When I told my neighbours we finally got tickets, they asked. “So have you got a uniform each to wear? What about balloons, the cheering goods?” What balloons? What cheering goods? I have been to a baseball game before in Tokyo. I didn’t have to bring anything? Do we all have to wear a uniform? No one does that in Tokyo unless you are a fanatic fan. Then the neighbours brought everything for us. You are to wear a carp shirt (from home, no changing at the stadium) and bring a pair of mini plastic bats to make cheering noise. At the end of the seventh inning, you also shoot red balloons in the air (yes, I know, they do need to reconsider this ritual).

Hiroshima Mazda Zoom Zoom Stadium by Night

By the way our neighbors told us they aren’t really a massive fan of the team. I would find out in time that this “Carp cheering set” is a household item in Hiroshima, regardless of your interest level.

We at Cohindoe can help find you some tickets if you are staying with us. We had a Canadian man staying with us and he absolutely loved it. We are an easy bike riding distance from the Mazda “Zoom-Zoom” Stadium and we offer our bikes to ride (free of charge). The stadium is actually not so far from JR Hiroshima but getting stuck behind the post game slow moving crowd is not much fun. Getting taxi or public transport is also quite chaotic. So get on a bike and beat the crowd is the way to go.

Carp pooch carry bag. You will find all sorts of stuff at the stadium shop.

If you are going to the stadium, allow some time to have a look around before the game starts. You’ll find a bouncing castle for kids, cafes, souvenir shops, food stalls all around the stadium with Japanese street foods. Look at different seating options too. “Nesobe Area” is super popular as you can watch laying down on a comfy mattress. There are also seats with BBQ or “bathtub” seats… it’s a little crazy. Don’t think other stadiums are like that in Japan because this is fairly unique.

So when in Rome. Go and watch the Carp at the stadium. And go crazy with the locals.

Balloon time at the seventh inning

ジーンときた話。

* English to follow Japanese

最近忙しいからか（完全な言い訳）、ブログ更新の頻度が激減。ダメだ。初志貫徹せねば。写真やブログで記録を残さないとすぐ忘れるし。

色々苦労もあった。民泊もじわじわ軌道に乗ってきた。好意的なレヴューのお陰でいい感じに予約が入ってくるようになった。ウチはチビ達がいるので、常に予約がいっぱいじゃなくていい。いつもいつも「静かにして」「片付けて」と子供達に言うのもフェアじゃないし。やっぱり生活の場だから。

やはり外国人が多い。特にヨーロッパから。古民家に興味を持ってくれる。お茶や着物も本物に興味を示す。周辺のレストランやアトラクションに送り込むと英語が通じなくても満足げに帰ってくる。自分たちだけが外国人なのを、密かに楽しんでいる感じ。

先日お迎えした独新聞記者のF氏。東ドイツ出身だ。私たちがどういう経緯でこの古民家を修復してきたか。伝統、歴史、家族、そんな話で盛り上がった後、F氏は似たようなテーマの独作家のある本について教えてれた。「いつか読んでみるといいよ。」

そう言うのだから英訳があるのだろう、すぐ読んでみたい。と思ったが、読みかけの分厚い本（それも長編シリーズ）があり、これを読み終えたら探してみよう、とその本を心に留めた。連日ウチの自転車で晴天の広島を走り回るF氏、紅葉の美しい季節をすっかり満喫したようだ。彼もまた素晴らしいレヴューを残してくれた。

数週間後、郵便ポストに何やらドイツ語が書かれた小包を見つけ手に取った。本だ！宛名を見なくても誰だか分かった。ジーン（涙）。

同封のカードには、「広島の写真を見ながら楽しかった時を思い出している。どうもありがとう」と。返信用の住所は書いていない。その粋な終わり方が、ふと私の大好きな東ドイツの映画を連想させた。

『善き人のためのソナタ』（独題: Das Leben der Anderen, 英題: The Lives of Others）

とにかく毎日一生懸命頑張っていけばいいんだ。とっても素敵なご褒美をいただきました。

I am doing OK, perhaps.

Too busy is my excuse. I am not documenting what we do often enough. Need to keep up otherwise I’ll forget.

A memorable thing happened a few days ago. I received an international parcel and as soon as I picked it up, I knew who and what it was.

We have been running this guest house for a while now. Over time we received great reviews and I am sure that has a lot to do with constant bookings of late.

We tend to have more European guests than others. People who stay here seem to show great interests in true and authentic traditions and culture, rather than something just seemingly Japanese. Our guests seem to love how they are not in the middle of a touristy place, and how they find themselves amongst locals who are pleasantly surprised to see them in this rather quiet residential area.

Mr. F was from Germany who stayed with us a few weeks ago. He asked me about this house and we ended up talking about community, traditions, family, history and so on. Mr. F told me about this book on an old house written by a German author which covers those topics and that he thought I’d enjoy it.

I was immediately interested and took a mental note. When I finish the book I am currently reading (rather thick, it is actually a series), I’ll find the book, must be in English, I thought.

For the next few days Mr. F went everywhere on one of our bikes, enjoying the beautiful autumn weather and landscapes of Hiroshima. He also left us a top review.

Then I received this parcel in the post a few days ago. I was so touched. A card was enclosed but there was no return address. He probably didn’t want me to worry about thanking him. Nice touch. Somehow reminded me of the great ending of the film “The Lives of Others”. It happens to be about East Germany, one of my favourite.

Sometimes it’s hard going. Too often I doubt myself. But times like this I get to tell myself, “Maybe I am doing OK. Just keep grinding and it’ll be OK”. What a gift.

民泊、やっと再開。蔵宿【こひんどう】

(English post to follow)

ご予約はこちらからどうぞ！

家の修復もかなり苦労したけど、登録するまでの道も予想外の難航。保健所に届出が受け入れられ、さあ！と意気込むと、今度はAir BnBで一悶着。夫のアカウントでリスティングしていたが、オーストラリアの身分証明書と繋がっており、あちらはあちらでリスティングがあるため身分証明書を変更できず、私が新たに日本用のアカウントを作ることに。つ、疲れた。

でもオープンするや否や予約は入るし、思いもよらないところで、色々な人が進んで協力を申し出てくれた。かなり嬉しい。皆さん、本当にありがとう。

このサイトを偶然に読んでくださった危篤なアナタ（笑）、こちらが民泊のサイトです。

https://abnb.me/YYrmMHp4rR

今後も味のある体験をオファーし、伝統文化や知られざる広島・日本の魅力を発信することができるよう努力します。

微力ながら英語と日本語を通じて文化継承に貢献できるといいな。

Storehouse Accommodation “Cohindoe” open in Hiroshima.

A long and winding road, indeed. But we did it. Finally. We can receive guests here at Cohindoe at last. Come to think of it, it was almost 10 years ago in Kyoto when we first thought of doing this. I can write about all our struggles to get here but let me just say I’m just relieved we are here now. I would like to thank all those lovely people involved in making this place as it looks now. It is still work in progress so watch this space!

Please click here for our Air BnB booking site.

If you are not that keen on making a reservation this way, you can just message us.

yuko@nakaohouse.com

I can confidently say that it is a very unique place. We are very proud of it and would love to share this space with all interested. I would like to believe that the house this close to the city or this old did not survive the A-bomb for nothing. We can tell you about the history of this area, how people coped with the war and what this house went through. It is still full of old tools here.

Have you watched the movie “In This Corner of the World”? If not, I highly recommend you watch it before visiting Hiroshima. The girl Suzu reminds me of my grandmother who would have led a similar life. My ancestors used to make Nori (seaweed sheets) here too, which Hiroshima boast the second oldest history in making it next to Tokyo. It is one of the things I would suggest you buy to take home, by the way, if you are into food like I am.

It’s past midnight. I feel like I may not be making much sense as my eyelids are barely open. Good night everyone, hope to see you here at “Cohindoe” one day. Soon.

頑張れない日には。

久々のブログをこんなネガティブな気持ちで記すのは本望ではない。が、古民家再生における自分たちの記録だから正直に書くのも悪くないだろう。このプロジェクトを開始して一貫して言えることは、大変なのは、３m上から落下し負傷することでも、予期しないダメージに何百万円払う羽目になることでも、大工さんに「無理です」と断られることでも、ご近所から奇異な目で見られることでもない。家族に反対され、詰問され、理解がないために前進できない時だ。

意を決してシドニーから幼い子供達を連れて広島に移住して１年が経った。振り返れば色々なことを達成し、改善できた。漆喰を塗り、喘息気味だった子供達は剥がれ散る綿壁を吸いながら寝ることはなくなった。腐った板の間を張り替え、土間だった時より快適に冬を越すことができた（と言っても室温は−２℃になってたけど）。天井を開け梁を見せた空間にはシーリングファンを設置し、光熱費が軽減された。

It was so steep before, our chopsticks really rolled.

After weeks of cleaning up and polishing the floor, it’s now fit to sleep here!

数回

That’s right, the first plumber said we can’t do under the stairs. We did it after all.

の屋根工事を経て、瓦や外壁が通学路に落ちる危険を排除し、雨漏りの心配もなくなった。数カ所陥没していた畳下の床板も直し、トランポリン状態から脱した。蔵は徹底的に掃除・整理し、トイレを増設し、１階は快適なラウンジへ、２階は隠れ家的寝室へと生まれ変わった。

台所の床の傾きを直し、食卓で転がる箸を抑えなくてよくなった。ドアの開け閉めもままならなかったキャビネットは檜で作り直し、衛生面と機能面が向上した。業務用のコンロとオーブン、レンジフッドを設置し、より大勢の人に快適に料理が振る舞えるようになった。布団を打ち直し、毛布を買い足し、真冬でも二家族くらいは泊まれるようになった。

かなりのコストと労力と時間をかけてここまで来た。まだまだだけど、でもやっとここまで来れた。これなら民泊も、と張り切って保健所や区役所や消防署に通い、コツコツと書類を揃えていくうちに大きな壁に出くわした。不動産の名義が父ではなく、何十年も前に他界している祖母のものだった。保健所で民泊を担当している若い男性が申し訳なさそうに呟いた。「法務局で名義変更しないと前に進めませんねー。これは、ちょっと時間かかるかもしれませんね。書類は全て取得した日付から３ヶ月間のみ有効ですから気をつけて下さい」。

遺産分割協議、相続、となると東京にいる両親や兄、親戚が絡んでくる。最終的な相続人は内孫である兄の長男のもの、と主張する母は特に、私たちが勝手に修復したりすることに当初から大反対だ。名義変更した後、どうする気なのか、と大問題になるに決まっている。何にするにも取り敢えず、早目に父の名義にするべきなのは常識（二世代も飛ぶと手続きがえらい複雑）なのに。父は「（司法書士を通さずに）お前がやってくれるなら」と、私が広島法務局と遺産分割協議書、相続関係説明図などを作成する間、印鑑証明、戸籍謄本、固定資産税評価証明書などを入手しておくことに合意。父は自分の生家だし、私たちに多少の感謝を感じてくれているのだろう、母や兄との確執を悪化させない範囲で協力してくれている。が、危惧した通りここで母の妨害が兄経由で入った。

今までも東京の家族から暖かく応援してもらっているプロジェクトではないことは重々承知の上だ。それでも先祖の歴史、家を残す、潰してはいけない、いつか負の遺産ではなく比類なき家宝とみんなが気づくはず、という信念のもとに何を言われても頑張ってきた。が、今日のように家族との電話の後、朝から大泣きすることもある。「もう限界だ」と感じる日もある。

そんな日は冷蔵庫に貼ってある言葉に目を向ける。私が共感したのは、皮肉にも民泊を世界的なビジネスに導いたAir BnBの共同創業者たちを支えたとされる言葉。見かけより小心者の私は特に、人の言葉に一喜一憂しがちだ。よく「雑音に惑わされるな」をじっと見つめる。ブレるな。大義を忘れるな。

そして、何も言わずに一緒に全財産を突っ込み、大きな賭けに出てくれた夫がハグしてくれた。それを見て、いつもは言うことを聞かない猿のような子供たちに「ファミリーハグ！」と囲まれた。次は、涙を拭いてひとりお花屋さん経由で先祖のお墓へ向かう。中尾家の誰も理解してくれなくても、先祖は見ていてくれたはず。喜んでくれているはず。お花を生け、お線香を点けて手を合わせると、私にはおじいちゃんとおばあちゃんの声が聞こえる。「よう頑張ったのう。ありがとう。仲良くやりんさい。」

ダメかもしれない。けど、もう少し頑張ってみる、か。

When Going Gets Tough

Admittedly I’m down. Not sure if I am in the right frame of mind to be writing a blog. But this started as a record of our project, didn’t have any real audience in mind any way so I will write it. Today after I hang up a phone call from my brother, I’m asking myself, can I keep going. Can I take it anymore. Is it worth it.

It is not when I fall from 3m high cleaning the beams and hurt myself, nor when I find out we need to bear the unbudgeted cost of fixing the roof. Not when the builders tell me they can’t do it. Nor when people look at us like we are crazy. What makes it really tough is the fact that my own family (in Tokyo) do not support us and disapprove that we are fixing the house that is NOT going to be ours. And when it counts, they quite often try to make it difficult and punish me. I don’t ask them for any help or support usually. This time I cannot go further without their involvement. Because it is a legal matter and I feel like I’m up against a big wall.

It’s been a year since we made a big decision to move from Sydney to Hiroshima with the kids. Looking back, we have achieved so much and the house has transformed dramatically. With newly plastered “Shikkui” walls, kids no longer get asthma attacks in sleep inhaling fluffs off the deteriorated cotton walls. Our chopsticks now don’t roll off the table with the leveled kitchen floor. The rotten floor boards under the tatami mats are now fixed so they no longer bounce like a trampoline. Utility bills don’t skyrocket anymore or we don’t freeze or boil to death as the seasons change because we sealed the earthen floor with timber boards, filled every gap, put ceiling fans, got a powerful gas heater and two additional air conditioners. Our local school kids are now safe walking along the storehouse as the roof tiles, gutter and walls are reinforced. We are not known as a “haunted mansion” now. We have done a massive clean up in the storehouse. Vintage lounge furniture replaced centuries of accumulated rubbish, and a new toilet was installed. Renewed futons and additional blankets mean we can accommodate another family comfortably even in the middle of winter. Upstairs of the storehouse has turned into a secret hideaway. The dirty old kitchen has been demolished and replaced with a functional custom made cabinet which smells beautifully of Japanese cypress. We also installed a commercial gas stoves, oven and hood range so I can comfortably cook for more people.

We thought maybe we are ready for Air BnB. Maybe we can finally use this house for business. We need to recoup some of the money we spent after all. I started frequenting local government offices making inquiries, filling in hundreds of applications, obtaining various legal documents as required. After about a month into it, we found out that because the house is NOT legally my father’s but it is still in the name of our late grandmother, we cannot do anything with it.

After checking all my applications, the guy at the Public Health Centre said sympathetically, “You will need to sort this out at the Ministry of Justice, don’t you. And this may take a while. Be aware, all these documents are only valid for three months so if expired you will need to obtain them again…”

So now I have to trace back all my grandmother’s line and getting their signatures for renouncing their right of inheritance, recognising my father as the hair on top of all the other stuff I need to do to get there. I also need to either pay for a lawyer or produce legal documents myself. As if this wasn’t a hideous enough task. I could not do this without involving my mother and my brother, who are now very defensive about why I am so keen to do this. It is actually to my brother’s benefit that I do this now before anything happens to my father, which would complicate this legal process even more, but they don’t even know that. They certainly weren’t showing any appreciation when I offered to help with this owner change. All I hear is the usual, what is your intention with the house, it is not even yours. Shouldn’t you be asking for OUR approval with anything you do?

Maybe so but they never cared about the house. Ever. Had my husband and I left it as it was seven years ago, it would have been collapsed long ago.

I hang up the phone with my brother who conveyed annoying messages from my mother and I sobbed. They don’t spend a cent, don’t lift a finger to save this house and yet, they can complain, disapprove what we do, better still try to stop me.

Then came my husband’s hug. And the kids joined. A family hug.

Words that supported Air BnB founders. My favorite: “Don’t listen to people who say it’s not possible”.

When going gets tough, I do two things; one is to look at the note I placed on the fridge. Ironically, those were the words that got founders of Air BnB through hardships, apparently. “Build something 100 people love, not something 1 million people kind of like”. “Launch as many times as you need”. My favorite: “Don’t listen to the voices that say something’s not possible”.

The other thing I do is go and visit my ancestors’ grave. I got some flowers and walked up the hill. I know who are happy. I know who approve. I know who cheer for me. I tell my grans what a struggle it has been and I feel I have been treated unfairly. I hear them say with their warm unpretentious Hiroshima accents, “We are so proud of you, well done. We appreciate your effort so now stop crying” (OK, I am feeling quite sorry for myself I admit). But I also hear them say, “Don’t fight with others, Yuko. You have to make peace”.

Our original Nakao grave is down the hill but after about 400 years it could not host any more members. So my great great grans built a new one.

So I get up again. Maybe I can go a tiny bit further. One more baby step… maybe.