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The first concrete has been poured beneath the previous foundation! The process will continue several more times, which will ensure that the house does not heave or shift unevenly over time or fail during an earthquake.

In other news, we have running water on the property thanks to a deep well cleaning and the installation of a brand-new pump. The well now has a capacity of 2.5 tons of water per day! I am in the middle of editing a video about the cleaning process for the YouTube channel, so I will share that here next time. For now, you can listen to me describe a bit of the process in today’s episode.

Unbeknownst to me for weeks, episode #40 went missing from the catalog. I am not sure how this happened but my interview with Steve Beimel was fantastic, and I think it deserves to be shared far and wide across Japan. I’ve re-uploaded it this week.

I enjoyed listening back to our discussion. I recalled my subsequent visit to the School of Traditional Building Arts in Kyoto and learning how to use the Pythagorean theorem, a chalk line, and a handsaw to carve a wood joint. It was also wonderful to reflect on how far things have progressed since the time of the interview (just over one year ago).

I hope you enjoy this re-broadcast as much as I did.

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Books Mentioned In This Episode:

When you purchase a book (or anything on Amazon) with the links below, you support me and the podcast at no extra cost to you:

* The Beauty of Everyday Things

* Japanese Country Style

Links to More Resources:

* JapanCraft21.com

* Japan Traditional Craft Revitalization Contest

* Learn Ikebana in Kobe (with me and a local expert!) on TripAdvisor

* JapanLivingArts.com

* Mingei Folk Craft

* Soetsu Yanagi

* “Yō-no-bi”

* Shin-Machiya Juku (School of Traditional Building Arts)

* Tokonoma Alcove

* Yoshihiro Takishita

* Minka Summit

* Melmac

* Kengo Kuma

Unlock the rest of this post below, including 200+ exclusive photos, step-by-step videos, detailed supplier lists, and real renovation costs from my hands-on restoration of a 100-year-old Japanese farmhouse. See exactly how I navigated permits, found traditional materials, and saved ¥900,000 in contractor costs through DIY methods 👇