News & Blog

This blog highlights the latest events and activities happening at the Earth Embassy’s Solar Cafe, Organic Farm, Eden Farm School and Eden Eco Homes.

Engawa 縁側

日本語   The Engawa is a hallway that runs along the south side  of traditional homes to completely open the home. It allows light into the house, air flow, and a place to sit and enjoy the view.

See house details and pricing at….   Shojiko High Village House

Oni

日本語    The Oni ridge cap on classic Japanese houses is more than ornamental.  They act like gargoyles to keep away bad spirits and protect the home.  In these restoration photos you can see the original thatched roof under the steel roof which provides 30 inches of insulation.  We also added insulation to the walls, vapor barrier, double pane windows and cedar siding on the outside.      See house details and pricing at….   Shojiko High Village House  

Wind Powered Shipping

Free trade is bringing us cheap products from around the world and allowing diverse economies to interact with each area drawing on their own specialities.  But it is not really free when you consider the fuel cost and CO2 production involved in trans-oceanic shipping.  Take pickles; cucumbers grown in China and vinegar made in Japan are shipped to the Phillipenes to be made into pickles which are then shipped back to Japan to sell in supermarkets.  One little cucumber travels 4000miles!  A number of companies have began using enormous kites to pull the ships.  SkySails of Germany has begun producing these sail for commercial shipping, and it seems to be taking off.

the S.S. Highball

Why spend millions and build a ship that can be sunk by an iceberg when you can just sail the iceberg itself? Back in 1997 Professor Patrick Quilty propsed putting a huge plastic bag around an iceberg and towing it Africa as a source of fresh drinking water.  We are proposing, rather than tow it, why not sail it? Most of the movement of ice bergs is due to currents not wind, but a little nudge into the right current might get it moving in the right direction.  And with recent developments in kite powered ships, this may be a viable option.

和様玄関 Japanese Farm Home Entrance

日本語 We retained and restored the original massive beams of the house, but added glass in all the right places to light the interior and showcase the structure.  Here the “genkan” entrance was pushed out 3 feet to accommodate a larger area for coming in out of the rain and taking off your shoes.  The kitchen sunroom faces south over the gardens.

See house details and pricing at….   Shojiko High Village House

Eva’s new home

With Rueben gone, Eva needed a new home for the winter.  Sheep are extremely social animals and she was NOT happy being left alone in their field.   We found a recently established sheep farm in Kamikuishiki Village, about 15 minutes up the road.  Kim, Nate and Masako kept her company in the back of the van for the ride up, and we all stopped for home-made blueberry ice cream at Eiji’s farm on the way.

The lovely people at the new farm have 60 head of sheep who are completely free ranged.  They are not used for meat nor wool, but rather for training sheep dog hobbyists on weekends! Eva loves her new home.  All 60 of her new family came over to greet her and touch noses the day she arrived. She actually jumped in the air with joy a few times.   So Reuben’s final gift to of thanks to her for all her years of companionship was to get her such a nice little patch of heaven.  Now we just have to worry about those poor little city dogs who are going to try and corner her….

Zen Meditation Room

The second floor of our Shojiko Minka Restoration has a small south facing tatami room that was originally used as a meditation space.   The beautiful view overlooks the Japanese garden and frog pond, and down to lake over the rooftops of the village.  New sliding glass doors are double pane glass to maximize solar gain. The house is for sale now.

More House    details at     http://earthembassy.org/shojikoeng/

The bears are doing fine!!!

With all the doom and gloom we hear in the news about CO2, climate change, resource depletion, etc etc, it is easy to think we are at the end of nature.  But once in awhile a small sign reminds us that nature is still doing ok and may come out the other side of this mess ok.

Bears were hunted nearly to extinction in Japan and still remain a rare sight.  But even when you dont see them, they may be watching you.  This claw mark was in a tree about 200m above one our cabins at Lake Saiko.    Glad the bears are still there, but hoping they do see me first, and give me a wide berth.

掘り炬燵 – Hori Kotatsu – Traditional Fire Place

日本語

The center room of the newly finished Shojiko house has 150 year old 2ft wide floor boards surrounding a traditional horikotatsu fireplace.  Perfect for sitting around drinking sake and roasting kuri and yakiniku with friends.  The home is offered with a collection of rare and beautiful antiques from Meji and Edo period Japan.   The house is currently for sale, with a 2,000,000 yen discount for families who enroll in the local schools.

See house details and pricing at….   Shojiko High Village House

Kitchen Reform Process

Just to show you some of the work behind the scenes.  We started with an old un-insulated wall and a lot of circa 1975 cabinets.  Demolition of the walls, added a new post for support, pushed out the south end 2meters and put in sliding glass doors, polished the beams, uncovered some old thatched roof supports that were hidden in the ceiling and decided to leave them in as an accent.   Then custom cabinets, track lighting, a beech hardwood floor with heating……

New pictures of the finished room coming soon…..

Winter comes to the mountain

Winter here in Yamanashi Prefecture can be cold and long.  But the beauty of Mt Fuji and the fresh snows that blow off her peak make the long wait for spring bearable.  She is a bit of the earth, sticking up into the heavens to represent us and even on the warmest days here on her foot, the site of the winds blowing over her peaks and carrying snow into the clouds remind us that the winds of heaven are always blowing just over our heads.

Cedar Heated Floors 杉床暖房

日本語

The living room in the High Village House has a new floor of 100% Japanese Cedar with electrical heating installed.  Really cozy, especially when you are watching the snow fall out the windows in the village.    The house is currently for sale and we are offering a 2,000,000 yen discount for families who enroll in the local schools.      See house details and pricing at….   Shojiko High Village House

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