Hello there! It almost feels unnecessary to say that time keeps slipping by us quickly, and yet I am unable to say anything else, because it is simply true. The month of August has already passed, bringing us to the (somewhat) cooler early September season out here in the Japanese countryside.
In August, like every other month, Jesse, Pancake, and I stayed busy with various activities. Despite the summer heat, Jesse continued his work as a blacksmith in the workshop while I kept myself occupied with editing, writing, and other tasks at home. Meanwhile, Pancake, who is not particularly keen on the summer heat, situated himself by the air conditioner from late morning, becoming only playful and active when the sun sets and the heat is a little bit more tolerable.Â
While we’re busy working away at our respective jobs, we have also enjoyed the summer season, going to summer festivals in our neighborhood and continuing our akiya house hunt.Â
Our recent frustrations with our house hunt
The house hunt, I reluctantly admit, has been slow going — I check akiya bank sites and real estate websites weekly and drive through the region to seek any Akiya-looking houses (overgrown lawns, leaky roofs), then reach out to local friends who have connections in the neighbourhood to inquire about them.  Â
But we have struck out. Though, the word is out, and our friends and locals know we are looking. We are hopeful that a bit of luck and continued search will lead us to our own akiya house.
We fixed a broken drainage pipe
This doesn’t mean that life isn’t exciting in our current renting akiya house. There are plenty of opportunities to test our homeowner skills, such as a recent DIY project involving a broken pipe. We noticed a wet floor every time we washed the dishes, which prompted an investigation that revealed a broken drainage pipe buried outside next to the house.
Jesse took on the challenging two-day fix job, unearthing the entire pipe, replacing it with a new one, and burying it back underground. It was a tough job, especially in the heat, but as we observed the farmers tirelessly harvesting this year’s rice fields since 8:00 in the morning, we couldn’t bring ourselves to complain about the hard work.
We fended off mukade centipedes and mosquitos using these two tools
While we continue to enjoy the comforts we’ve created here, we’re also working on bug-proofing. A little rain during the hot season always seems to attract more bugs, so it has been a constant learning experience as we learn to control them.
The other night, I awoke suddenly, instinctively swiping a prickly, multilegged something-or-other off my shoulder, only to feel the familiar sting of the bite of a mukade centipede. Mosquitos have also been awful this summer. I can’t sleep when the irritating insects come buzzing into my ear, leaving me no choice but to spend the night pacing the room with a swatter in hand, much to the dismay of a sleepy Jesse and Pancake.
We eventually got an electric mosquito swatter, which I spotted at the local hardware store. Even now, I still don’t know why it took us so long to buy one. For as little as a 1,200 yen investment, we got a much more efficient (and, most importantly, quiet way) for me to deal with the mosquitos that invade us in the evening.
We also got a bug tent, one of those with a bottom. Mukade have an uncanny way of getting into things, and we weren’t going to take our chances with an open-bottom tent. Though, to be fair, those tend to be a bit bigger, and we had to squeeze our futon mattresses into the tiny tent-like net, like sardines squished into a can. But it keeps the mosquitoes and mukade out, so it is a rather small inconvenience I can certainly overlook.
Our neighbourhood summer festival had the biggest turnout yet!
Towards the end of the month, all the locals got together to enjoy the summer festival in the neighbourhood. This event is deeply intertwined with the Obon celebrations, a Buddhist event that welcomes ancestors back to familial homes before parting ways with their living relatives back to the afterlife.
But this summer festival is just as much about enjoying each other’s company as it is to honour past relatives. It’s a chance to gather in one spot, take off the work wear, and socialize with a group of people you often only see grueling through the heat in their gardens and rice fields.Â
This year, we had an outstanding turnout—people I never knew were my neighbours turned up. We all drank, ate food brought over by the neighbourhood ladies, let loose with silly games like speed-drinking lamune soda, sang karaoke, and danced the local summer odori.
August, while hot, is still one of my favourite times of the year. But catch me in another month, and I might just say that about any month. 😉
Until next time, my friends.
