Little House on the Bay
Thanks to all the comments I got from readers with suggestions on things to write about. Base living:
I have to say, it has it's pros and cons. We were on the waiting list for about 2.5 years (since we got here). There are three reasons why this was the case:
All and all, we were more than ready to leave our crusty Japanese house and move into a place where we had many of the luxuries of "home". When we moved in, I didn't realize all the little things that I had missed. Remember, this is from a stay at home mom's perspective. I think my number one thrill was the dishwasher. Japan does have dishwashers and in some cases in the very new homes, they have a built in drawer dishwasher; but it's nothing like the monster of an American dishwasher we can get on base. The majority of Japanese dishwashers are still bought as though they were appliances, so they will take up half of the counter space and still need to be hooked up to the kitchen sink faucet when running. Another thing in the kitchen I have been enjoying is the garbage disposal in the sink. No more digging into the drain, pulling out the screen and dumping all the food mush in the garbage. I have to say that my second favorite was the clothes washer and dryer. Two loads of laundry out in town used to take me all day. Now it only takes 2-4 hours. On rainy days, it's so nice to have a dryer that actually works and doesn't short out my whole kitchen if I have the microwave and dryer on at the same time. The storage space is also a real plus. Mainly because we now have a covered shed where we can put our bikes, BBQs and anything else that might rust. Our home out in town didn't have a shed, but many do, so if you will be in the Yokosuka renter's market soon, and you like to ride a bike it might be something worth looking for in your future rental. I probably won't post a lot of pictures of the house and of base because in regards to OPSEC, I'm not quite sure what I can post and what I can't.
I have to say that the convenience can't be beat. Although we are on the far side of base, I can still get Joshua to school on the back of my bike in 5 minutes. Walking would take us about 15 minutes. We were a short drive before but the minutes really piled on. Now when I go to the gym I don't have to pack all of my shower equipment and change of clothes and lunch. I can just drive home. Before, many times I would have an hour lull in my time. I couldn't very well drive home and do chores (by the time I got home I would have about 10 minutes before having to drive back) so many times I would hang out in the store and buy things that I really don't need or waste time in general. Our spending has gone down dramatically.
As a mother, I don't miss the everyday challenges of living off base. I think if I didn't have any children, I wouldn't mind spending 20 minutes figuring out through pantomime why I'm not getting a discount even though my point card is filled up or googling a bunch of things to find out where certain organic foods / restaurants are up in Tokyo for a weekend trip. However, I got tired of trying to explain that my son doesn't want a booster seat and then they replace it anyway only for my son get pissy with me because he's a big boy now.
Because we spent so much time out in town, we really were ready for the move on base (or, I like to say, joining the Borg). We definitely enjoyed our experience off base and there a couple small things that I miss. I have to say that if we spent a little more shopping time for our rental and got something a little nicer we may have stayed off base. The one thing I really miss is being able to walk to the Seiyu and just pick up something for dinner. Now it takes me about 15 minutes to drive up to the front of base, park, walk out into town and get my Japanese groceries or, 45 minutes to walk out in town and get my groceries vs. the 5 minute walk I used to have. It's a little bit of a hassle but worth it for my yummy fruit, yogurt, and French bread. I'm also happy I had the experience of living out in town because it gave me the push I needed to be brave and learn how to get around in a foreign country. Had I been under the comfortable umbrella of "little America", I may have found myself in the same boat as a lot of other folks and not really gone out of the gates. When that happens, I find that the fear of going out escalates and just becomes bigger, which can be discouraging. I think the number one reason why I still go out in town is because I have a much higher selection of fruit (yes, even cheaper than on base sometimes), the yogurt is much fresher and creamier, cheeses, and the French bread and pastries cannot be beat.
Reiterating what many would say, I appreciated the experience of living off base. I highly encourage it to anyone who's on the fence as to whether or not to take a place out in town or settle for something on base. Especially if you've never been to Japan. It's much easier to take on many English students or make Japanese friends. Experiencing the neighborhood summer festivals is always fun, along with the many other cultural experiences (big and small) that a townie usually just stumbles upon on any given day.
Earlier I referred to our "crusty old house". I drove by it the other day, only to find that it had been completely renovated. I'd like to think partly due to some of the suggestions that we left when we moved out. The front gate and yard looks completely different. Now, the gate is outfitted with a double door entry and camera intercom doorbell. I know that they re-wallpapered the inside as the wallpaper was coming off. Hopefully they put in new tatami, as we could hear it cracking as we walked on it. Also, hoping that they redid the floors. However, after walking by it the other day I did get a twinge of, "man, why wasn't like that when we were there!" Oh, well......a little "grass is always greener" syndrome never hurt anyone.
Lately, I haven't done too many side trips that have been new or different. I really enjoy going to the Toys R Us shopping center in Yokohama. It's a quick train ride up and they have a Toys R Us, McDonald's, and Kid's Fun Island indoor amusement playground all lumped together. It's very close to the Anpanman museum. Also Kannonzaki Park is one of my favorite places (we had a video on our blog about it). The roller slide there is the biggest that I've seen here so far and the small hike up the hill is beautiful this time of year. I'm also looking forward to checking out Flower World soon, as the poppies should be out in full force and they have a very cool play area and a Godzilla roller slide.
Again, thanks for all the suggestions and questions. I hope this helps those who are planning on moving here and those who just miss Japan.
I have to say, it has it's pros and cons. We were on the waiting list for about 2.5 years (since we got here). There are three reasons why this was the case:
- #1 We wanted a town home on base and not a tower. The towers are nice; don't get me wrong. However, we were already living in a house off base and we liked it. I really don't want to turn anyone off to the idea of tower living in Yokosuka though, or offend anyone currently living in a tower. The 3 bedroom tower homes are very spacious and have a much more open feel than the townhouses. We are just accustomed to having a back yard.
- #2 We wanted to be on Yokosuka main base. There are two other housing bases close to here to provide housing for people. Again, nothing against the other housing installations but our off-base house was just a 10-20 minute commute on local roads so we didn't necessarily want to take anything other than main base.
- #3 My husband is a civil servant and not military, so we are low priority for housing on this base.
All and all, we were more than ready to leave our crusty Japanese house and move into a place where we had many of the luxuries of "home". When we moved in, I didn't realize all the little things that I had missed. Remember, this is from a stay at home mom's perspective. I think my number one thrill was the dishwasher. Japan does have dishwashers and in some cases in the very new homes, they have a built in drawer dishwasher; but it's nothing like the monster of an American dishwasher we can get on base. The majority of Japanese dishwashers are still bought as though they were appliances, so they will take up half of the counter space and still need to be hooked up to the kitchen sink faucet when running. Another thing in the kitchen I have been enjoying is the garbage disposal in the sink. No more digging into the drain, pulling out the screen and dumping all the food mush in the garbage. I have to say that my second favorite was the clothes washer and dryer. Two loads of laundry out in town used to take me all day. Now it only takes 2-4 hours. On rainy days, it's so nice to have a dryer that actually works and doesn't short out my whole kitchen if I have the microwave and dryer on at the same time. The storage space is also a real plus. Mainly because we now have a covered shed where we can put our bikes, BBQs and anything else that might rust. Our home out in town didn't have a shed, but many do, so if you will be in the Yokosuka renter's market soon, and you like to ride a bike it might be something worth looking for in your future rental. I probably won't post a lot of pictures of the house and of base because in regards to OPSEC, I'm not quite sure what I can post and what I can't.
I have to say that the convenience can't be beat. Although we are on the far side of base, I can still get Joshua to school on the back of my bike in 5 minutes. Walking would take us about 15 minutes. We were a short drive before but the minutes really piled on. Now when I go to the gym I don't have to pack all of my shower equipment and change of clothes and lunch. I can just drive home. Before, many times I would have an hour lull in my time. I couldn't very well drive home and do chores (by the time I got home I would have about 10 minutes before having to drive back) so many times I would hang out in the store and buy things that I really don't need or waste time in general. Our spending has gone down dramatically.
As a mother, I don't miss the everyday challenges of living off base. I think if I didn't have any children, I wouldn't mind spending 20 minutes figuring out through pantomime why I'm not getting a discount even though my point card is filled up or googling a bunch of things to find out where certain organic foods / restaurants are up in Tokyo for a weekend trip. However, I got tired of trying to explain that my son doesn't want a booster seat and then they replace it anyway only for my son get pissy with me because he's a big boy now.
Because we spent so much time out in town, we really were ready for the move on base (or, I like to say, joining the Borg). We definitely enjoyed our experience off base and there a couple small things that I miss. I have to say that if we spent a little more shopping time for our rental and got something a little nicer we may have stayed off base. The one thing I really miss is being able to walk to the Seiyu and just pick up something for dinner. Now it takes me about 15 minutes to drive up to the front of base, park, walk out into town and get my Japanese groceries or, 45 minutes to walk out in town and get my groceries vs. the 5 minute walk I used to have. It's a little bit of a hassle but worth it for my yummy fruit, yogurt, and French bread. I'm also happy I had the experience of living out in town because it gave me the push I needed to be brave and learn how to get around in a foreign country. Had I been under the comfortable umbrella of "little America", I may have found myself in the same boat as a lot of other folks and not really gone out of the gates. When that happens, I find that the fear of going out escalates and just becomes bigger, which can be discouraging. I think the number one reason why I still go out in town is because I have a much higher selection of fruit (yes, even cheaper than on base sometimes), the yogurt is much fresher and creamier, cheeses, and the French bread and pastries cannot be beat.
Reiterating what many would say, I appreciated the experience of living off base. I highly encourage it to anyone who's on the fence as to whether or not to take a place out in town or settle for something on base. Especially if you've never been to Japan. It's much easier to take on many English students or make Japanese friends. Experiencing the neighborhood summer festivals is always fun, along with the many other cultural experiences (big and small) that a townie usually just stumbles upon on any given day.
Earlier I referred to our "crusty old house". I drove by it the other day, only to find that it had been completely renovated. I'd like to think partly due to some of the suggestions that we left when we moved out. The front gate and yard looks completely different. Now, the gate is outfitted with a double door entry and camera intercom doorbell. I know that they re-wallpapered the inside as the wallpaper was coming off. Hopefully they put in new tatami, as we could hear it cracking as we walked on it. Also, hoping that they redid the floors. However, after walking by it the other day I did get a twinge of, "man, why wasn't like that when we were there!" Oh, well......a little "grass is always greener" syndrome never hurt anyone.
Lately, I haven't done too many side trips that have been new or different. I really enjoy going to the Toys R Us shopping center in Yokohama. It's a quick train ride up and they have a Toys R Us, McDonald's, and Kid's Fun Island indoor amusement playground all lumped together. It's very close to the Anpanman museum. Also Kannonzaki Park is one of my favorite places (we had a video on our blog about it). The roller slide there is the biggest that I've seen here so far and the small hike up the hill is beautiful this time of year. I'm also looking forward to checking out Flower World soon, as the poppies should be out in full force and they have a very cool play area and a Godzilla roller slide.
Again, thanks for all the suggestions and questions. I hope this helps those who are planning on moving here and those who just miss Japan.
posted by Unknown | 7:42 AM
7 Comments:
It is always nice to read your blog.
I grew up in the Yokosuka/Hayama area. My dad retired from the Navy, when I was little. I now live in southern California, and reading your blog is like going down the memory lane. I understand what you mean, living on base is so convenient, but you can enjoy the Japanese culture so much more, by living off base. I miss the walks to the beach we often did during the summer at Hayama.
I can understand the decision about 'to base or not to base'. After deliberation, we choose not to and have loved every minute of it. We found a great house, brand new and quite Westernized (although sadly without a dishwasher or garbage disposal) and even a very short walk to both the Keikyu and JR train lines. I agree that there are a lot of conveniences on base, but we love living out in town. Though, I do recommend to anyone wanting to do it that they find a house close walking distance to a train line considering it is seriously the best way to travel in Japan. Still, it is so nice to hear about the green grass on the other side! I guess it is just a toss up. :)
Hey Anon and Karen,
We know what you mean about the experiences you get off base that you just don't get on base. I think that human senses (smell, sight, etc) are all a little heightened when we're in unfamiliar environments. Out in town, we experienced a new scent, sight, or sound every day. We'll miss that on a daily basis, which is why we work so hard at getting off base as much as possible on the evenings and weekends - and Nicki and Josh head out practically every friendly weathered day here.
This country does offer some amazing opportunities at every corner.
-Mike
To add to the train bit....if you have young school age children, it's a good idea to check with the off base school bus route and see where and if they pick up in your off base neighborhood.
Hey guys,
I've been following your blog on occasion since we got back from our ITT trip to Thailand. I agree with what you said about living off base. We got to experience off base living before we moved to a townhouse here on base as well. I will add for those who are trying to decide where to live that as a mom of three boys living off base there were some good points but with no dishwasher and doing laundry. I was very happy to move to the base. Also the boys like to be involved with the youth sports leagues here on base, and it much easier if you kids are involved in after school activities or sports leagues to be living here on base. Also if you have a lot of stuff and choose to live off base you do have to pay to move yourself on base or move yourself which we could not do because some of our stuff was just too heavy. I will say that if you do choose to live on base, make an effort to go out in town and see things here in Japan. If you are uncomfortable going alone, find someone like Nicki whose been here and knows their way around and ask them to show you around. I've found most people here on base are happy to help. Anyways I enjoy reading you blog. Keep up the good work.
Great tips, Martine. Thanks for the compliments on the blog too. Say hey to the family for us, too.
-Mike
I believe you guys have had the best of both worlds. You had the opportunity to live off base for quite a while. I am sure that being on base in very convenient especially with Josh getting older. Just keep your sense of adventure!
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