When I was reassigned back to Okinawa with the Air Force in 1994, we had to stay off-base until we were eligible for on-base housing. I was stationed at Kadena and we found a place to live in Ishikawa City. It was a single house that used to be military housing. It was actually quite nice with a yard and a view of the ocean. I think our rent was close to $2,000 per month. We stayed their just short of our lease, so I lost our deposit when we moved on base. But like anyone will tell you, moving on base is when your tour really begins. It wasn't bad living off-base, but everything becomes so much better when you move on base...especially when you have kids attending on base schools. But still, I remember wonderful walks down to the ocean from our house in Ishikawa.
I understand skipping the outside to prevent showing off where you live and having people stop by. Privacy is important when putting your life out there for the public.
Good job, very nice apartment, and you nailed it on covering the difference in rental prices for locals and outsiders like military. The landlords definitely know exactly what the military and US civilians receive for housing allowance and charge accordingly. Same everywhere overseas. There are some other interesting home and rental stories to ponder concerning US military and civilians in Okinawa, just wish I had been smart enough to take advantage of them. For example, many US military and civilian folks in Okinawa with Okinawan spouses build new homes in Okinawa. They can either live in their home and receive housing allowances, or move onto base housing for four or five years and rent out their home to a military family paying the big bucks for the rental, more than covering their mortgage payment. Then they move back to their home for awhile before they are once again eligible for base housing. After 20 years or so your Okinawan house is paid off. For the US civilians, this situation works especially well if you were hired stateside, since you get full benefits and allowances, whereas local hires do not get such a good deal. Oh well, I really like your apartment and thanks for the informative video.
Nice. I love the funny little sinks in the bathrooms here. And most of the buildings seem to be made of heavy cement and are made for the typhoons unlike American houses in hurricane areas. Do many of the apartments have elevators?
The kitchen! Food prep. I would like to know more about that aspect. Also, no clothes dryer? I like line drying, but what if its wet outside? Really nice place.
‘City’ is very relative in Japan. There are some very very rural cites in Japan 😂. I lived in three different kinds of cities in Japan: Toyama City is a medium size city and luckily I lived just one stop on the local line from Toyama station. Tamano City is almost lifeless, again I lived one stop from Uno station, which is the last stop. Finally I got a taste of real city life and when I lived in Osaka.
Just found your channel. Great videos! You don’t seem military how you end up in Oki? Nvm just got to the part where you say your wife is from there lol
I am on VA disability and Social Security retirement. Can I keep getting those while living in Okinawa. I was stationed there in the mid 70s. Also what are some of the companies that would help in finding an apartment? Thank you much
My father and I are moving to okinawa next year, we're not military, we just love okinawa. Where would you say is the best area to rent in? We've been looking in the ginowan area for a 2 to 3ldk or dk. Thanks for any tips, glad to see new content , hope you and Kit are well
That's great! I feel like every area is nice. If you want to be in a place that caters to American's though (like around the bases), or heavier tourist areas, you'll be paying a bit more in rent. 😊
Thank you. Our phones are AU but our house is Softbank. I've heard Softbank isn't the best, but it's faster than anything I've ever had. Get around 400 Mbps up and down.
It's been a long time since I paid rent on Okinawa, but the different pricing obviously started after I left in the early 80's (as so many things have changed), as a single Marine, I guess what I rented would be considered a 1-K. I loved that little place and even then, everything was within walking distance. Also even during a typhoon, the Mamasan store would stay open, by having one of the wooden sliding doors cracked a little bit open, so we could pop down for a typhoon 5th of sake, if we ran out (a Typhoon 5th was the large bottle). . .
Hello mountainneko. Enjoyed your comments. Sounded like me in 1972 as a 22-year old Air Force guy at Kadena but living in an apartment in Koza more or less at the end of BC Street. We had no A/C so I bought a water bed to keep cooler at night...worked great. I never thought about going to the Mamasan store for my typhoon beverage of choice. Back in the 80s I would go to the Camp Shields package store next to Kadena before typhoons for beverages because everywhere else was already packed. Then we would head down to Naha to my sister-in-laws house to party. Take care.
@@davidhyder9609 It sounds like we may have enjoyed some of the same Typhoons, after I got out of the Marine Corps, I initially worked at the credit union at Kadena.
@@mountainneko You got it yamaneko. Typhoons were involved in some of my favorite Okinawan memories (except when they screwed up my diving or fishing plans). Cool, I have been a member of the Pentagon Federal Credit Union for almost 40 years now and it all started at Kadena. You are right about the changes in Okinawa...sometimes hard for me to be graceful about these things.
Really like your typhoon fifth description. Never heard it before. I guess we called it our typhoon jug or something stupid like that. My brother-in-law in Naha always expected that I would bring the big bottle of Chivas Regal.
@@davidhyder9609 Ahh, you caught the name, unfortunately someone else owned the "yamaneko". . .so many good memories in the Okinawa of the past, some good ones of the new, my grandkids have been able to make 3 trips there with their Grandma and they love it.
Or you can just go to Puerto Rico Key West US Virgin Islands. Dive Chill. The more you look at these foreign places the more you realize how much easier it is in USA. And you can just drive to Mexico too.
When I was reassigned back to Okinawa with the Air Force in 1994, we had to stay off-base until we were eligible for on-base housing. I was stationed at Kadena and we found a place to live in Ishikawa City. It was a single house that used to be military housing. It was actually quite nice with a yard and a view of the ocean. I think our rent was close to $2,000 per month. We stayed their just short of our lease, so I lost our deposit when we moved on base. But like anyone will tell you, moving on base is when your tour really begins. It wasn't bad living off-base, but everything becomes so much better when you move on base...especially when you have kids attending on base schools. But still, I remember wonderful walks down to the ocean from our house in Ishikawa.
I understand skipping the outside to prevent showing off where you live and having people stop by. Privacy is important when putting your life out there for the public.
I really liked this video!! more please!!
Welcome back!
Thanks 😅
Good job, very nice apartment, and you nailed it on covering the difference in rental prices for locals and outsiders like military. The landlords definitely know exactly what the military and US civilians receive for housing allowance and charge accordingly. Same everywhere overseas. There are some other interesting home and rental stories to ponder concerning US military and civilians in Okinawa, just wish I had been smart enough to take advantage of them. For example, many US military and civilian folks in Okinawa with Okinawan spouses build new homes in Okinawa. They can either live in their home and receive housing allowances, or move onto base housing for four or five years and rent out their home to a military family paying the big bucks for the rental, more than covering their mortgage payment. Then they move back to their home for awhile before they are once again eligible for base housing. After 20 years or so your Okinawan house is paid off. For the US civilians, this situation works especially well if you were hired stateside, since you get full benefits and allowances, whereas local hires do not get such a good deal. Oh well, I really like your apartment and thanks for the informative video.
Nice. I love the funny little sinks in the bathrooms here. And most of the buildings seem to be made of heavy cement and are made for the typhoons unlike American houses in hurricane areas.
Do many of the apartments have elevators?
めっちゃ部屋綺麗！
Excellent info!
Would you go over the utilities? The process and costs.
👋 Matt! Glad to see you. Truly, you've been missed!! How ya been??
Did you & Kit move OR was this a vlog that wasn't uploaded?
We didn't move, but this was filmed when we first moved in. That's why it's so clean and empty. 🤣
The kitchen! Food prep. I would like to know more about that aspect. Also, no clothes dryer? I like line drying, but what if its wet outside?
Really nice place.
Sir,Any ideas bout housing government rent, cost of living , taxes benefits etc.? Were from aichi ken planning to live in okinawa..
It's nicely made well detailed video..😊
I would like to see a housetour please , both inside the house and from outside as well if it's possible..
There playing video games and i think nomore videos
Hello! This video helps me a lot.
I would like to ask how much did you pay in the agency before you could move in? Thanks a lot!
Did you try to get one of the free Japanese houses (Akiya) there?
Hi Matt! What the monthly bills payment for your apartment ?
Hey man! What kind of camera do you use?
iPhone 😅, never really use my nice cameras. lol
@@MutekiMatt Ah ok lol
‘City’ is very relative in Japan. There are some very very rural cites in Japan 😂. I lived in three different kinds of cities in Japan: Toyama City is a medium size city and luckily I lived just one stop on the local line from Toyama station. Tamano City is almost lifeless, again I lived one stop from Uno station, which is the last stop. Finally I got a taste of real city life and when I lived in Osaka.
Just found your channel. Great videos! You don’t seem military how you end up in Oki?
Nvm just got to the part where you say your wife is from there lol
I am on VA disability and Social Security retirement. Can I keep getting those while living in Okinawa. I was stationed there in the mid 70s. Also what are some of the companies that would help in finding an apartment? Thank you much
love ur videos I want to retire Okinawa
My father and I are moving to okinawa next year, we're not military, we just love okinawa. Where would you say is the best area to rent in? We've been looking in the ginowan area for a 2 to 3ldk or dk. Thanks for any tips, glad to see new content , hope you and Kit are well
That's great! I feel like every area is nice. If you want to be in a place that caters to American's though (like around the bases), or heavier tourist areas, you'll be paying a bit more in rent. 😊
what WIFI Company do you use? You have an amazing PC setup. I need faster WIFI.
Thank you. Our phones are AU but our house is Softbank.
I've heard Softbank isn't the best, but it's faster than anything I've ever had. Get around 400 Mbps up and down.
how much do you think it would cost a foreigner for a 1 bedroom?
too many military base... i was a Marine and i didnt like that when i was there for 2 weeks
Hey matt were are you guys whats it like for 🎃 in okinawa..well miss you guys
Hi Jessi! Sorry its been so long!
Are there many earthquakes there?
It's been a long time since I paid rent on Okinawa, but the different pricing obviously started after I left in the early 80's (as so many things have changed), as a single Marine, I guess what I rented would be considered a 1-K. I loved that little place and even then, everything was within walking distance. Also even during a typhoon, the Mamasan store would stay open, by having one of the wooden sliding doors cracked a little bit open, so we could pop down for a typhoon 5th of sake, if we ran out (a Typhoon 5th was the large bottle). . .
Hello mountainneko. Enjoyed your comments. Sounded like me in 1972 as a 22-year old Air Force guy at Kadena but living in an apartment in Koza more or less at the end of BC Street. We had no A/C so I bought a water bed to keep cooler at night...worked great. I never thought about going to the Mamasan store for my typhoon beverage of choice. Back in the 80s I would go to the Camp Shields package store next to Kadena before typhoons for beverages because everywhere else was already packed. Then we would head down to Naha to my sister-in-laws house to party. Take care.
@@davidhyder9609 It sounds like we may have enjoyed some of the same Typhoons, after I got out of the Marine Corps, I initially worked at the credit union at Kadena.
@@mountainneko You got it yamaneko. Typhoons were involved in some of my favorite Okinawan memories (except when they screwed up my diving or fishing plans). Cool, I have been a member of the Pentagon Federal Credit Union for almost 40 years now and it all started at Kadena. You are right about the changes in Okinawa...sometimes hard for me to be graceful about these things.
Really like your typhoon fifth description. Never heard it before. I guess we called it our typhoon jug or something stupid like that. My brother-in-law in Naha always expected that I would bring the big bottle of Chivas Regal.
@@davidhyder9609 Ahh, you caught the name, unfortunately someone else owned the "yamaneko". . .so many good memories in the Okinawa of the past, some good ones of the new, my grandkids have been able to make 3 trips there with their Grandma and they love it.
I have a bunch of questions for you regarding renting in Yokosuka Japan. If you’d like to help in any way you can, I’d greatly appreciate it
❤❤❤
talk about the healthcare especially physical therapy a cripple such as myself can expect & cost
omg its cheap@ thanks, but I hate having stores everywhere
Or you can just go to Puerto Rico Key West US Virgin Islands. Dive Chill.
The more you look at these foreign places the more you realize how much easier it is in USA. And you can just drive to Mexico too.
do a video on how to becaome a citixen
Hi everybody somebody can recommend a good apartment for one week, and a good apartment for one month in okinawa, thank you
550 a month? Really? That's cheap. I was looking at places and they looked 3x more expensive.... but probably because they're near military bases
NVM, I got to the portion of the video where you talked about it
lol 🤣 Thanks for watching!
I want to move there so bad
I was born in okinawa.
Miyakojima
Ooowere are you guys on video games..
Hi Jessi! Yes, Kit plays alot of twitch if you ever want to watch.
www.twitch.tv/ricekitspytreat
Even with hundreds of Phillipine relatives going there is absurdly complicated.
To live. Retire.
When are you guys coming bacjk or not so i can delete you guys..
Okinawa is not Japan