The Wall is GONE + We Had a Burst Pipe Disaster | Japan Renovation

The wall is finally gone. In this Japanese house renovation update, my old house in Japan begins transforming. But of course there is drama with all renovations! In this episode of my Japan renovation series: • The dividing wall is demolished • Original hardwood framing is exposed • A water pipe accidentally bursts inside the wall • A slab is poured for the new water heater • Window surrounds and trim begin going in • I finally start painting before the floors are laid • And an antique kumiko transom window arrives just in time to become part of the renovation This renovation has become about much more than simply upgrading a kitchen. As someone rebuilding life in Japan after 50, I wanted to preserve the warmth, craftsmanship, and character of this older Japanese house while creating a calmer and more functional home for the future. One of the most exciting moments in this video is the arrival of the antique kumiko feature piece — a traditional Japanese woodworking panel that represents the beauty and craftsmanship often lost in modern renovations. Alongside the exciting progress, I’m also sharing the real side of renovating while living in the house full-time: the stress, unexpected problems, daily routines around builders, decision fatigue, and trying to balance filming YouTube videos while life continues around the chaos. If you enjoy: • Japanese house renovations • Akiya and older home transformations • Slow living in Japan • Japanese craftsmanship and interior design • Japandi inspiration • Life reset stories after 50 • Realistic home renovation journeys …then I hope you’ll continue following the series. Subscribe and join me as this older Japanese home slowly transforms one week at a time. #Japan #JapaneseHouse #Akiya #HomeRenovation #KitchenRenovation #LivingInJapan #JapanLife 🌿 Useful Links 🧡 Postcard Club – I will post you postcards from Japan http://ko-fi.com/chanijapan/tiers 👕 Chani Japan Merch https://chanijapan.store 📚 Beginner Japanese for Real Life in Japan🇯🇵 (Brain training + hiragana + basics) https://www.chanijapan.com/ ☕ Support the channel https://ko-fi.com/chanijapan If you are new to the channel, my name is Chani and I am a middle aged Australian who was stuck in a rut and moved to Japan to live. I bought an Akiya or empty house and started renovating. I'd love it if you subscribed and joined the community. I look forward to seeing you in the next video 😀 @ChaniJapan