About InakaLifestyle.com
Hi! Bitsii here.
In October of 2021, I moved from the US to Ehime prefecture in Shikoku; the Japanese Countryside. About one year later, I posted my first YouTube video about my experiences here. All of a sudden, I realized I had found thousands of people like me. People who want to pursue meaning, beauty, and culture. People who love Japan and want to find their way here.
As I’ve been seemingly bouncing around and learning many things the hard way here, I wanted to share my findings and insights. Moving here can be ROUGH. I want to help ease the transition for those moving here by sharing my experiences and resources.
People have found something they were searching for in my YouTube channel, but I’ll be keeping my channel for sharing some of my more intimate and personal stories. In this website, I’m hoping to creating a place for people to gather and share some of the practicalities of moving to and living in the Japanese Countryside.
Every year, thousands of foreign English-speakers move to Japan. From mental health to visas to bug spray. I’ve had my fair share of challenges moving here, so I want to share what I’ve learned to help those who will experience the same things.
Meet Bethany ‘Bitsii’ Nakamura
Summary
Bitsii, AKA Nakamura Bethany, is the founder of InakaLifestyle.com and the creator behind the YouTube channel, Bitsii in Inaka. She lives in Ehime Prefecture, Shikoku, Japan. She is a Canadian-American, born in the 80’s. She is happily partnered with the equally creative and eclectic former Kyoto gardener, Mr. Nakamura.
Bitsii still thinks like a designer in all of her endeavors, but she believes that good design is not a product. It is a process that begins with empathy.
Education
University of Minnesota, USA
Experience
Having spend many years as a commercial interior designer for large architecture firms, she has always been motivated to empower and inspire through a uniquely personal approach. With core values in social and environmental responsibility, she transitioned from design to higher education and content creation in 2021. She has been recognized for socially responsible interior design by Contract Magazine, and has also received awards and features from SXSW EDU, the American Institute of Architects, the International Interior Design Association, NeoCon, and the United States Green Building Council. She has worked with such noteworthy design clients as tech industry leaders, the Mayo Clinic, government, university and medical organizations. Her work can be seen in the US, Canada, Russia, China, Japan and Germany.
Read more → Q&A with Bitsii
Typing to you from Ehime
Ehime Prefecture is located on Shikoku island in Japan. While Shikoku is rarely visited by Japanese people from other islands, Ehime is known for its mikan (mandarin orange) agricultural industry. With attractions like Matsuyama Castle, Dogo Onsen, and Uwajima Castle. Dogo Onsen is credited as the inspiration for the bathhouse in the Ghibli movie, Spirited Away. Ehime Prefecture offers a rich blend of natural beauty and whimsical cultural heritage.
Read more → Ehime’s Top Serene Getaway
Contributing Authors
Want to be a guest author? We would love to hear from you! Send Bitsii an email at bitsii.creative [at] gmail.com with an introduction and your topic idea!
