Benton Homestead Japan

05/09/2026

[English in comments] 📣 スタッフ募集中 📣 ベントンホームステッドのチームに加わりませんか？🤗

👉 10月10日と11日の2日間開催されるしまなみ映画祭で、エバンのタコスポップ・アップのお手伝いをしてくれる方を募集しています。調理は一切不要！お客様との会話、注文受付、現金処理が主な業務です🌮

また、近いうちに従業員を募集する予定です。以下のいずれかの業務にご興味をお持ちの方をご存知でしたら、ぜひご紹介ください。

☕ レトロ・ショップ（ベントンゲストハウス隣）と同じ建物内に設置する小さなキッチンでの調理。朝食、夕食、または両方を提供するかどうかはまだ検討中です。

🔥 瓶詰めホットソース、サルサソースなどの制作。

🌮 大三島周辺の様々な場所でタコスポップ・アップを運営。

✨ ベントンゲストハウスで、お客様のチェックアウトとチェックインの間の清掃と洗濯のお手伝い。

🐝 自然農業・養蜂方法を学びたい方もぜひぜひ！2027の生育期に、メキシコ野菜の唐辛子、トマティーヨの契約農家も募集中になります。

これらポジションは、最初からパートタイムですが、将来的にはフルタイム雇用となる可能性があります。2027年春には、1～2名の採用を開始できる見込みです。詳細は現在検討中。

ご存知のとおり、経営・管理ビザの新たな要件では、2028年10月までにフルタイム従業員（年金、健康保険を含む）を雇用することが義務付けられています。従業員は、日本国籍、永住権保持者、または日本国籍もしくは永住権保持者の配偶者である必要があります。

🙇‍♀️ 大三島コミュニティに根を下ろしながら、着実に成長を続けています🙇‍♀️

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Subscribe » www.youtube.com/

Stay With Us » airbnb.com/h/bentonguesthouse

Shop Honey + Retro » bentonhomesteadjapan.myshopify.com/

Shop Vintage Records » discogs.com/seller/bentonhomestead/profile

Japan Real Estate Consulting » bentonhomestead.com/consulting

Photo Blogs » www.bentonhomestead.com

Support » buymeacoffee.com/bentonhomestead

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#日本 #四国 #愛媛 #今治 #大三島 #しまなみ街道

23/08/2026

[日本語訳はコメント欄にあります] After completing our initial renovation, Benton Guesthouse began welcoming guests in late 2023. The end of our third year hosting is quickly approaching! Time has gone by very quickly.

By the end of this month, we will have welcomed over 1,000 guests! It's hard to believe. We have completed 325 reservations.

About 85% of our guests are cycling the Shimanami Kaido islands, in all four seasons of the year. Every day we introduce visitors to local restaurants and sites.

Our goal was to save this former akiya, and as many historic belongings as we could. Guests say our house is like a "living museum"; they feel as if they have stepped back in time, with modern comfort. The retro items, like the Famicom, and the record player, are regularly used and enjoyed.

On AirBnB, we have a near 5-star rating, earning both 'Superhost' and Top 5% 'Guest Favorite' status.

On Booking, we have 9.8/10 rating, 'Traveler Award' status, and recently met criteria to join the 'Prefered Partner' program.

Benton Guesthouse is a private full-house rental, so we only host one group at a time. We greet all of our guests personally, and handle all aspects of our business by ourselves, including cleaning, scheduling, and logistics.

Thank you, to all of our guests! There are so many lovely places to stay all along the Shimanami islands, and so many other wonderful hosts. We're always honored when guests choose our Shōwa retro house, on Ōmishima.

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Subscribe » www.youtube.com/

Stay With Us » airbnb.com/h/bentonguesthouse

Shop Honey + Retro » bentonhomesteadjapan.myshopify.com/

Shop Vintage Records » discogs.com/seller/bentonhomestead/profile

Japan Real Estate Consulting » bentonhomestead.com/consulting

Photo Blogs » www.bentonhomestead.com

Support » buymeacoffee.com/bentonhomestead

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#日本 #四国 #愛媛 #今治 #大三島 #しまなみ街道

20/08/2026

[日本語訳はコメント欄にあります] Ōmishima has been our home for 3.5 years, and we've spent every day working towards our dreams. We love living on the Shimanami Kaido! However, the stability of our future in Japan is still uncertain.

The ongoing changes to the Business Manager visa will be quite challenging to meet before the October 2028 deadline. So we're working harder than ever, in order to continue our life and business here on the islands.

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We've already accomplished three of the new requirements:

1) Evan passed the Japanese language test at level N2;

2) We have a business office separate from our home address; and

3) Our business plan was created with approval of a Japanese business professional.

The other two new requirements will be difficult, but perhaps not impossible:

4) Benton Homestead 株式会社 needs to increase corporate "paid-in capital" by 600%;

5) We need to hire a full-time employee (which includes salary, pension, and health insurance) Japanese national, spouse of a national, or permanent resident.

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Here in Ehime prefecture, there are only about 50 Business Manager visa holders. Nationwide, there are about 40,000. With all of the changes and uncertainty, many Business Manager visa holders are closing their businesses and leaving.

But we won't give up so easily! We are only two people operating a small countryside business. So we will just have to adjust and grow to meet the new increasing demands.

Current Business:
🏡 Benton Guesthouse
🐝 Honeybee Farm
🌶️ Small Natural Farm

Now Offering:
📷 Photography

Coming Soon:
🌮 Taco Stand
🔥 Hot Sauce
🕹️ Retro Shop
🍿 Fun Events

Thank you so much for all of your support and encouragement through this stressful and challenging time!

Thank you to Imabari city for accepting us into the Startup visa program, back in early 2023.

Thank you to everyone who has visited Benton Guesthouse, bought a jar of honey, or enjoyed some tacos!

Thank you to the island community of friends and neighbors for making us feel so welcome. We hope to be a part of the Ōmishima community forever ✨

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Subscribe » www.youtube.com/

Stay With Us » airbnb.com/h/bentonguesthouse

Shop Honey + Retro » bentonhomesteadjapan.myshopify.com/

Shop Vintage Records » discogs.com/seller/bentonhomestead/profile

Japan Real Estate Consulting » bentonhomestead.com/consulting

Photo Blogs » www.bentonhomestead.com

Support » buymeacoffee.com/bentonhomestead

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#日本 #四国 #愛媛 #今治 #大三島 #しまなみ街道

04/08/2026

Progress continues on the future Retro Shop and Taco Kitchen! This former garage building at Benton Guesthouse had a lot of water damage, so we have had to do some major restoration already: new roof, beam and pillar replacement, foundation work, insulation, and a ceiling which didn't exist before.

Now we've removed the rusty metal roller door, to build a big glass storefront entrance, using all retro glass. Soon, electrical, air conditioning, water, new plaster walls, and floor repair. Then we can fill the space with cool vintage items to touch and explore, and start building the kitchen 🌮

14/07/2026

Ōmishima portrait walks are now available at Tatara Bridge and Sando Street. Great for individuals, solo travelers, couples, families, cyclists, and friend groups 🌴🚴‍♀️📸

07/07/2026

It's happening 🥰🥹😎

27/05/2026

Sharing a few more stills from the episode of TV Asahi's サンド＆キスマイの気になるマン! In addition to showcasing Ōmishima and Benton Guesthouse, we also also visited our honeybees, and enjoyed ramen with Tamayo-san at Tamaya.

You can stream the episode for only one week! It won't be on YouTube! So let's all enjoy it briefly, before it disappears. Our Ōmishima segment is from 06:00 to 29:00!

Watch here: https://tver.jp/live/simul/le91evr3pn Please note that you will have to make a free account, and also set your ISP or VPN location to Japan to use the TVer website.

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Help Benton Homestead meet the new increased Business Manager visa requirements, to continue our work in Japan » https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-benton-homestead-meet-new-visa-requirements
* * * * *
Subscribe » www.youtube.com/

Stay With Us » airbnb.com/h/bentonguesthouse

Shop Honey + Retro » bentonhomesteadjapan.myshopify.com/

Shop Vintage Records » discogs.com/seller/bentonhomestead/profile

Japan Real Estate Consulting » bentonhomestead.com/consulting

Photo Blogs » www.bentonhomestead.com

Support » buymeacoffee.com/bentonhomestead
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#日本 #四国 #愛媛 #今治 #大三島 #しまなみ街道

26/05/2026

Thank you to TV-Asahi and the crew of サンド＆キスマイの気になるマン for showcasing out little part of the Shimanami Kaido! It was really fun to see Ōmishima, Benton Guesthouse, and Tamaya, on national television. I'm happy that the episode is fun and silly, and actually had some laugh out loud moments.

You can stream the episode for only one week! It won't be on YouTube! So let's all enjoy it briefly, before it disappears. Our Ōmishima segment is from 06:00 to 29:00!

Watch here: https://tver.jp/live/simul/le91evr3pn Please note that you will have to make a free account, and also set your ISP or VPN location to Japan to use the TVer website.

* * * * *
Help Benton Homestead meet the new increased Business Manager visa requirements, to continue our work in Japan » https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-benton-homestead-meet-new-visa-requirements
* * * * *
Subscribe » www.youtube.com/

Stay With Us » airbnb.com/h/bentonguesthouse

Shop Honey + Retro » bentonhomesteadjapan.myshopify.com/

Shop Vintage Records » discogs.com/seller/bentonhomestead/profile

Japan Real Estate Consulting » bentonhomestead.com/consulting

Photo Blogs » www.bentonhomestead.com

Support » buymeacoffee.com/bentonhomestead
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#日本 #四国 #愛媛 #今治 #大三島 #しまなみ街道

24/05/2026

Tomorrow! Our episode of サンド＆キスマイの気になるマン will air throughout Japan on TV-Asahi! Monday, May 25th at 8:40 pm (Japan time).

Then it will be available for replay on the website TVer, only for one week. So let's all enjoy it briefly, before it disappears.

Episode description: "Kis-My-Ft2 conducts a major investigation into things they're curious about all across Japan! They moved to Shimanami Kaido, Kyoto, and Kochi! What kind of lives do foreigners who love Showa-era retro style and foreigners who have become instructors of Japanese culture lead?" So it appears that the episide will cover three foreigners living in Japan, and their very different lives.

Watch here on TVer: https://tver.jp/live/simul/le91evr3pn Please note that you will have to set your ISP or VPN location to Japan to use the website.

* * * * *
Help Benton Homestead meet the new increased Business Manager visa requirements, to continue our work in Japan » https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-benton-homestead-meet-new-visa-requirements
* * * * *
Subscribe » www.youtube.com/

Stay With Us » airbnb.com/h/bentonguesthouse

Shop Honey + Retro » bentonhomesteadjapan.myshopify.com/

Shop Vintage Records » discogs.com/seller/bentonhomestead/profile

Japan Real Estate Consulting » bentonhomestead.com/consulting

Photo Blogs » www.bentonhomestead.com

Support » buymeacoffee.com/bentonhomestead
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#日本 #四国 #愛媛 #今治 #大三島 #しまなみ街道

「5月25日 リアルタイム配信 Kis-My-Ft2が日本全国で気になることを大調査！▽しまなみ海道や京都、高知に移住！昭和レトロ好き外国人＆日本文化の師範になった外国人…一体どんな暮らしをしている？」を無料で見るならTVe...

22/05/2026

I finally got to finish it! Three years ago, I envisioned a Shimanami Kaido island sunset wrapping around the whole exterior of the uniquely-shaped Honeybee Workshop building, attached to our home. Now, it's reality.

Well there is a tiny bit of pink to finish but I need a taller ladder. Please use your imagination.

Many of our neighbors watched as this building sit vacant, slowly deteriorating, for 40 years. So I really wanted to bring some colorful cheer to the neighborhood.

This is my first time painting a mural, and I decided to start with something fairly difficult. WHAT ELSE IS NEW! In our latest YouTube video, I show you how I used cheap brushes and kitchen sponges to create the sunset gradient.

Today's video: https://youtu.be/XwHt6M7VIEg

ついに完成しました！3年前、自宅に隣接する独特な形状のハニービー・ワークショップの建物の外壁全体に、しまなみ海道の夕日が映えるような壁画を描きたいと夢見ていました。そして今、それが現実になりました。

ピンク色の部分を少しだけ仕上げる必要があるのですが、もっと高い脚立が必要です。あとはご想像にお任せします。

近隣住民の多くは、この建物が40年間も空き家となり、徐々に朽ちていく様子を目の当たりにしてきました。だからこそ、この街に彩りと明るさをもたらしたいと強く願っていました。

壁画を描くのは今回が初めてで、しかもかなり難しいものに挑戦することにしました。まあ、いつものことですが！最新のYouTube動画では、安価な筆と台所用スポンジを使って夕日のグラデーションをどのように描いたかをご紹介しています。

* * * * *
Help Benton Homestead meet the new increased Business Manager visa requirements, to continue our work in Japan » https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-benton-homestead-meet-new-visa-requirements
* * * * *
Subscribe » www.youtube.com/

Stay With Us » airbnb.com/h/bentonguesthouse

Shop Honey + Retro » bentonhomesteadjapan.myshopify.com/

Shop Vintage Records » discogs.com/seller/bentonhomestead/profile

Japan Real Estate Consulting » bentonhomestead.com/consulting

Photo Blogs » www.bentonhomestead.com

Support » buymeacoffee.com/bentonhomestead
* * * * *
#日本 #四国 #愛媛 #今治 #大三島 #しまなみ街道