Greetings from Japan

Hello all,

Just this last month we had a wood burning stove installed in our 8 year old house. So far it hasn't been that cold here but cold enough for a few nights of toasty warm stove heat.

With a bit of luck you can see how things look now:

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i310/mjhfoster/Oct 09/CIMG0038.jpg

This is a Vermont Castings Encore Cat bought and installed by a fairly large local stove company. They gave us a few weeks worth of seasoned (2yrs) wood but we've found cheaper wood from a guy in the mountains near us. There are some people with stoves over here but mostly kerosene, gas and electric heaters are the norm (yes, we've seen the firelight).

I've been lurking for a couple of weeks and have gleaned much - thanks! Looking forward to scrounging firewood and will let you know how it goes (promise to post on the wood section).

Well, best regards from this Brit enjoying his new stove.

Matt.

It gets quite chilly here. Down to below freezing from December through to February and a bit more. Must get more practice with F as we use C (celcius) here.

I got about 400kg (the guy sells it by the 200kg) of hardwood splits and rounds last weekend, all 'broadleaf' (?) though I'll have to do more research as to what trees are grown around this area. The wood is nice and dry and has a cracking sound when hit together. I know there is oak and cherryin with other kinds of wood. And I was able to cut and take about 1/2 a cord of Acassia from a tree that blew down in a typhoon from a friend. Will split the larger logs and let it sit for a year or so.

My garden has room for some woodpiles. The stove company built a wooden rack (pic to come) that holds probably a cord and I built a larger rack to stack maybe another 2 cords. After that I'll have to get inventive. My garden railway takes up a 1/3rd of the garden and I don't want the wood too close to the house as the house is predominantly built of wood and I don't want problems with woodworm.

BTW - meant to type acacia! Will try harder with my tree spelling.

Thanks for the welcome fellow burners. Hi Rick, I teach English in a high school and have done for 13 years now. Nice to hear from someone who's been to Japan.

Help and advice much appreciated. Must go and do some teaching now (long sigh). Still, nearly the weekend and time to follow up another lead on some cheapity cheap wood from a friend of a friend, you know how it goes...

Matt.

I was an electronic engineer but never enjoyed it that much so I went back to college and did a degree for 3 yrs weekends and evenings. Took myself off to Japan to be an assistant English teacher along with lots of 22yr-old first jobbers. Most of them return home after a year or two, while I stayed and found a life for me here. I've been married for 10 years now with a daughter in the 4th grade. With a mortgage and open tenure I'm not likely to go back to Blighty anytime soon. Better weather here anyway, apart from the hellishly hot summers and mozzys.

Well, Friday afternoon and I'm off to start the weekend early. I've put a chain saw on my wish list for Christmas. So far, I've heard Stihl are a reliable buy but the cheapest I've seen is 30,00yen ($300ish) going up to over a $3000!! Hmmm.....

http://h-machine.jp/mori/stihl/stihl_kakaku_siyou/STIHL_MS170.htm

Looks small to me.

Matt.

I shall do some research into the previous chain saw posts/threads first before asking further.

I'm sure I will get the chance to use one for scrounging wood. I've a contact (previous fellow teacher) with lots of Keyaki that I can cut and take for free so... I would hire a truck but not sure yet about hiring a saw, will look into that too.

It's all fun, isn't it!

Matt.