Episode 13 · Oct 27, 2026 · 35 min

We Found 30,000 Yen in Our Japanese Home and Haven’t Touched It — Here’s Why

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When we were clearing out our property in Nagasaki, we found 30,000 yen near the household shrine. Not dropped. Not forgotten. Placed there deliberately — arranged in a way that told us immediately this wasn’t ordinary money. The shrine has since been removed. The house has been blessed. And that money has stayed exactly where we found it. Because in Japan, money left near a household shrine isn’t yours to touch. And this episode explains why. Every traditional Japanese home had a kamidana — a Shinto shrine mounted on the wall that served as the spiritual protection system of the household. Not decoration. Not cultural furniture. An active relationship between the family and the divine presence watching over them, maintained through daily offerings every single morning. Water, rice, salt. The household gives. The kami protects. When the family leaves and the offerings stop, the house loses that protection. And when a new buyer walks in without understanding what they’ve inherited — they’re stepping into something they’re not prepared for. In this episode David and Victoria cover what the kamidana actually is and why its presence or absence changes everything about a property. A real client story about buying a house with a shrine still in place and going through the full removal and blessing process before renovation could begin. What saisen is — the specific type of offering found near a household shrine — and why 30,000 yen placed with intention is not money you spend. And the answer to the question they’ve been sitting with since they found it: what are you actually supposed to do with it? If you’re buying a traditional Japanese property, this is the episode you need before you walk through the door. 📧 Had a strange experience in a Japanese home? Send it: hello@oldhousesjapan.com — subject: My Japan Story 🌐 oldhousesjapan.com 📸 @oldhousesjapan 🎙️ oldhousesjapanpodcast.com