About InakaLifestyle.com

Hi! Bitsii here.

In October of 2011, I moved from the US to Ehime prefecture; 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 another place for people to gather and share some of the practicalities.

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 Bitsii

Summary

Bitsii, AKA Bethany Nakamura, 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 Canadian-American, was born in the 80’s, and is happily partnered.

She 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 becoming an instructor in 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 Google, the Mayo Clinic, government, university and medical organizations. Her work can be seen in the US, Canada, Russia, China, Japan and Germany.

Typing to You From Ehime

Ehime Prefecture is located in the Shikoku region of 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, Ehime Prefecture offers a rich blend of natural beauty and cultural heritage.