The owners of the home moved out the day before I moved in. While they took care of the house since they moved in back in the 1960s, they never maintained the walls inside beyond cleaning. Even so, the walls and ceiling still had an abundance of mold.

I should probably write here again that my house was not “abandoned”. The owners moved out the day before I moved in. They decided to move to be closer to their family.

Mold in Japan:
This is an issue around Japan due to the humid climate. It can be even worse in the snowy regions with soil around the house that stays wet from melted snow.

Preparing the walls:
I used bleach and also soap and vinegar for the cleaning. This helped to kill the bacteria and make the surfaces paintable. I used an oil based undercoat to prime the areas to cover the cleaned surfaces.

Shikkui walls:
The traditional walls are very dry and this is called Shikkui. It’s supposed to be a breathable finish and has been used for a long time in Japan. Some people might say that it’s not supposed to be painted but I consulates with a few different paint companies who said it’s fine to paint. I followed the advice of these companies for selecting the products.

Painting:
The kitchen, living, downstairs bedrooms (2), hallway, entrance, upstairs bedrooms (4), chill room all took around 4 weeks to prep and paint. Thankfully, my dad came to stay with me in Myoko to help. He’s been a painter for more than 50 years and has a wealth of knowledge and experience. His father was also a painter so you’re looking at more than a hundred years between just the two of them.

My challenges and lessons learned:
- Painting during summer. Just killer hot.
- Find a good paint consultant for products. DIY stores don’t have a lot of products and staff have little knowledge.
- Find a good oil based primer supplier.
- The shikkui walls are very thick and heavy. They can cost a lot to demo and dispose of.
- Use a primer on the shikkui walls to make painting slightly easier. Without the primer it’s very slow going.

Feel free to comment and let me know what other DIY info you would like to see :)