The Retro Shop at Benton Guesthouse is open! We’re currently available by appointment only, because the shop exists inside the ‘doma’ front room of our guesthouse. So we can open for shopping when we’re not hosting guests. But we are open every day on our online Etsy shop! Please enjoy our curated selection of antique, vintage, and retro belongings, many still in their original packaging, mostly from the 1940s to 1980s. There’s some really cool stuff here.
BentonHomesteadJapan Vintage & Retro Shop on Etsy » Click Here!
BentonHomestead Vinyl Records on Discogs » Click Here!
We purchased two ‘akiya’ abandoned houses, just around the corner from each other, on Ōmishima island, in rural Japan. Inside both homes, we were delighted by rooms and rooms full of belongings, Many people would see this as a burden, but we worked very hard to re-use as many materials, furnishings, and decorations, as we could. Trust me when I say it would’ve been “easier” to throw everything away and start over… but I could never. We wanted to honor the former owners, but we also consider this the ultimate recycling! We’re saving two houses, but also, almost everything inside.
We will love as many of these belongings as we can. And we also gift items to friends and neighbors as opportunities arise. But there’s more here than we could possibly use in our lifetime! It would break my heart to see any of these items go to waste, as most have been thoughtfully packed away or stored in the original boxes, and definitely have a lot of life left in them.
If you’re curious to see our abandoned houses, t”unboxing” the belongings, and some of the restoration, here are a few videos showing the process. Many more videos on our YouTube channel!
Our YouTube video, unboxing abandoned household belongings in the 1940 former ‘ryokan’ inn ⌄
Our YouTube video, unboxing abandoned kitchen belongings in the 1940 former ‘ryokan’ inn ⌄
Our YouTube video, a guided tour of our second ‘akiya’ abandoned for 40 years ⌄
Our YouTube video, a guided tour of our first ‘akiya’ abandoned for 10 years (now Benton Guesthouse) ⌄
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