In Episode 22 of the podcast we head north to the small rural village of Nukui in Nagano Prefecture. It is here that we find craftsman and musician Gianpaolo Camplese. Originally from Italy, Gianpaolo moved to the snow country in search for a home for his family, eventually discovering a rundown ‘kominka’ (traditional farmhouse) in the picturesque Nukui. In this episode we speak about Gianpaolo’s journey to the snow country of Japan, why he loves it, where and how he found his home, and the process of buying and fixing it

Gianpaolo is a woodworker who makes beautiful timber furniture under the name of Nereto Woodwork. As we discuss in our interview, he fills commissions for clients in the area including the many guesthouses and lodges of the surrounding ski resorts along with private residences. We discuss Gianpaolo’s work as a furniture-maker in the second half of the interview along with his wonderful music. A drummer and composer, Gianpaolo spent many years working in Berlin as a musician. You can listen to his wonderfully atmospheric music on both his personal website and Soundcloud.

The interview was recorded in Gianpaolo’s home. I want to say a very big thank you to him for welcoming me in and I hope our chat inspires you to consider a life lived better out here in the snow country! For more information including images and a map of where in the snow country we are today, make sure to the check out the episode page on the Snow Country Stories Japan website.

Snow Country Stories Japan is a bi-weekly podcast about life and travel in Japan's legendary 'yukiguni'. For more information about the show and your host, visit our website - www.snowcountrystories.com - and make sure to subscribe, rate and review the podcast and follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.