Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
We are exploring the hidden shopping streets of Himeji, Japan on a mission to find rare Pokémon cards and souvenirs, before stumbling into a wild Gachapon capsule toy craze!
In this Japan travel vlog, we take a walk through the massive covered shopping arcades near Himeji Station. Watch along as we go Pokémon card hunting at Card Castle to pick up a classic Pokémon Mega Booster Pack. While exploring, we witnessed a crazy local Japanese trend where crowds of locals were running and stamping their phones to get notifications for rare Gachapon capsule toys! After finding some custom magnets for a souvenir, we take a much-needed break near the station at an authentic Japanese pub (Izakaya) to try local street food, draft beer, and pull off a hilarious food prank involving beef rib skewers.
If you love Japanese pop culture, collecting Pokémon cards, hunting for rare Gachapon, or exploring local Japanese food, make sure to subscribe for more of our travel adventures!
Timestamps
00:00:10 - Exploring Himeji's Covered Shopping Plazas
00:00:50 - Pokémon Card Hunting at Card Castle Shop
00:03:20 - Scoring a Pokémon Mega Booster Pack
00:04:19 - Souvenir Hunting for Custom Magnets
00:06:28 - Crazy Gachapon Capsule Toy Stampede!
00:09:18 - Searching for a Local Pub near Himeji Station
00:12:50 - Trying Local Japanese Food & Hilarious Skewer Prank
00:15:43 - Heading to Himeji Station for the Next Train
#PokemonCards #JapanTravel #Gachapon #Himeji #PokemonHunt #CapsuleToys #ExploreJapan #TravelVlog
We are exploring the hidden shopping streets of Himeji, Japan on a mission to find rare Pokémon cards and souvenirs, before stumbling into a wild Gachapon capsule toy craze!
In this Japan travel vlog, we take a walk through the massive covered shopping arcades near Himeji Station. Watch along as we go Pokémon card hunting at Card Castle to pick up a classic Pokémon Mega Booster Pack. While exploring, we witnessed a crazy local Japanese trend where crowds of locals were running and stamping their phones to get notifications for rare Gachapon capsule toys! After finding some custom magnets for a souvenir, we take a much-needed break near the station at an authentic Japanese pub (Izakaya) to try local street food, draft beer, and pull off a hilarious food prank involving beef rib skewers.
If you love Japanese pop culture, collecting Pokémon cards, hunting for rare Gachapon, or exploring local Japanese food, make sure to subscribe for more of our travel adventures!
Timestamps
00:00:10 - Exploring Himeji's Covered Shopping Plazas
00:00:50 - Pokémon Card Hunting at Card Castle Shop
00:03:20 - Scoring a Pokémon Mega Booster Pack
00:04:19 - Souvenir Hunting for Custom Magnets
00:06:28 - Crazy Gachapon Capsule Toy Stampede!
00:09:18 - Searching for a Local Pub near Himeji Station
00:12:50 - Trying Local Japanese Food & Hilarious Skewer Prank
00:15:43 - Heading to Himeji Station for the Next Train
#PokemonCards #JapanTravel #Gachapon #Himeji #PokemonHunt #CapsuleToys #ExploreJapan #TravelVlog

![Modern Kitchen Progress: Custom Cabinet Install in the Philippines! 🇵🇭
We are finally making progress on the dream house kitchen! In today’s video, we’re getting the lower kitchen cabinets installed. It took about 10 days for fabrication, and the results are looking great with soft-close drawers and a custom layout.
Beyond the kitchen, I’m also tackling some yard work to clean up construction debris, fixing the driveway, and showing off the new outdoor furniture set we picked up from City Hardware. Life in the Philippines is always busy, especially when youre turning a house into a home!
Timestamps:
[00:00] - Welcome to the Channel!
[00:50] - Cleaning up Construction Trash & Broken Tiles
[02:40] - Driveway Maintenance & Concrete Repairs
[03:55] - Turning the Yard into a Garden
[05:00] - Removing Tree Stumps
[05:30] - New Outdoor Furniture from City Hardware
[06:38] - Lower Kitchen Cabinet Installation Begins
[07:35] - Finished Project: Soft-Close Drawers & Island Tour
[10:05] - Testing out our S&R Turbo Fan
#PhilippinesLife #KitchenRemodel #HomeImprovement #ExpatInPhilippines #DreamHouse #DIYConstruction #ModernKitchen Modern Kitchen Progress: Custom Cabinet Install in the Philippines! 🇵🇭](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/opuiWE0PTo8/mqdefault.jpg)


![DIY Birdhouse & Garden Landscaping: Managing Price Increases in the Philippines
Welcome back to the channel! Today we are tackling Part 2 of our landscaping project, but things have changed. We’re dealing with some significant price increases on construction materials like cement and wood here in the Philippines. I’ll break down exactly what we’re paying now versus just a few months ago so you can plan your builds accordingly.
Plus, Christine has some beautiful new birds, so I decided to build the Ultimate Birdhouse—a 4-bedroom bird condominium! I’m using some new tools from City Hardware and Inkco, including a miter box and hole saw set. If youre looking for DIY inspiration or updates on provincial life in Tarlac, this video is for you.
📍 In this video:
• Landscaping Part 2: Topsoil and sand delivery.
• The reality of price increases for cement, gravel, and lumber.
• Building a custom DIY birdhouse from scratch (no plans!).
• A tour of our new African parrots.
• Setting up the Bird World multi-cage system.
Support the Channel:
If you enjoyed this build, please give the video a LIKE and SUBSCRIBE for more DIY projects and life in the Philippines!
#PhilippinesLife #DIYBirdhouse #LandscapingPhilippines #CostOfLiving #Tarlac #BuildingInThePhilippines #DIYProjects #OurLifeInThePhilippines
Timestamps
[00:00] Landscaping Part 2: Material deliveries
[02:15] Planning the new garden walkway & pavers
[04:08] CRITICAL: Material price increases in the Philippines (Cement, Wood, Gravel)
[06:36] Meeting our new birds (Blue & Green Parrots)
[07:44] DIY Birdhouse project: Materials and new tools
[09:48] Day 2: Garden progress update
[10:36] Building the Ultimate Birdhouse (First look)
[12:54] The finished Birdhouse & Bird tour
[14:08] Interior tour: Tile flooring and 4-bedroom layout
[17:31] Bonus: New workshop tools and final modifications DIY Birdhouse & Garden Landscaping: Managing Price Increases in the Philippines](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qI77S1vDzCk/mqdefault.jpg)





![We Saved THOUSANDS! DIY Landscaping & Walkway in the Philippines 🇵🇭
How much does professional landscaping cost in the Philippines? We received a quote for 400,000 Pesos, but decided to tackle the project ourselves for a fraction of the price! In this video, we reveal the final results of our 340sqm front lawn transformation, including our custom DIY concrete walkway and landscaping.
By managing the project ourselves, hiring local labor directly, and sourcing our own materials, we saved a staggering 320,000 Pesos ($5,700+ USD). We’ll walk you through the final costs, the materials we used (white pebbles, Carabao grass, and custom pavers), and why doing it yourself is the best way to build equity in your Philippine home.
In this video, you’ll see:
✅ The Final Reveal: Our 340sqm yard is finally finished!
✅ Cost Comparison: Professional Quote vs. DIY Reality.
✅ Walkway Design: The finished look of our custom-poured concrete stepping stones.
✅ Material Breakdown: Using white pebbles and Carabao grass for a high-end look on a budget.
✅ Curb Appeal: How these changes dramatically increased our property value.
📌 Key Moments (Timestamps)
• [00:01] The ₱320,000 Savings: Why we chose DIY over contractors.
• [01:05] Hiring a local crew: Rates and expectations in the province.
• [02:03] Frog Grass vs. Carabao Grass: Cost-saving landscaping choices.
• [02:58] DIY Concrete Walkway: Building custom forms and using rebar.
• [04:39] How to build solid concrete planters using CHB (Hollow Blocks).
• [06:16] Adding decorative stone to wet cement for extra grip and style.
• [08:46] Visiting the local Garden Center/Flower Shop for supplies.
• [10:28] Hauling 800 lbs of grass in the car (Dont try this at home!).
• [12:02] Releasing the molds and finishing the walkway borders.
• [14:15] Working at night: Tips for planting in the Philippine heat.
• [16:46] The Province Wife advantage: Hard work and dedication.
• [18:26] Next Steps: Painting the white picket fence and final touches.
Support the Channel:
If youre planning on moving to or building in the Philippines, make sure to SUBSCRIBE for more honest budget breakdowns and DIY tips! LIKE the video if you believe in saving money!
#PhilippinesRealEstate #DIYLandscaping #SaveMoney #LivingInThePhilippines #ExpatLife #HomeEquity #PhilippineConstruction #BudgetLandscaping #ConcreteWalkway #CurbAppeal #ManilaToProvinces #HouseBuildingPhilippines We Saved THOUSANDS! DIY Landscaping & Walkway in the Philippines 🇵🇭](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/rmtiJDX1nAQ/mqdefault.jpg)