Cross Shore is a first-hand guide to living and traveling between Japan and Thailand. I split the year between Kamakura, Japan and Chiang Mai, Thailand, and I write about the practical side of a two-base life — relocation logistics, costs, connectivity, flights, stays, and the day-to-day details — all of it done rather than researched.
Who writes this
I spent 18 years (2008–2026) at TOPPAN Inc., one of Japan’s largest printing and communications companies, working in sales promotion planning and production management. My work centered on merchandising and production — promotional goods for a major beverage brand, and merchandise for a domestic professional sports team. That work was about sourcing, quality, specifications, and how things are actually made. I judge products and services here the same way: on specifications and what they actually cost, not on marketing claims.
The two-base setup
In 2026 I set up a second base in Chiang Mai, Thailand, while keeping our home in Kamakura, Japan. I moved with my family and our dog. The logistics covered on this site — visas, housing, driving licenses, banking, connectivity, schooling, and pets — are processes I have completed myself, not researched from a distance.
What I know well
Living across two countries means I book long-haul flights and accommodation constantly, so I write about routes, timing, and stays from booking them over and over, not from research. Through Cross Shore I also work on OEM manufacturing and matcha export, so I see Japanese craft and food from the production side rather than the shop floor. That is where my instinct for what is well made comes from.
How I work
The figures on this site are the amounts I actually paid, and the photos are my own. Where I quote a document — a visa, a quotation, a bill — I show it. If I have not used something myself, I say so.
Some pages contain affiliate links: if you buy through them I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you, and I only recommend things I have used myself.
A note on the photos. Every image on this site is our own, taken as we go — the receipts, the paperwork, the streets we actually use. We don’t publish our children’s faces: you will see our daughter from behind, or not at all. That is the one thing we keep private.
Wataru Otsubo — Founder, Cross Shore. Based between Kamakura and Chiang Mai.
Get in touch: For questions, corrections, or partnership inquiries, email info@cross-shore.com. I read every message.