We actually have accumulated 2 sets of furniture and household things in 2 countries...the US and Japan. When we first left for Japan, 15 years ago, we got rid of almost all our things (which wasn't too much since we had only been married 2 years). We were off to Japan as missionaries...for life, so we didn't stop to think about what we would do 4 years later when we came back to live in California for a 1 year home assignment. We had to start from scratch again to accumulate a needed household. God graciously provided good friends (all 3 home assignments!) to help us set up our house with needed furniture, bedding, dishes, etc.
Now some missionaries don't come home for a full year for their home assignments, they just come a few weeks or months and they don't have to set up a full-running home. Or, some missionaries are blessed with a "parsonage" of sorts from their church or mission that is already furnished and they just have to unpack their suitcases of clothes.
When we leave in less than 2 months (yikes!) we will pare down our furniture and store it, along with boxes of dishes and bedding, at a friend's shed (and tuck some things away in our attic too). At the end of each of our terms in Japan when we go on home assignment, we do the same. Pare things down as much as possible and store our household things and furniture in a big storage shed in Japan that OMF rents. 
When we first went to Japan, we did pay to send extra boxes of some household things (when you could send things surface rate through the US mail). And each time we return to Japan, we try to bring a few of our favorite American items (this time I am hoping to bring my oversized crock-pot that I have fallen in love with!). But, on the whole we can buy dishes, kitchen things and furniture in Japan. To be honest we would have a hard time fitting our over-sized American furniture and appliances in a relatively little house in Japan. Plus, we want to make an effort to be as "Japanese" as possible...which includes how we set up our homes too.
