Hi Danny, very informative and useful video. I visited quite a lot places in Japan, Ine too. I think you made a good decision buying that house. Ine is one of the most beautiful and special villages I've seen there. I was astonished by the amount of eagles flying there and by the coast itself !!!

Back in the day, when I purchased my first home to live-in; that was Miami in the early 1990s, first mortgages with rates of 8 to 9% and 9% to 10% were typical. People will have to accept the possibility that we won't ever return to 3%. If sellers must sell, home prices will have to decline, and lower evaluations will follow. Pretty sure I'm not alone in my chain of thoughts.

There is a lot more to the story of buying an Akiya and living in Japan. First, you need to be able to live in Japan in the first place. This, for most people, means you can get a work visa, or marry a Japanese national who earns enough to support the both of you. The areas were the cheapest houses are located happens to the the places were work is the hardest to find. I could easily find a dirt-cheap home in 90% of Japan for next to nothing, but, unfortunately, in these areas you are likely to find work which pays next to nothing. And if I don't want to actually buy a home, I could rent a family-size house for as little as $100 per month. You can find these cheap rentals through the village or ward offices in the countryside, and if you have a spouse visa, they can also help find you a decent job, if you don't mind commercial fishing or are a skilled laborer. When looking at houses, keep in mind that most Akiya are made of wood. Wood is perishable, it dries, rots, and is tasty to insects. Japan has 4 distinct seasons, which accelerate the decay rate of wood. When you look at a properly, look at the ceiling for water stains, look at the walls for water stains, smell the air for mold and fungus. Look at the walls and make sure the corners are vertical, and the siding doesn't sag. Look at the roofline and make sure that it is vertical. Inside the house, look under the tatami mats to see if the floor boards are in good condition, and look above the ceiling to see the condition of the roof supports. Push the walls and see if they move, push the door posts and see if the house shakes. Check the plumbing, and the condition of the flooring in the bathrooms and kitchen. Try to get the water turned on before your visit so you can see if the taps work and the toilet flushes. Many Akiya have "Turkish" toilets, the kind you can't sit on, and must squat over. Check the septic systems, many homes in the country use a septic tank. Pluming and septic repairs are very costly, try to find a home which has good plumbing. When you find a building you like, negotiate hard. If the house and lot are full of junk, ask them to include junk removal in the price. Also, price how much it will cost to replace the tatami mats in an older house, and see if you can use this when negotiating. Replacing the tatami makes the house look much better, and can make it smell like new. And, if you are looking at a house in the northern parts of Japan, keep in mind that it can snow deeply in the winter, find out about road maintenance, how often the roads are plowed, and who you can contact if your road becomes impassible. Most countryside Akiya are situated in clusters of houses, so you'll probably have neighbors close at hand. Make friends with your neighbors as early as possible, help them when they need help, and they'll return the favor. If you need work done to your house, they'll be able to advise you how to do it the most economically, or they may be skilled enough that you can hire them to help. For myself, I live in the middle of Tokyo, but am in the process of securing an Akiya in the countryside in an area where I can cycle and enjoy nature in the summer, and enjoy skiing in the winter. It's been a fun process so far, I've found several properties which the owners are willing to hand over for free, though of course there are the usual legal and red tape fees, and things which are supposedly "free" often end up costing more in the long run than something which would have been considered "expensive."

For those who don't know, one must have a sponsor to live in Japan long-term. Usually the place you are employed at or a Japanese spouse. Also, these houses have no heat. It will be freezing. Also, termites. The common visa is for 3 months only. Very well done video.

People in rural Japan tend to be very nosey with each other. Some of them hate foreigners. They know what their neighbors are doing every minute under their 24/7 surveillance and constantly badmouth on somebody in the town. Some of them do it as their hobby. So I would recommend to talk to at least a few neighbors of the house you are looking at. Plus, ask them what type of "Cho-naikai" they are running and meet the Cho-naikai boss. If you don't like the boss, stay away from the town. Lastly, watch out for earthquake especially if you live in a Kominka. Do not sleep in the 1st floor and next to large furniture.

Living in the countryside of Japan is waaaaaaaaaaaay harder than living in the cities. I'm Japanese, but the times after moving from Osaka to Okayama was really tough. There are so many unspoken rules, and even if you completely understand those, and even if you are willing to have a good relationship between the neighbours, they still treat you as an annoying outsider. Also, there are spots you should never go or live in, which is a huge taboo in the Japanese society but still secretly believed by the Japanese. You have to know that there is a huge chance of trying to live in a quiet world but end up getting depressed. Despite that, he decided to do it, and doing pretty well. That's why I think he is so strong. I really hope he will love his new life in Japan.

♡ to the sibling caring for the father's house after 3 decades of being the designated person to care for it hopefully this brought all the family closer together for always

I like the flow of your content, really good mix of scenery and editing. I didn't think I'd be starting an akiya search so soon, but like with tracking down all those estranged family members , this will be a long and patient process. The sooner I get started, the better off I'll be. Thank you for the information.

amazing story, ty4sharing

Very informative. Loved the editing and beautiful scenery, too! Keep up the good work!

Super informative, man! Great stuff.

Thank you for sharing your info. It is very helpful in deed.

Excellent information! Practical and realistic. My Japanese (ex-) partner and I bought a thatch-roofed kominka many years ago. He was able to handle the paperwork and get us integrated with the neighbors (most nice, some not). The seller was a tough old guy who raised the price by 40% at the last minute, so we gave up. Then year later, he contacted us to say he'd sell at the original quote because we seemed to want the house so much. I was able to commute by car to universities for teaching work. Nowadays, telework may be possible. However, it's really necessary to consider if you can make a living, and if practical aspects will be handled in the future by local municipalities. Due to the lack of a tax base in some very rural areas, some communities don't even plow roads in winter anymore. If the local school has a few kids attending, snow will be plowed, but if not? Anyway, if you're the sort of person who likes camping, life in a rural old kominka is great fun!

Your personality is awesome! The phone call scene was incredible. Thank you!

great!, absolutely huge accomplishment! but also so much more to come!

Wow that village by the water is really interesting. I have never visited a place like that but now I will put it on my list of places to visit when I come again to Japan. Thanks! ✌

I subscribed! I like your story telling approach! Very easy to watch and gather any details.

Thx for the video man! Very informative!

Great video I loved it very much thanks for the support

Cool videos man, I will be following. Thanks for sharing.

Loved the pace of this video so much :)

I’m glad someone finally talked about the complexity of looking for the original owner of the house

Informative video. I hope you and your wife are happy in your lovely seaside location.

Very helpful and useful information. Thank you!

Very informative and useful video.thanks a lot

This video really helped me alot! Thank you so so much! 💜

Omg that inheritance part explanation was very intense buj I am glad everything went smoothly🙆🙏🎶💯🙋

Very cool video, thanks!

Thanks, this was a very helpful video.

Great insight into housing in Japan my friend!

Thanks for the info

a very helpful and amusing composition. Well done.

About time! I remember telling you to make this video months ago. 😂 Looking forward to it!

Great video, thanks.

Hi Danny. It's a very good informative video.

Wow what a convoluted ownership process. Thanks for sharing some of the pitfalls.

Great job!

what a beautiful place to live! congrats

Mine was aquired through the town Akiya bank. Though price at about $7000, total cost after real estate agent, survey cost and paying last year taxes. $12000. Don't forget if your house is require to connect to public sewage that will cost an arm and leg. Mine was estimated @ $16000 just to connect.😢😢.

I've been checking out akiya as an american who works from home and is sick of our terrible housing market. I've got the money to buy one of these places. Always been interested in Japan. This video did great addressing some concerns I've had.

The level of complication with multiple owners was absolutely insane!

This is really helpful. The inheritance issues is really interesting, and not something I was familiar with. Also, the necessity of having good command of the language is something so many online tour-guides seem to gloss over. It's one thing if you're visitng, but living there permanently is so very different. Thank you!

these vids are getting better every upload

One of the best videos I've ever seen o. KZfaq

Dude that is crazy. That location is amazing too.

Such a gorgeous spot.😍

Love your humorous style man 😂

Very nice, informative video. You even had me laughing out loud when you pretend called the long lost relative 😂. Mazel Tov on you new house!

Great video

helpful video，thanks a lot

Great video! Love the format and style. Very informative and it shows the beauty of your surroundings!

Searching in Japanese it's mostly useful when you're searching for a house in a more remote or less searched area (based on my experience)

The deer do not respect our land, must put up a 1.5m tall fence or they will eat all ur veg and poop all over the rest. interestingly, a few days ago Japan changed the lower limit for who can buy a Nouchi farm plot WITHOUT being a farmer. Now a regular person can buy such land which often comes with a Kominka (often the type of house that is abandoned vacant, or Akiya), just need to go thru the hoops to transfer land ownership registration. If anyone is going to buy an Akiya, the best resource IMO is to make contact with a local realtor. Smaller towns are usually very close knit, and the best sites are only known by locals, often never posted online.

Saw an ad for this on Reddit. Underated

Nice video. Lived in Japan for about 21 years, never knew that it was possible to buy a cheap house... I guess, things changed in 12 years... Now I'm thinking to go back to Japan, probably will search for a house to buy instead of paying high rent for small rooms... Love the countryside, is way cheaper and very quiet to live. I can speak and read very well, so it will not be a problem to communicate with others.

Thank you

I lived in Japan (Kansai) for many years (over 20 years ago) and was always told that foreigners could not buy property in Japan. I was thwarted every time I inquired so to hear this is really mind bending! I'm still trying to wrap my head around it all. I probably won't buy, but I will return to visit. I'm too wrapped up in my life here in the US now. But, thank you so much for the information! It's a lot to think about!

this is nice, thanks for sharing! i honestly half-expected this video to be fake/scam but its legit!

This is such good information! Thanks for putting this out there. When you moved into your house, did it have electricity? Was it difficult to get internet hooked up? These are problems I worry I'll have when I move :)

Nice one 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Subbed and Liked! Thanks!

I love how many jealous people comment in all the Japan vids and reddit posts to mentally justify why they didn’t and won’t do what deep down they really wish they did. « Your neighbours will always treat you as an annoying foreigner! » meanwhile I know some who literally are constantly given gifts by their old neighbours, or are invited to dinners at their homes, even if the foreigners are young and have tattoos! Keep being negative, meanwhile others can enjoy life 😊

Well done! I am subbing you!

This makes me want to buy a house there and rejuvenate the town

Lovely channel, arigatou gaijin San 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Wow that is such a beautiful town, those sunset evenings look amazing. Can I ask which town or area those were shot in. Thanks!

That's Fkn Awesomr

Very informative video my good sir. These houses make me want to Japan at some point in the future. Country life in Japan seems to be so peaceful.

Brilliant. As a Japanese, you worded exactly well about the terrible complication of Japanese system! Even as a Japanese, it was so tough to find even renting a room due to comication of the unwritten rules, I imagine it can be very hard for non Japanese to buy a house or land. Having said that, I am very much interested in buying Akiya😊

I guess that when buying these sorts of houses, a good way of looking at it would be a similar way to buying a used car - pay less initially, then use your budget on renovation, or pay more and not have as much stuff to fix. I've seen videos on KZfaq of people who went with either approach, and it seems the end results were much the same - it's quite fascinating to see these buildings have new life breathed into them!

Four conditions which can discount the price of a Japan house. The potential for -flooding -earthquake -volcano -land slip This information with maps should be available at the local government office. So good negotiating data. Although you can buy cheap it can be difficult to sell on. Therefore, buying, renovating and renting out might be worth considering. Jack, the Japan Alps Brit

All I want to know is how you spent $9000 on a toilet. A few years ago I did an entire garage conversion here in California for about $7000 and its probably the nicest such apartment I’ve ever seen. And the bathroom in particular is very modern and looks like something you would find in a very expensive ultra-modern house in the Hollywood hills. Anyway, that price included lumber for framing, insulation, drywall, electrical, plumbing, and all fixtures. The water heater, mini-split AC, and refrigerator were also included in that price. Of course, I did 100% of the labor myself and I spent as much time shopping for bargains as I did building it. And of course it was all done to code.

Nice

I was looking for akiyas in the farming area Ibaraki and prices were crazy. I'd be interested in a video about what you learned about different regions you researched.

God blessed 🙏

The toilet is more expensive than the house.

Sheesh this man is living his life to the fullest. I also hope I can move to Japan next year.

My house was 1.5 million yen and in fantastic condition, even though it's been empty for 10+ years

We bought summer house in Japan also , we have a lot of friends there, we spent time over there every year. we still love it. We want to sell it because we getting old to travel anymore.

It’s also my dream to live nearby sea or a very quiet,serene place when I grow old,and i heard from a friend that there has lots of old houses which are so spacious here in Japan that are not occupied and for sale but my problem is that old houses or even new might be disturbing for me if spirits are living there because I can easily feel entities or souls in one house . I want something I will be comfortable spiritually. But ,anyway I heard that lot houses here in Japan countryside which are truly cheap and affordable .

If you're a foreigner in Japan, expect to have a nosey neighbors some of them know what youneighbor, some of them badmouthing you but they're nice when you talk to them. Its better to secure your house and always close you're curtains away from their eyesights. Find also a house that have a high fence for more privacy.

Informative unvarnished vid, thank you! How far did you travel to go to Starbucks? I live in a mountain village in Japan and there are PROS: peace and quiet, inexpensive, low taxes, and after 15 years never a problem. Beautiful views and forests. No late fees, no parking tickets, no sirens, no tow trucks, no neighbor's music or TV noise. Enough land to grow anything and everything. Job and shopping 20 minutes away by car. Tokyo is 2 hours away. CONS: being the subject of gossipy neighbors, always "the gaijin" and feeling like a 2nd class citizen. The occassional wild boar, baboon-size monkeys, bears, 6" centipedes and many other cirtters lurking around the house. Again, Tokyo is 2 hours away.

¨cheap¨ upfront ,but cost add up in renovations ,taxes , fees, marking the border but they have alot of charachter and think its awesome to live in a old house and happy to see someone rescue old houses ,my dream would be a English wattle and daub cottage with a thatched roof

Thanks for sharing Sir. How about utilities like Internet and mobile coverage?

Thx 🙏🏻🇫🇷

Takahiro with those strong Charlie Brown's teacher vibes.

Wow, amazing video. Now I want to play Monopoly.

sadly there is alot more to this than the video, but thank you all the same Danny, good advice and so true about being very good at japanese or a native speaker pref from Japan, born and bred. Even then it's a challenge because the paper work that still exists in Japan is like signing over your life in blood and if you have no money to back this 6k house for maintenance and other legal proceedings and life long payments for sudden discrepancies then wave farewell to this 6k house bargain

I would love to live here Close to beach its nice and Relax and looking at Views To sunset.Fantastic and nice. If they sale this like $1'000 i would love to buy it

Here in California, houses like these (needs major repairs) typically sell for $500,000 or more. Even with repair costs, this is a bargain!

Was in Japan in 80sTokyo house mortgage payments, were set up to take 2 generations, payment.

Buying a SFH in Japan is really tricky. Let's say a fixer upper is only $10,000, and spend $50,000 for rehab, the value of the house is still $10,000. It will never get appreciation.

Depending on the local government, there are conditional free and subsidized farmland included.

Hi Danny, Did you buy an Akiya in Inecho? If you did, you are one lucky person as it was one of the most beautiful place that I ever visited in Japan.

the water front looked beautifully clear, wow! Another factor is earthquake proofing; is the house contingent to the structural code updates prior to occupying & insuring?

What's it like actually living there? While beautiful, it could be dull or isolating if there's no shops, bar, cafe etc. Are you living there full time and if so do you miss whatever big city you lived in Japan beforehand? Ive been looking for a few months but was focusing on an area with lots of snow, but these are the kinds of questions I ponder with the village I've been considering. What's transport like in your town, are there any schools or medical clinic nearby? Very well shot video, you did a great job of distilling the key issues!

That was interesting. How did you choose the location? Are you planning to live there full time or use it as a holiday home?

Would consider relocating and purchasing two homes if they had high-speed Internet. Would probably purchase an abandoned farmhouse. But I need to keep working so I need high-speed Internet.

日本生まれの日本育ちです。日本の田舎は電気はありますが、ガスはプロパンガスです。料金も高いです。水道管は通ってますが、下水道は無いところがほとんどです。トイレは夏になると臭いが強烈です。地震や台風も多いので家を買ったら土台と屋根は必ずチェックしてリフォームをおすすめします今年地震や台風来ないからと安心しないで下さい来年はわかりません。都会と田舎の中間辺りが良いと思います。病院やスーパーが徒歩で行けるか？リサーチした方がいいですね。米や野菜などもっと作りたいってなれば、土地だけ買って通えばいいと思います

I bought an akiya in Washington for 14k 10 years ago. Need one in Japan as well now