FYI...People on tourist visas can stay 90 days at a time twice in a year. The max is 180 days. I don't know how it works if people visit more than twice a year. The max may still be 180 days. I live in Japan. I might think about buying an akiya if I were divorced. It would have to be in good condition because I'd be living there all year for decades. You have think about being old in the house. I'd want it to be near stores, a hospital etc. because as I age I need convenience. I'd also want a hiraya (one floor house)... or a two story with room to sleep downstairs as I age... or stairs fit for a stair climbing seat. It would also need to be close enough to work (less than an hour casual drive). Less than ¥10 million all in. Easy to pay off.
Nice input. Also depends on the passport people are holding for length of stay and visa requirements. It’s incredible when I see very elderly people in their 90s living in kominka and old tin shed style properties and have endured summer and winter for 50+ years in these houses
As many visits per year as you want, but only up to 180 days per year, with no stay over 90 days for many on a visitor visa (e.g Americans). I know some people who live in other parts of Asia who spend the months every winter in Hokkaido for snowboarding... it might make sense.
I read that 180 days was *not* a calendar year, but a rolling year (i.e. Mar-Mar, Jul-Jul, Oct-Oct). Anyone who is concerned about this *must* read carefully to make sure what your visa allows, as you never want to violate that. Also, it's more like 88 days, as the day you arrive counts, and the day you leave counts. I only post this so people really THINK and LEARN before they jump in with full cash to buy any property. Also, remember what just happened during CoVid. How long was Japan closed to tourists? What would happen to a home your purchase if you were not allowed to fly in there for 2 full years. That's what happened to anyone on a tourist visa.
@@im.mattguy That's a very good point. The visa period is very restrictive. I love Japan. I'm obsessed with it. I'd brave the cold, the inconvenience of gas and water rationing and the natural disasters to live there. I'm an aesthete. But how to put all your savings into a house in a country you can't live in?!! Second hurdle - as a non resident one is not allowed to have a car. Which narrows down the choice of property. I could happily live in a very remote desolate area. But as a non resident I need to be near public transportation. Question. Is there any way around it? For non working people?
EDIT: Sorry, I forgot to say that this was very useful and prudent information. Well done. Without the proper visa, buying anything in Japan is extremely risky, unfortunately. They want young people, too, who may/may not want to settle there and have children. Sadly, I did find a house that was very nice, over in Chiba. Yet, something seemed peculiar and "off" and tightly closed up compared to all the many other homes I had seen on SUUMO. I went to the "other details" section and read that someone in the home had ended their life on the second floor. They even had to tell the approximate location where on the 2nd floor. Reading that was so very sad and disturbing. It was a 4 bedroom house from 2008. You can almost be certain that this was a family home, as a hospital was a few minutes away, a cram school was a few minutes away, and the beach was about 15 minutes away. I kept thinking about this for days. A month or two later, I went back to see if the house sold, and the price had been reduced by Y1.5M (about USD 10K), but it was still there, with everything shut tightly. The other 4-bedroom homes I had saved had sold already, but not this one. The house was pristine inside and out, but there was something about it that was just "off" in the way the windows were all closed so tightly, and that was different from every other house, and it made it seem almost unwelcome like it didn't want to be purchased. That very thing is what made me looked more deeply into the real estate company's information where I saw in teeny tiny print that there were special circumstances, and that led me to reading further to see what had occured. It certainly explained why all the natural wood floors had been stained a rather strange orange-red color that I hadn't seen in any other homes from that same year nearby. Heartbreaking. It happened in November 2022. 😞
There's two additional issues - 1) Access - if you are getting something outside of an urban area, you'll probably also need to buy a car and get a license in Japan. Not a bad thing necessarily, but an additional source of cost (gas, insurance, maintenance costs, etc). 2) Schools - if you have kids, especially if you want to put them in an international school, you need to be near a bigger city, forget about getting that giant farm house in the middle of nowhere. It also costs money of course!
From what I read, unless you are in a rural area, it is rather difficult for most foreigners to get a drivers license in Japan. Sure, they will accept an International Driving License for one year there, but after that, it is expected that you obtain a Japanese Drivers License, and depending on the local police department, they may or may not be understanding. You cannot purchase a car in Japan without proof of a place to park the car, either. You don't need a drivers license to purchase a car, but you need an address and proof of a designated parking space.
For me it would be as an escape from the city. But the maintenance is what worries me. It can be very damp in Japan and I worry about mold and things like that.
My partner and I are thinking of purchasing an Akiya (early thoughts) with the intention of staying for 6mo/yr using the new digital nomad visa, do you personally think that 6 months of a year is enough to be worth it? We're thinking of something around Gifu or Nagano or maybe inland Fukushima. While staying we would probably spend~80 of the time locally. We're from Australia, have happily visited Japan on a few occasions and are currently approaching N5 level of Japanese.
If it was possible to live in Japan long term I'd 100% love to buy and renovate an akiya in rural Japan. Not possible though, so sadly not on the cards.
I've been looking into akiya/cheap homes for a few years, as much as I like the look of the kominka they're just too many things to deal with that i don't want, like no insulation, tatami, not earthquake safe, would most likely need repairs, drafty etc,.. but i haven't even visited japan yet,..I need to do that
You have to be very fortunate, calculated, and DIY skilled to convert it to profit. There are a number of people I’ve met who have made profit out of akiya but it takes a whole lot of effort and skill beyond finding any cheap house and fixing it up
Houses cost 200-300k where I live in bad areas. Nobody wants to live in a bad area in my state and if you sell it, it will be a loss. So an Akiya is an investment to someone like me who will only use it to live in it, since it will not be as much as paying for a house in the USA to fix it up and in a better area.
You're uneducated in real-estate and land holdings in Japan compared to other countries. You get much more value for your money compared to where most of these foreign investors are coming from (china,America,Australia)
@@ProdigalInk you get a depreciating asset either way. It costs money to upkeep that you're never getting back. If you don't live in it full time, you're not really saving money. If you can't rent it out, you're not getting your money back.
#Discussiontopic: should internationals buy Akiya? It depends on the reason. The local government seems to not understand the difference between people absolutely in love with Japan and its culture and people going there for ski vacation because it's cheaper than Switzerland. "Will you contribute to the local community or will you stay here for 12 weeks?" HELLO? Do you even know that as a foreigner you are not allowed to stay in Japan more than 180 days cumulative? And you are only allowed 2 entries per year. I would LOVE to settle down there. Some place rural, quiet and simple. To bake homemade cookies for local elders (something I'm good at). Can I? A lot of those houses could become homes if the government loosened the visa / residency regulations. 2 Location. As non resident one is not allowed to own a car. If they want to revive their rural areas maybe they should want to revise this one. I am perfectly fine with a very remote, hardly accessible in winter location with a population of 20 people and 15 cats. BUT. How do I get around without a car? And those places usually have a limited transportation service. If these restrictions were removed some areas actually could be repopulated. By people seeking simple life and healthy self grown food. 3 The government could resolve tomorrow half of the problem locally by suppressing the inheritance tax. Which makes me wonder, do they actually want to solve the "akiya problem"?
I think we all know the downsides to Akiya... But the main driver for increased interest, imo, is the cost of living crisis in "the west". For most it's damn near impossible to own a house back home, in the US, AUS or EU so a house for 10k plus 50k or whatever in renovations is an absolute bargain. Back home you wouldn't live in the downtown of the capitol either, maybe a tiny overpriced flat on the outskirts and you'd commute 40mins every day. Kinda puts it into perspective. I think quite a few people are willing to intentionally downscale their lives a bit so they can own and get a bit of space.
Most Japanese houses are cheaply built. In Canada where they use 2X6 and 2X8, Japan would use 1X1. Making pretty much every house has roof leaks and/or collapsed. I bought a house build in 1978 and entire roof is made of 1X1. I cannot just put on stronger roof because the main frame cannot withstand the added weight. The house is 'cheap' for a reason.
We were waiting for these answers since loooong time and it comes from the right person , thanks a lot
Great info Matt. ❤❤❤ Keep doing great
Thank you! 🙏
FYI...People on tourist visas can stay 90 days at a time twice in a year. The max is 180 days. I don't know how it works if people visit more than twice a year. The max may still be 180 days.
I live in Japan. I might think about buying an akiya if I were divorced. It would have to be in good condition because I'd be living there all year for decades. You have think about being old in the house. I'd want it to be near stores, a hospital etc. because as I age I need convenience. I'd also want a hiraya (one floor house)... or a two story with room to sleep downstairs as I age... or stairs fit for a stair climbing seat. It would also need to be close enough to work (less than an hour casual drive). Less than ¥10 million all in. Easy to pay off.
Nice input. Also depends on the passport people are holding for length of stay and visa requirements.
It’s incredible when I see very elderly people in their 90s living in kominka and old tin shed style properties and have endured summer and winter for 50+ years in these houses
As many visits per year as you want, but only up to 180 days per year, with no stay over 90 days for many on a visitor visa (e.g Americans). I know some people who live in other parts of Asia who spend the months every winter in Hokkaido for snowboarding... it might make sense.
I read that 180 days was *not* a calendar year, but a rolling year (i.e. Mar-Mar, Jul-Jul, Oct-Oct). Anyone who is concerned about this *must* read carefully to make sure what your visa allows, as you never want to violate that.
Also, it's more like 88 days, as the day you arrive counts, and the day you leave counts. I only post this so people really THINK and LEARN before they jump in with full cash to buy any property.
Also, remember what just happened during CoVid. How long was Japan closed to tourists? What would happen to a home your purchase if you were not allowed to fly in there for 2 full years. That's what happened to anyone on a tourist visa.
@@im.mattguy That's a very good point. The visa period is very restrictive. I love Japan. I'm obsessed with it. I'd brave the cold, the inconvenience of gas and water rationing and the natural disasters to live there. I'm an aesthete. But how to put all your savings into a house in a country you can't live in?!! Second hurdle - as a non resident one is not allowed to have a car. Which narrows down the choice of property. I could happily live in a very remote desolate area. But as a non resident I need to be near public transportation.
Question. Is there any way around it? For non working people?
EDIT: Sorry, I forgot to say that this was very useful and prudent information. Well done.
Without the proper visa, buying anything in Japan is extremely risky, unfortunately. They want young people, too, who may/may not want to settle there and have children.
Sadly, I did find a house that was very nice, over in Chiba. Yet, something seemed peculiar and "off" and tightly closed up compared to all the many other homes I had seen on SUUMO. I went to the "other details" section and read that someone in the home had ended their life on the second floor. They even had to tell the approximate location where on the 2nd floor. Reading that was so very sad and disturbing. It was a 4 bedroom house from 2008. You can almost be certain that this was a family home, as a hospital was a few minutes away, a cram school was a few minutes away, and the beach was about 15 minutes away. I kept thinking about this for days.
A month or two later, I went back to see if the house sold, and the price had been reduced by Y1.5M (about USD 10K), but it was still there, with everything shut tightly. The other 4-bedroom homes I had saved had sold already, but not this one. The house was pristine inside and out, but there was something about it that was just "off" in the way the windows were all closed so tightly, and that was different from every other house, and it made it seem almost unwelcome like it didn't want to be purchased. That very thing is what made me looked more deeply into the real estate company's information where I saw in teeny tiny print that there were special circumstances, and that led me to reading further to see what had occured. It certainly explained why all the natural wood floors had been stained a rather strange orange-red color that I hadn't seen in any other homes from that same year nearby. Heartbreaking. It happened in November 2022. 😞
what was that orange-red color ? blood ?
great answers for so many questions . great work. How do you learn Japanese? did you speak Japanese before you bought the house?
There's two additional issues -
1) Access - if you are getting something outside of an urban area, you'll probably also need to buy a car and get a license in Japan. Not a bad thing necessarily, but an additional source of cost (gas, insurance, maintenance costs, etc).
2) Schools - if you have kids, especially if you want to put them in an international school, you need to be near a bigger city, forget about getting that giant farm house in the middle of nowhere. It also costs money of course!
From what I read, unless you are in a rural area, it is rather difficult for most foreigners to get a drivers license in Japan.
Sure, they will accept an International Driving License for one year there, but after that, it is expected that you obtain a Japanese Drivers License, and depending on the local police department, they may or may not be understanding.
You cannot purchase a car in Japan without proof of a place to park the car, either. You don't need a drivers license to purchase a car, but you need an address and proof of a designated parking space.
Recently I discovered you can rent a small car for 220yen per 15 mins in most of Japan. Amazing.
For me it would be as an escape from the city. But the maintenance is what worries me. It can be very damp in Japan and I worry about mold and things like that.
My partner and I are thinking of purchasing an Akiya (early thoughts) with the intention of staying for 6mo/yr using the new digital nomad visa, do you personally think that 6 months of a year is enough to be worth it?
We're thinking of something around Gifu or Nagano or maybe inland Fukushima.
While staying we would probably spend~80 of the time locally.
We're from Australia, have happily visited Japan on a few occasions and are currently approaching N5 level of Japanese.
What do you mean worth it? Worth buying a house for just 6 months of the year?
If it was possible to live in Japan long term I'd 100% love to buy and renovate an akiya in rural Japan. Not possible though, so sadly not on the cards.
I've been looking into akiya/cheap homes for a few years, as much as I like the look of the kominka they're just too many things to deal with that i don't want, like no insulation, tatami, not earthquake safe, would most likely need repairs, drafty etc,.. but i haven't even visited japan yet,..I need to do that
The Visa is the real issue
Buying an akiya is not an investment, is an expensive entertainment, in most cases the value will go down to zero, even in places very near to Tokyo.
You have to be very fortunate, calculated, and DIY skilled to convert it to profit. There are a number of people I’ve met who have made profit out of akiya but it takes a whole lot of effort and skill beyond finding any cheap house and fixing it up
Houses in Japan are depreciating assets, normally replaced every 20 years or so. The LAND holds the value.
Houses cost 200-300k where I live in bad areas. Nobody wants to live in a bad area in my state and if you sell it, it will be a loss. So an Akiya is an investment to someone like me who will only use it to live in it, since it will not be as much as paying for a house in the USA to fix it up and in a better area.
You're uneducated in real-estate and land holdings in Japan compared to other countries. You get much more value for your money compared to where most of these foreign investors are coming from (china,America,Australia)
@@ProdigalInk you get a depreciating asset either way. It costs money to upkeep that you're never getting back. If you don't live in it full time, you're not really saving money. If you can't rent it out, you're not getting your money back.
"in tents"...I think you mean houses? :P Nice vid BTW :)
#Discussiontopic: should internationals buy Akiya?
It depends on the reason. The local government seems to not understand the difference between people absolutely in love with Japan and its culture and people going there for ski vacation because it's cheaper than Switzerland.
"Will you contribute to the local community or will you stay here for 12 weeks?"
HELLO? Do you even know that as a foreigner you are not allowed to stay in Japan more than 180 days cumulative? And you are only allowed 2 entries per year.
I would LOVE to settle down there. Some place rural, quiet and simple. To bake homemade cookies for local elders (something I'm good at). Can I?
A lot of those houses could become homes if the government loosened the visa / residency regulations.
2 Location. As non resident one is not allowed to own a car. If they want to revive their rural areas maybe they should want to revise this one. I am perfectly fine with a very remote, hardly accessible in winter location with a population of 20 people and 15 cats. BUT. How do I get around without a car? And those places usually have a limited transportation service.
If these restrictions were removed some areas actually could be repopulated. By people seeking simple life and healthy self grown food.
3 The government could resolve tomorrow half of the problem locally by suppressing the inheritance tax.
Which makes me wonder, do they actually want to solve the "akiya problem"?
Dude enjoying your videos and the content is great but PLEASE sort out your Microphone levels!
I had no problems watching the video on my headphones, which part bothered u?
I had no problems watching the video on my headphones, which part bothered u?
👊👍
🙏
I think we all know the downsides to Akiya...
But the main driver for increased interest, imo, is the cost of living crisis in "the west".
For most it's damn near impossible to own a house back home, in the US, AUS or EU so a house for 10k plus 50k or whatever in renovations is an absolute bargain. Back home you wouldn't live in the downtown of the capitol either, maybe a tiny overpriced flat on the outskirts and you'd commute 40mins every day. Kinda puts it into perspective. I think quite a few people are willing to intentionally downscale their lives a bit so they can own and get a bit of space.
But you need to live and work in Japan. Otherwise it is an expensive holiday home. 😅
Hahaha that intro: awesome!
F-akia!
lol interesting where are the Japanese?
Most Japanese houses are cheaply built. In Canada where they use 2X6 and 2X8, Japan would use 1X1. Making pretty much every house has roof leaks and/or collapsed. I bought a house build in 1978 and entire roof is made of 1X1. I cannot just put on stronger roof because the main frame cannot withstand the added weight. The house is 'cheap' for a reason.