Owning an Abandoned Japanese House | Akiya Buying Experience
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- Опубліковано 5 лют 2025
- Daryl and Natsu purchased this abandoned home in Zentsuji, Kagawa and shared their experience with us. Akiya are everywhere and you can find a good deal on a home like this.
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All together, with everything, the cost was $40,000 for what we showed you. They’re the owners ^_^ of a very lovely and livable Japanese home!
If I could figure it all out in english. wow. lol
The house and the environment where you like to live is of course a personal choice. But to me, this house is not inviting, even if it only costs 40,000. it is not just about the house but also the environment. Of course, some people also like to live in the desert. I suspect you don't have to speak fluent English to see that.
@@Janvanspauwen7792 I have been a hobbyist skateboarder standing on a skateboard for at least 5 years of my life for almost 80% of its 36 longevity and am getting a lil old and feel like a birdhouse as such in japan would be something to retire to. lol
Only $40,000!? That's actually insane!
@@Tulsy_Grape My mom bought a house about 8 years ago for that in ohio. Its not a massive leap it means it was the poor part of japan. haha :p
There's a BUNCH of these houses in the countryside. I live in Ehime and it's the same here. If you are able to work remotely and don't mind living in the countryside, it's a really good option. Beautiful house!
Would love to live in the country even in the US but I can't remote work
Any jobs there?
@@Chrisicola If you can't speak Japanese, not much. If you work remotely it's a good option though.
@@javy8912 What area would you recommend for someone tyhat knows little Japanese, but possible access via train to metro area?
@@Chrisicola In Shikoku? There is no bullet train here, just regular JR. All of the 4 big cities have access to JR trains, but if you want quicker access to bigger cities like Osaka or Hiroshima then I would recommend Tokushima, Takamatsu, or Matsuyama cities, or around those areas. I live nearby Matsuyama and am 1 hour ferry from Hiroshima and 1hour plane ride to Tokyo.
Thank you for receiving us and thanks John.
His own piece of paradise.
Great to see that the original wood wasn't ripped out or slathered in paint. Really nice.
I would love, love, love this wood!
He can remodel the house to their tastes.
Thanks to Daryl & his family for sharing
Dang, that is one solid house! Carpenters in the US could only wish they were as skilled! XD All in all, that is one gorgeous house, so charming and spacious!
Yeah old houses are amazing. just like old tools. never breaks in your lifetime and beyond.
It is a very big spacious house. The house looks to be well maintained, even if the front structure is 75 years old. The many rooms with traditional sliding doors, tatami mats, air vent lattices and decorated sliding doors are very nice! I believe Kagawa is on Shikoku Island (smallest of the 4 main islands). Thanks to the homeowners for showing their house and explaining the history & renovations! It seems like they have become good at buying & renovating Akiya's and are ready to do more.
The back (presumably less old) part of the house is about 70 years old.
The previous owners would probably be thrilled that new life was being breathed into the home.
Or they died in it and the relatives want rid of it. Most dont even go throught the process of claiming inheritance because its too burdensome so thats why its abandoned. Sold of by the local government to get back old taxes.
@@TellPenn Yup, that's usually the case. Elderly parent or parents have passed on and the kids don't want to deal with cleaning and renovating.
More than that, they're just happy to have the tax burden off their family's records. Has nothing do do with "breathing new life into the home."
@@TheFergyme he's talking about the dead people who used to live there being thrilled, not the decedents who wanted to offload it.
@@xiaoka The people who used to live there aren't feeling much of anything these days.
You are truly blessed. That is a beautiful house. Love and respect John and family. 💜💜🇯🇵🇯🇵💜💜
Rural Japan is beautiful. I visited a friend in Saga prefecture and loved his small town.
In many areas, it's incredible!!! But let's keep it a secret. 🤣
Would you want to live there?
Wow! Daryl and Natsu are doing an incredible job on that house. It's in pretty good shape for being so old and the wood looks fantastic. That's incredible that to buy the wood alone would cost more than they paid for the house. 👍
Indeed this akiya trend is a once in a lifetime opportunity. If you want to grab it , we are happy to help :)
Fascinating! What a beautiful home and such lovely people. Thank you for sharing.
As a long-term resident in Japan, I'd like to know if Daryl got an inspection to determine the house's abilty to withstand earthquakes. If you have seen the photos from Ishikawa, you'd recognize that old can be beautiful but deadly in an earthquake. Wish them well in their endeavors!
Pretty sure in 50 yrs all of japan will be underwater
This.
These beautiful houses, like this one in the video, do NOT meet the earthquake standard aka. 耐震基準.
I spend most of the money to bring the house to today standard and mine was built in 1993.
Yolo
Wow Really nice house. That doggy is going to be a movie star. Not afraid afraid of the camera.😂😂😂 thank you John for sharing. I would love to buy a house in Japan that my family can visit at least twice a year.
The house has held up fantastically
Wow! All that space with lots of wood & tatami mats with a great backyard and garden. A great job turning the place into what it is now👍🏼
That's beatifull Daryl and natsu san. You took really good care of that house. And try to keep it original 家は凄い見えます😊
Thanks!
The house is a work of art. Absolutely beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
I'm currently saving up to buy one of these houses within the next 3-4 years. It's my absolute dream to live in Japan and one day I will do it!
Much love from Arizona 💜💜
And your visa will be?
@@earlysda I've got time to figure that out. Would love to get residency but would have to look into it more. I've got to wait for my kiddo to graduate high school anyways 🤷♀️
you won't feel very welcomed... trust me
@@LarryNg-mx8qz Depends on the person, individual behavior and the people living around him.
Otaku😂😂😂
Bro is living my *dream*. Countryside Japan is so gorgeous
lol I thought the same thing when I saw your comment. Just make a move. Life wont happen without your move.
Make sure your earning enough to place kids in an international school
Not to discourage but you need to research how much you need to save up just for renovation alone. Homes in Japan lose value over time and you have to do updates to the foundation and possibly renovations. I would suggest researching first but buying since it's not the same as other countries.
That's so beautiful. The whole place, and the view!
What kind of visa are you going to get?
Wow.what a beautiful place to stay..i love countryside..Busy city make me sick😅
Thank you for creating this video it is packed with a lot of helpful information. Never thought about buying an Akiya house, but now we are. Cant wait to be back in Japan this September.
I think it is important to emphasize that property ownership in Japan does not automatically grant a permanent visa as it does in some other countries.
Whoa! You could loose your visa despite owning a home there?
@@thims1961 not lose it, but you aren't granted a visa simply by owning real estate.
@@thims1961 Some places if you get a house/apartment, it gives you a permanent visa. I have no idea where because it is not a thing in the USA either.
@@AdachiCabbage I'd think the search wouldn't take place before being accepted under one form of a visa or another
Yep, our friends have two condos in Tokyo and they are still tourists!
Okay so a word of advice on all this and the buying of old houses. We are renting a house that is almost 50 years-old. This house that is shown here looks similar to ours. Many of these homes are not built to last only the very good ones that were originally built with unlimited resources are going to last you a while. We have seen many different types of homes here in Niigata. And we can tell the good ones from the ordinary. One thing to keep in mind are the building codes for earthquakes. Most homes built in the 50’s had to withstand a 5 but they didn’t have to build the homes on any type of ferro cement foundation until 1971. In 1981 the government updated the code again to allow a home to have some damage but it should not fall on the occupants. Just painting the home isn’t enough to ensure it’s safety especially if it is old. Japanese built their homes with in the least expensive and practical way so you may have to do a little more research prior to buying that old home.
Great video John! I've been chatting with Daryl and Natsu recently. Hoping to get down there to meet them in person. They seem like such a lovely and kind family. They have down such a great job with the house already. Keep up the great work mate 🙋🏽♂
If you get down to Fukuoka, let me know!
What a nice house; beautiful interior! Thanks for the posting - it is motivation to consider an akiya.
Every time I see the interior countryside houses in Japan, the first thing that comes to mind is that they remind me of Malaysian kampung housing, just that you have the 4 seasons to contend with instead of the hot/rain season all year round, on top of different language and culture of course.
That is a really nice House so open, lots of light and space and the view...😮
And a very cool host, thank you for showing us your home 🙏🏿
Beautiful, airy, spacious, luxurious and views are amazing.
From Thailand, really appreciate it.
Congratulations.
Darryl, I really like your works in progress project. Looks good, homely and very comfortable. 👌
Pressure wash the cement parameter walls. See if there is some sealer you can use to keep the clean view longer.
I wonder who used to own this home ?
Did they have kids or just a married couple, or even a single person ?
Did they move elsewhere or pass away in the house or a hospital ?
This home is huge compared to most homes anywhere.
And the gigantic garden is fantastic for growing plants, food, or a playground for the dogs and kids.
I like the chicken coop.
I hope the birds dont get heat stroke even if protected from the sun.
Could have been an old family home. The kids probably live in the city and dont need it. Its a pretty common problem
Maybe a three generation family home. The older ones passed on and the kids went to work in a city?
Japan is the world's most aging country, and the population is decreasing every year. Therefore, the number of houses like this is increasing, and 10 million abandoned houses have appeared throughout the country. The government is trying to dramatically increase immigration, but the number of abandoned houses and vacant rooms is still increasing.
Only thing stopping me is employment in Japan - such a good looking house.
Big same tbh. I'm working on finishing my Bachelor's specifically to go get a job in Japan.
haha Same here.
Thing is, this is impractical for 99% of people since these locations tend to be so remote that there's not a lot of jobs available. Hence, why people abandon them.
It's mostly only practical for wealthy Westerners who have passive income coming in as USD which multiplies their buying power.
Yeah, a retirement plan.
If Japan would allow more people to work remotely they could solve this issue @@pawala7
When it comes to QUALITY JAPAN and GERMAN are the best. My parents are still using the same SANYO made in Japan Fridge and Washing machine for over 30 years! And it is still in good shape and working like new. The Longevity is mindblowing🤯.
And I have been using a TIGER Made in Japan Rice Cooker for over 20 years.
Eversince I was a kid I was told to never buy Made in China stuffs, but instead buy made in Japan products
Unfortunately a lot of Japanese products (for export) are not made in Japan. Those that are can be very expensive.
This is wisdom when you hear it , listen.
Those things were once called "durable goods" , sadly, now they are called "consumer goods". Failures are now intentionally built into products like refrigerators or clothes washing machines so they need replacement in 3-5 years.
PoPo is so cute...i thought at first PoPo is just a dog statue but no..😂😂❤❤
It took me a second as well. And NO BARKING!!! 😅😅
Kinda sad the boys wouldn't play with him!
This was really interesting. The house looks amazingly solid and in very good condition.
Beautiful home!!! Awesome video! Thank you for sharing!
What a gorgeous house!!! It’s my dream house, high craftsmanship house! So amazing… if they can create a zen garden near the house & veggies garden in the back, that would be a complete vacation home for this family…❤❤❤
I love Japanese house and one of my dream place to visit as well.
Wow this home is beautiful. Thank you for allowing me to see it.
The place is huge! Love it.
Wow, his garden is amazing! My dream garden! If only!
The upstairs looks well maintained. The hallways around the rooms are designed to keep the rooms comfortable in winter and summer. Expensive homes that were built in Japan would surround the entire rooms with a hallway.
Excellent purchase! Thanks for sharing.
This is the kind of video that we all look for and won't it is wonderful that you made this one you should make I'm hoping that you will make more videos like this and help us to find people who can assist us in renovations and how to go about looking for abandoned houses make videos more of these😮😊😊😅
a small country is convenient, a small and highly advanced country is superb
That home is beautiful, and looks like a nice quiet area! Here in the US finding a nice home out in the country would be super expensive.
The house very cleaned and still very good condition 👍👍👍
Aww the doggy wants to play😊
He certainly does, all the time!! 😂
He said you like the house open, but in the winter when it’s cold, it would save on the heat if you close off the rooms that you actually use the most.
Wow!! Absolutely amazing house for only 40,000!! I would do the same! You can't beat that!
Things to keep in mind. If you are 6 feet these places aren’t liveable. Look at the entrance to each room. See that wood frame. You’ll be banging your head against it. Its 5’8” high if you are lucky. The town is full of elderly people. People dont speak English. Even if you speak some Japanese you still wont understand anyone because the regional dialect is soooo strong. Kagawa has good udon. Friendly people. I spent 2 weeks there. But if you want to live there and buy a house go spend lots of time in the town. Kagawa is the Japanese equivalent of Kentucky or Western Virginia.
Seems like a very nice home. It's so open and full of light!
Nicely done, spacious n so much character!🥰🧡❤️🩷Magnificent views !!😍🤩
Wonderful home and wish I could buy a home there for me and my daughter. Thanks so much for the tour ❤😊
I am amazed at the space in this Japanese home! I am happy to hear this family is in Shikoku, my favorite of the Japanese main islands. Why are so many homes being abandoned? Does the price of the home include the land or does the land have to be leased? Beautiful and serene property. They have done a wonderful job with it.❤❤❤
There is a reason why the number of vacant homes is increasing.
Population decline is one reason, but young people don't want to live there.
More than 10 years ago in Japan, there was a boom of moving from the cities to the countryside.
People in their late 20s and 30s, fed up with the high cost of living and the busyness of the city, dreamed of a relaxing country life.
They began to live in the countryside, which was unfamiliar to them,
they were Japanese, but the culture and the language were very different.
In the countryside, the relationships among the locals are very complicated, and you have to obey absolutely everything the old people say.
Nature is beautiful in the countryside, but that is because there are few people and buildings.
It is inconvenient, so in order to live a civilised life, the villagers make it with their own hands.
For example, in summer, you have to cut the overgrown grass.
This is very hard work. The old people cannot do this kind of work alone, so they let the young people who have moved to the area do it. Even for their own house.
The young people have to do it as a matter of course.
It is an absolute rule that they should help each other.
You must not give your opinion.
You are only allowed to listen to what they say.
People who have become accustomed to city life are tired of these things and have returned to the cities.
Also, Japan is very prone to disasters.
Earthquakes and tsunamis are well known to foreigners, but there are also heavy rains, typhoons, landslides, and floods.
When disaster strikes, rescue arrives late. After all, this is the countryside.
This is the reason why Japanese people want to live in the city, and this is why there is a problem of vacant houses.
Pretty spacious❤Congrats fam!!
Wonderful and beautiful home thank you for sharing.
Watching right now this your video, and got need to go there...
I watching and seeking for places worlwide - the most islands and archipelagos to move (relocate) there on some quiet, peaceful, tranquil, remote place...
I live in an small country Montenegro by name, where now is a tourism madness... I don’t recognize my country any more...
Greetings from Montenegro!
6:30 Terrific view! 😊😊
Wow, beautiful home. It's a great option and so cheap.. I own a property in Australia, an average home, and nearly a million dollar valuation..
I really appreciated this. I've been trying to figure how to get to the point of Living in Japan. I want to live off the beaten path. My friend and her family live in Tamano City so I want to have a look there first and then go from there.
There is a reason why the number of vacant homes is increasing.
Population decline is one reason, but young people don't want to live there.
More than 10 years ago in Japan, there was a boom of moving from the cities to the countryside.
People in their late 20s and 30s, fed up with the high cost of living and the busyness of the city, dreamed of a relaxing country life.
They began to live in the countryside, which was unfamiliar to them,
they were Japanese, but the culture and the language were very different.
In the countryside, the relationships among the locals are very complicated, and you have to obey absolutely everything the old people say.
Nature is beautiful in the countryside, but that is because there are few people and buildings.
It is inconvenient, so in order to live a civilised life, the villagers make it with their own hands.
For example, in summer, you have to cut the overgrown grass.
This is very hard work. The old people cannot do this kind of work alone, so they let the young people who have moved to the area do it. Even for their own house.
The young people have to do it as a matter of course.
It is an absolute rule that they should help each other.
You must not give your opinion.
You are only allowed to listen to what they say.
People who have become accustomed to city life are tired of these things and have returned to the cities.
Also, Japan is very prone to disasters.
Earthquakes and tsunamis are well known to foreigners, but there are also heavy rains, typhoons, landslides, and floods.
When disaster strikes, rescue arrives late. After all, this is the countryside.
This is the reason why Japanese people want to live in the city, and this is why there is a problem of vacant houses.
Great view guys!..❤ and such a nice 🏡
Wow, very impressive. While not "easy" to do, buying an abandoned home does sound a lot simpler and more attainable than I was led to believe by an article I read on the English NHK site. When one gets out of the "intense" urban areas of Japan's major cities, the experience is indeed quite peaceful. And with the robust public transportation network, you can go pretty much anywhere you want.
There is alway well spoken Nay sayers who will tell you why you are a fool for trying. I smile about them when I pick my tomatoes with zero chemicals and they taste like life.
Akiya gonna be a hot topic for the coming years. pick up on this topic John. i am looking to buy one in japan too but not too expensive.
Okay I see the shutters outside the house too. Those are very helpful especially if that side of house gets the direct sun or wind. Ours is open now but when tsuyu is over and the heat comes we are going to close them again until October when it starts to cool down. We shut them in winter but we won’t have to worry this winter as our. Ew house will be completed by then.
That back door is a fire escape. They put those in to help people get out without running through other parts of the house.
家を見せてくれてありがとうございました！
awesome find.. it's so Spacious.. love it!
My wife sold a house in this exact town. I know Zentsuji very well as my wife grew up nearby, we visit every year. It is very visibly a declining town with a very elderly population. It's hardly a place you'd move to for opportunity. There's a reason houses are ridiculously cheap. The guy saying you could buy one as an investment is interesting. It would not be considered an investment as it would continue to lose value. They are not even worth turning into AirBnB as very few tourists go through apart from a few of the temple pilgrims.
John saying that it is up and coming is just outright wrong.
A person who usually looks to buy one of these akiya do so when they are looking to settle down out and away from the big cities. If you can work remotely, have no problem being hands on DIY and have a can-do attitude then akiya life is for you. If you want cheap just to flip and profit, you're in for a world of disappointment.
That's the problem that people don't understand. They think "free/cheap house," but they don't know what that entails.
Any renovation that isn't DIY is in the tens of thousands of dollars. The area and schools are pretty much barren since no one wants to live there, not including the Japanese language you have to know in order to fill out the children's documents every day. Furthermore, you need to be a proactive member of the community and pitch in when needed.
@@xeong5 Well said!
More young people need remote jobs to breathe back life into these areas
Shikoku's dwindling population has only one way to go, sadly. My mom was from nearby Okayama-shi on the way to Shikoku, but not as close as say Tamano. Akura Village if you know where that is, which became a part of Okayama-shi in the 1990s I think. But it is a beautiful island with a very nice temperate climate. But for investment, yah not doable, unless it's a place people go for vacations or other reason.
Beautiful home!!!!
I use to work in a Cedar sawmill. I can remember some of the Japanese buyers coming to the mill to look at the wood. Clear with no knots and a light colour was what they wanted. Price, it didn't matter.
Wow, this was a great find for Daryl!
It was more than a great find but it can happen to you. This trend is a once in a lifetime chance.
The long space on the side you are standing in at minute 3:20 in this video is used to hang clothes to dry in the sun and to also store items in the winter that need to be kept cold. We have the same long room that runs along our living and dinning room. At one end is a closet at the other there is a door to the garage where you step down into it. We rarely leave the sliding doors open even in good weather.
You reinforced that part against quakes, right ?
Good job. Zentsuji is far off the beaten track. Nice house!
Wow, they could create a zen garden in the backyard!
No there is a newer youtube channel Chani Japan. She is the sweetest fifty year old lady from Australia. She has renovated and purchased one for I think $20000? It's just smaller but it is adorable.
Beautiful it looks so beautiful home .
Love this type home tour videoes, would love to see more of it on this channel.
This house is fabulous. A great find
Wow. I looked at the website. ¥3.5 million to buy and ¥1 million to bring it up to where it is now. Well done. The house has good bones.
From the outside one would never expect the interior to have held up so well. Ceilings, walls, and floors look great. Not having to replace tatami was a bonus because there is A LOT of it.
I like the hallways along the rooms. The glass doors are a bonus, too. You can close off rooms to get more efficient use of the air conditioning. (We set ours to dehumidify mode in summer rather than cool. Our bedroom A/C has a setting to bring humidity down to 60%, 55%, or 50%. At the moment it hits 23C at 60% humidity.) We are in Kagoshima but im sure summers are equally hot.
I'm not a huge fan of beds in tatami rooms. With every room having tatami it cant be helped. Maybe a room or two with flooring will be in the works at some point 😅.
I hope that he can find who owns the builings he wants to buy. Isnt there a way to petition to have it sold... I font know how its done but i heard somewhere that it can be fone if owners can't be found.
Only in Japan you're next! Your family deserves a house!
Beautiful home
Really nice. The only thing I'm always worried about, when I check akiya on the net, is termites. But this one looks to be in quite a good shape.
Akiya comes in every conditions so know your price range and your DIY skills.
Absolutely Beautiful 🤩
Gorgeous 👍👍Hi, how did you start this journey... curious to know..I find there are numerous websites about Akiya which made me dizzy...🧐😵💫
Japanese countryside has many unoccupied houses owned by old people. When they die, their children either sell them for a small amount or just leave them. In some prefectures you can apply for grants to renovate these old houses. If you're retired or working remotely you'll be able to enjoy peaceful living. Only set back is they may not have heating or hot water. They can be very cold in the winter.
Aww. Poe should be able to go anywhere he wants. He's part of the family. He's adorable. But the house is amazing. Wow. Thanks for sharing this. Japanese craftsmanship is impeccable.
So beautiful!!! ❤
Wow what a find.
Wow... it's beautiful 😍
Oh thank you so much for this video! I do have a budget saved up enough to buy one and was wondering how to do this! Again, being a US citizen the only thing stopping me is that visa but would love to retire there but also, would have to look into the Healthcare system to see what can be done about that? Thanks again John! I took a screen shot of that website so I'll be looking into it! 😊
No retirement visa for Japan.
Gorgeous house.
Daryl is lucky to get an akiya in good condition. If you're gonna be staying as a family, especially for foreigners, you gotta ask - is there any school in the vicinity? Are your kids going to be enrolled in a Japanese school? I assume there are clinics or hospital in the vicinity?
Oh my I love that home 🏠
wow! that is a very beautiful house!
Wow that was amazing. For 40,000 is nuts!!!!
Hahaha I remember when I was a kid , when visitors come in the living room we just all walk away too 😂😂😂😂
Wow that place is gorgeous, and the price... whatttttt. Smaller homes with that size property by me are 2 million cheapest, and thats only if they need some fixing haha. Price difference depending on where you are its insane.