How to Buy a Cheap Akiya House in Japan as a Foreigner (Step-By-Step) 

That was truly interesting and the most informative analysis, truly a one of a kind video. I’ve a few extra questions if you don’t mind: - speaking of taxes, the estimated value of the property is calculated accordingly to government/authorities standards (“cadastral value”) or at their based on the average market value of the area/kind of building? - a professional’s “detailed inspection” is inclusive (I.e i was thinking about your fair point about termites): meaning, it does include foundations, roof, wooden parts, etc... or is it mainly an overlook of the property and to the safety requirements for electrical/plumbing and heating system? - are there mandatory requirements to proceed with renovations (to be completed within a month/year...) or can they be planned at the discretion of the new owner? - are farmland taxed differently? Meaning if you have a house and eventually acquire some lands around, do they get taxed as a whole, or as two separate entities? Thanks for sharing it!

As a 30+ yr resident in Japan, and home owner in Tokyo, that is one of the most complete and accurate process outlines I've come across. Well done.

This is insane. Never thought I'd see an investor on RU-vid that actually gave realistic and straight forward advice. Super concise material as well. I don't know anything about buying a home outside of the US but this video makes it seem very doable. Also the Japanese lesson while navigating the website was nice

Aloha Shu san, I was born and raised until age 7 in Tokyo, Japan. My mom was from Tochigi ken, and it has always been my dream to retire in Japan. I am 63 now, and trying to convince my wife to sell our Hawai'i home, and move to either Kyushu, or Shikoku. Thank you for this video, and the free guide, I really appreciate it. ✌😉

me watching this thinking i can do this knowing damn well i have 20 dollars in my account current

I stumbled across your video, thank you very much for explaining everything in detail and clear English. I am more hopeful of buying a house now that I have relocated to Japan, I still believe that this beautiful country has potential. I hope that things will look up for future generations.

Admitting most houses will deappreciate in value after purchase is the most honest thing a real estate guy can do online or offline, mad respect. Subbed and liked. Still interested buying a resort house in japan.

I've always loved and admired Japan for its beauty, culture, and just every aspect of life. this video sold me so quick. I will be relocating to Japan as fast as I physically can.

"If you prefer a PDF file of this presentation.." Sold. Liked, subscribed. Keep these themes coming. I like real estate analytics on a foggy concepts of Akiya homes.

Hey Shu, It’ll be awesome to see a video of an actual Akiya showing. Inquiring about the backstory, history of the property. Pointing out the discrepancies. Haggling the price down to 20% off. It would be great to see How you, the pro does it all!

I’m attracted to Akiya for the reasons you listed. I love the old, traditional Japanese farm houses and want to preserve them because of their beauty! It really would be a shame if they disappeared.

I was stationed in Japan in the 80's and loved the culture and food. My wife is Japanese and still has family there. I think it would be great to have a house or apartment there for visiting.

Very informative. Thank you for all of your hard work in making this content.

This video is thorough, informative and super helpful. It is much appreciated. Arigato!

Incredibly helpful, thank you for putting this together 🙏

Thank you for all the documents and the information that you provided. Im half of japanese (from okinawa) and brazilian, spent around 9 years in japan when i was young, studied in a primary japanese school, love the culture, the respect and every aspect of security from Japan. My main goal now is to find an Akiya in japan, live there respecting all the rules and culture and your video gave me hope! Thank you Matsuo-san!

Coming from tiktok, thank you for the informative video! New subscriber ❤ Wishing your channel many blessings

Educational and informative, I can attest after reading all the tons of criteria in Japanese, this is the most no hassle free go to information. Thanks for making this video.

Thanks 4 GREAT reportage! Appreciated!!

Love your content! Very informative. Appreciate you sharing with us!

I've seen quite a few "akiya" information sites and much appreciate what they present. But what you have done runs circles around them all. I especially like your "glossary" of terms. Given my age, location, and other personal circumstances, I may never get to tap into your wealth of information, but one can at least drool and dream and wish success to other folks!

This is quite informative. Thanks a bunch!

Please make more videos like that we need it I’m so interested I want to live the rest of my life in Japan so keep us updated

just at the right time! I was browsing through the website yesterday and now I get to watch your content

This video has given me more information than I have found in many months of thinking. I have visited Japan five times, as a volunteer and as a tourist. I have been interested in this country for over 20 years. My dream is to live in Japan and I have some modest money to buy an old Japanese house. But I always thought that it would be very expensive to maintain such a house and I would only work for this asset. Hmm...

you're a very interesting source of knowledge, Shu. Thank you.

This is an excellent resource! Thank you for putting it all together. Liked & subbed 😁👍

Wow! It's such a wonderful video for me dreaming of a house in Japan! Can't help flying to Japan to find a good one!

Thank You Very Much for Sharing Your Knowledge! 👍👍👍👍👍& Subscribed!!!

Are you into reading rather than watching? Here is the PDF version: stan.store/shumatsuopost

Wow, expert explanation. Answered many of my questions. Thank you!

this ist he best video on this ive seen so far thank you

Thank you for sharing your experience 🙏

This looks good!

Your presentation is quite informative and eye opening to the pros and cons of buying an akiya property. If I was younger and fine with flying for extended hours from the US, it would be a very attractive idea for me. I've only spent two weeks in Japan, and I love the culture, ancient history, and beautiful landscape.

Very informative. Many thanks for the video.

Thanks for a super informative video.

Great video !!! well done ..

Your videos have been an inspiration to me. Even when you were saying that it wasn't a good idea to buy there something in the backnof my mind kept saying "Do it!" So that is my plan. Looking just outside of all the major cities for my first property in Japan!

I like the way he starts the conversation. He is telling the truth. Due to this I would trust him.

Thank you so much for this content, I am learning.

Duuuude, thanks heaps for this vid, just subscribed.... cheers to you 🤟

Awesome!! can you do a follow up video about the Dangers of living in certain areas of Japan? Such as poisonous snakes, hornets , centipedes..and risks of natural distasters such as tsunamis, earthquakes typhoons and volcanoes? This would greatly help in deciding where to purchase homes..thanks!

Excellent content! Thank you.

Thank you very much! I have subscribed!

Thanks for this! I am contemplating on having a holiday home in Japan at some point!

Thank you so much ❤

Thanks Shu

Excellent information

Thank you, this’s great.

Thank you sir, this is very well done & realistic video advice. During our journey across Japan we have found many of such houses and have documented some of them for future reference. We can share some of these interesting locations with you if interested. Some of them we like to acquire for our NPO to be used by our members who will be coming to study to Japan via our traditional music & art programs. Your research in this video is really helpful & much appreciated. MK & HK

This was a very informative video. I'm planning to purchase within 5 years.

EXCELLENT VIDEO

honestly I'd love nothing more than a place out in the country. I currently live with and take care of my grandparents and I quite enjoy the countryside

Thank you for sharing

Thank you for this video. It's very easy to understand and very in-depth. Do you have a video on hiring a renovator or tear down and constructing a new home if the akiya is too damaged to keep/renovate safely?

thanks for this informative video. It made me subscribe to your channel😊

Would you be able to talk about urban control vs urban promotion areas and the pros and cons of both?

Do you have any videos about your general property investment? Going into the type of properties you invest in and how you were able to retire?? Like a video outlining your journey 🙏🏾😊

i just binge watched bunch of your videos for 2~3 days, which was a lot of fun. with that said, i can't seem to agree with collin's strategy, but liked another gaijin, who's an interesting kiwi french, laurent's ideas much more. i've already came to the conclusion that buying akiyas in japan would be a terrible form of investment , as we have seen the 1 euro house scheme in itali, and all of those under 500 usd houses in detroit before. so i thought there's gotta be some catch in akiya as well. it's good to see that you have admitted how akiya isn't for everyone, and will only be great for some select few under the right circumstances. as for laurent's ideas, it matched so well with what i had in mind before, in several aspects. first he said most of his portfolios are in sapporo, which was exactly where i figured i should go, though lets just skip how i came to that conclusion for the time being. and second, i've actually looked diligently into areas around nagano's famous skii and onsen resorts, so when laurent mentioned hakuba, and how he had missed out, i was like, wow, so i really saw something special too. his akiya at shimoda was cute, but since i'm currently basing my business in coastal area of southern china, beaches around tokyo area doesn't have the same attraction to me as akii resorts in the north, or osen towns in hokuriku area. that being said, i guess i can understand the value in shimoda, as that's the closest beach resort around tokyo, and people can get there with minimal hassle. it's just a frivolous personal preference that's turning me away, nothing against the intrinsic investment potential in that area.

I'm a new subscriber that married a Japanese girl and thinking of moving to Japan. Thank you so much for your content.

❤thanks for sharing

Yes I’m looking to buy one. I live in Japan , have for decades, teenage children here.

Thank you very much

very interesting!

Thank you for sharing the information. I'm the one who works in Japan and decided to looking for property because rental is high (compare if live in Japan until retirement)

Probably the best video on the subject, very much appreciated. Hope to collaborate.

Thank you 🙏🏾

I do not have plans in buying one, but this sure was interesting. Who knows one day I'll do it.

10m empty houses and growing, that's insane. I know there's plenty of people around the world who would love to come live in them and do whats required to fix them up and live in them, but actually moving to japan is so difficult for multiple reasons. if Japan implemented some sort of residency visa to people who purchase an akiya and live in it that would solve the problem so quick haha

Wow very educational, thanks. Too bad I already bought an Akiya. If you don’t mind I will add your channel as a reference to the description of my channel.

This is the video I've been looking for. Thank you. Possible to get an "akiya" piece of land and build on top of that?

Thank you 🙏

I would love to buy one of these homes. I find them so beautiful and interesting. If I had the money I would definitely invest in one!

my brother who is married to a japanese person did this. do your research. there are more hurdles than you think, and any akiya or decently price japanese homes have legal and sometimes expensive issues which dont make them so cheap after all. unless youre a permanent resident, long term resident, citizen, spouse of a citizen etc. be very very careful of buying overseas real estate even in japan. i have seen people get fleeced, misled etc. its a great deal for the right person, but not the dream deal it appears to be in the beginning sometimes. also be careful of "agents" telling you otherwise. (both foreign and japanese) my brother flushed out a few western carpetbaggers making claims that werent true. beware.

my dream is to buy a house & lot in Japan.very informative!

Watch the wiring in the older homes.

I have lived in Japan for 25 years. All the foreigners thinking to buy a cheap house...BEWARE...There are strict restrictions on airbb and short term trentals. SEVERE restrictions. Limited days allowed to rent,many other regulations that need Govt approval and neighbors will help enforce. You will pay higher taxes than residents or citizens , need someone to manage the property, pay the local taxes, fees, door knocking local causes ,like matsuri money, local death money etc, you will be expected to participate in local cleaning days, if you don't, you will be unwelcome and seen as a outsider,lazy and rude. This may not matter in your country,but it will heavily impact your life and business in Japan. We have typhoons regularly, need to fix houses often, some landslides in country areas, earthquakes and more. When it snows you need to clear the snow on your road, older places maybe get the snow off the roof. MOULD can be a big issue in summer, you need to air the house regularly, Rental returns are a joke, countryside houses average at about 500( FIVE HUNDRED ) dollars a month. Utilities must be paid, gardens maintained...THINK CAREFULLY.

Great video. Living in the countryside is my dream. Probably never happen but, who knows. 😊

We have been fixing our 70 years old. House in USA and now when we retire, we want to go back to my home country of Japan and my husband wants to continue DIY where we are going to live. This will be in next 10 years, hope we can do that.

Does japan have a rent to own system? Also can you do a video about buying land and what are the rules and procedures to follow towards building your own house? Also can you DIY your own house?

Shu San, I would love to take your advice in person someday. I am Karate fighter moving to Japan to finance my Dojo with Akiya renovations. I believe many aspects of Japanese society are better for your soul than China.

We have found a house we can afford, have been researching the area, stations, etc and are falling in love with all of it. We want to contact them about the house, but are apprehensive because the other hurdle is trying to find a job or visa that will work. It's a bit of a catch-22. Hopefully they are alright with letting a family pursue a house while actively trying to find a way in, which may take more time.

Have you ever seen an akiya being sold that was on leasehold land? I used to work at a real estate brokerage in Tokyo, but we didn't do any business with akiya. It was kinda becoming a big thing right when I left in 2010. I want to buy something in Japan and move back, currently in the US, but prefer life in Japan much more! Thanks for the info, Matsuo-san!

yes earthquakes are a concern in japan especially getting insurance

I’m into creating an AirBnB homesteading(farming) experiences with a local neighbor as a host. I’m only looking for enough profit that the property can maintain its own upkeep. Can you point me in the right direction to make this possible with an Akiya home?

Thabks for the awesome guideline. Ive heard that you may need a renovarion permit. Is that prefecture specific or determined by the age of the house, say for example a heritage building? My other question is about earthquake reinforcement found in building newer than 1982. Do older buildings (pre 1982) need to comply with these standards ? Thabks again , love the shorts !

Are you allowed to make changes to the facade/exterior or roof without planning permission or consent?

Hi Shu i am looking at potentially buying an akiya or machiya house for visits to japan. I'd like somewhere more countryside so you get a bit more land and bigger house for the money but not too far from a major city. I don't even mind some of the small islands either. What sites would you use?

Retirement in Japan is a option for some with a tourist visa but they have to take the ferry back and forth from South Korea and spend a little time there too so the paperwork is good for reentry into Japan. Maybe this might be someone’s opinion?

Excellent English!!!!❤

I'd like to thank the author for this video - very interesting and to the point! - and share some thoughts. Or rather questions that come to mind. Here's just a few. Who owns the land? What happens if you fail to pay the tax? Or if you pass away - what will be the legal implications for your family members oitside Japan? The last, but not the least, what are the ways to get rid of this property?

Thanks a lot for your videos You have mentioned in one of your videos the best prefectures which offer good fund for Akiya renovation🎉 and encouraging people to move there. Can you tell me which one is it?

Very interesting walk through mate. I live in southern Chiba with my family and we are in process of looking for somewhere to buy as we live here. My background is building so i can do a fair amount of DIY which is the plan. Most abandoned need a fair amount of renovation and structurally the wooden homes worry me especially for earthquakes and termites so its a bit of a minefield and a bit of a worry. I will go through the rest of your videos, but if you could point me to any vids of yours or anything else that would address this more that would be great Just a bit of feedback for you and obviously my opinion. I would tone down the comical screen photos on the vids, i find too cheesy and tacky and degrades your intelligent presentation, especially being a serious subject financially. 😀

Nice Video ! I looked into this a few times already but finding an Akiya which isn't either a life trap or has an at least semi good train connection is almost impossible. If I get a working Visa in the next 2 years as its planned then I might think about buying a flat but then again everything that is somehow reachable by train is so expensive.

The AC was running outside one of those "akiya." Haha😂

Such a helpful video. Thanks a million Shu. I want you to take my subscription and thumbs-up.

New subscriber

8:20 who's the guy who's doing up the あきや at this timestamp? Very helpful video, hopefully it's a similar process in a years time

Hey Shu Matsu Post. Out of pure curiosity I was wondering is it possible to like import materials and such from abroad to cost me less like for example you said in one other video i saw that it'd cost somewhere around 60-70,000$ to renovate an Akiya. But i got 2 questions. Can stuff from abroad fit into Japanese plumbing and all other systems like it can in Europe for example or does it have some sort of like very specific stuff? . If it can then its possible to obtain say material and all needed for like half the price altho then idk how much import taxes and all gonna run ya down. That is my question.