Buying an Akiya House in Rural Japan: Our Real Experience

I LOVE this story! I love that you’re making great changes at 50. It’s so inspiring! It gives me a lot of optimism in my mid-30’s to one day have my dream home outside of Canada. And what a beautiful area! Looking forward to more content.

I adore Japan . The only country I miss. ❤

Jason , Debbie's got you working hard Bro! hehehe

It's great seeing you guys uploading again! 😊

Beautifully presented video, and very informative. Looking forward to catching further updates. <3

Great to find another Aussie/cpl who have bought an akiya, I recently discovered Chani in Japan, she is a fellow Aussie also 50 who has done it on her own...I'm 53, and starting to plan for myself and have already come across those websites you mentioned bar 1 so I will def take a look. I'd love to know where you bought and how much you paid, how long it took from start of application to getting the keys, I heard it can be quite a long drawn out process as the Japanese still officialise everything in slow paper trails...do you own the land also ? I'm looking in the Kansai region and Wakayama....you've gained another subscriber...keen to see more :) Lisa, Brisbane

I'm jealous. The house and area look lovely. It's great to have a like minded partner to go on such an adventure. For me the biggest hurdle might be the community engagement. I'm extremely introverted and weird\awkward. I don't think people like me would do well in Japanese society. I don't do well in my own society. Oh well, it's still nice to daydream and watch videos like yours.

Yay new video, G'day mates! Cant wait for the next one. Is this lighting for the tree on 4:13? It would be cool to see night views!

Hi , From Australia too, We just found your videos , I absolutely love your house and look forward to seeing more , it’s our dream to do the same in the future too.

いい所❤

You turned 50 and made a plan....Sunshine Shoulders in the Philippines said something about making a plan. That's our escape to whatever we are looking for. Congratulations🎉 Now its my turn at 60....

Hello from France! I m Nathalie, merci beaucoup ! Thank you so much for this video🤗 and thank for your answers🙏🙏there is no subtitle in french but I m working my english😊.

Your house is GORGEOUS!! Please include costs.

As long as you respect Japanese society and follow the rules. Living country place can be difficult even for Japanese people, especially dealing with locals. There are so many unwritten rule that you have to follow. For me even, garbage collection rule is difficult, it not like North America that you can dump anytime. Also, buying the house does not mean you can automatically obtain resident visa.

I saw your earlier videos some time ago and wondered how you were doing so far, so great to see your latest video! Having almost bought a place early last year in Myoko (one we were offered but didn't accept in time, it was a very good deal but a normal house rather than a kominka which we preferred), I had a few questions for you. First, you're really in a more isolated part of Japan down there in Shimane, not easy to get anywhere, was that your preference? Were you specifically looking for a place in Shimane or was that just where you found a kominka you really wanted? How are you going living in such a small village with I assume no other foreigners to mix with? Can you let us know your criteria when searching and how much did you manage from Australia - where I am also btw, but my situation is a little different, I'm a similar age but with a Japanese partner and young family, so we prefer a place with some community, other kids, some restaurants, cafes etc and not too remote (eg on a Shinkansen line). I also grapple with how much you should invest in an old house, because you're unlikely to get that back if you need to sell?

Really cool! Interested to learn about all kinds of experiences and processes, surprises etc. :face-purple-wide-eyes:

What was the timeframe from choosing a house to keys in hand? I've heard it can be a long drawn out process. And how often do you plan to go back to the house since you're not living their fulltime. Great video. We hope to buy in about 12-18 months time.

hi there, great resource / vid - thank you for sharing. i was wondering if u could give me a heads up as i am having loads of issues contacting agencies to request additional info. there are 2 problems i cant seem to circumvent; 1) none of the sites publish an email address and when using their online enquiry forms, 2) they need a mobile phone (japanese number) to send verification code. so frustratingly in this early stage of our venture, we can;t seem to even connect with agencies :(

Do these homes rent well while you get sorted to make a final move over with residency visas and things?

Great video, can I ask what area of Japan the house is in because it's so beautiful. Can you describe your actual experience, did you do the entire transaction on your own without help from a Japanese friend or agency? How hard was it and how long did it take?