Akiya Banks - The Search for Abandoned Old Houses in Japan

[@nopefoh]

thank you for continuing to provide information about Akiya houses. ever since i saw Tokyo Llama's channel of him purchasing and fixing one up i've wanted to find an akiya machiya to fix one up one day.

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

I hope you find an ideal machiya in the future! I will try to share more information in the meanwhile :)

[@eileencollins8799]

Tokyo Llama’s house is gorgeous!

[@jefflambert7513]

Thank you, really appreciate you taking the time to make this video.

[@Jsmith1611]

What's really sad is that a national database can be created by less then $20K within a week by a single skilled developer.

[@anniep.2692]

I used to live in Masuda in Shimane Prefecture and bought an akiya through akiya bank that is all handled by employees of their City Hall. I can vouch for their helpfulness on all aspect of the search and purchase process. I can speak relatively good Japanese, but because I was going to sign a deed, I was a bit nervous that I might not understand everything I was going to be told and they even provided me with the service of an interpreter (although it wasn’t officially her job, there was a foreigner who worked in another department of the city hall). Before buying in Masuda, I was also looking in Tokusa, in Yamaguchi Prefecture. I also found them to be very helpful, although they were differently organized than Masuda. In Tokusa, because they are very remote and I was searching far from the City Hall, a local businessman was volunteering to show most of the houses, but I enjoyed my interactions with him because he was very helpful in giving info about the town and community. I also saw a few house in Hagi, Yamaguchi Prefecture. Yamaguchi is one of the easiest site to use since all towns are together in one site on the Akiya bank. Hope that might help on of your viewers to find a home in one of those places.

[@grantcanada1]

great humour, excellent delivery - thank you - hope to visit your great country soon - peace!

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Thank you Grant! Good to know you enjoyed the video.

[@grantcanada1]

@@GoodOldHousesJapan excellent - I have a business idea I would like to talk to you about - very interested in travelling to Japan in the Fall - cheers!

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

@@grantcanada1 That sounds neat! I am always here so drop a message when you are in Japan then we can talk ;)

[@joannamurakami908]

Thank you for making this video. Very helpful and helps me on my path to moving to Japan.

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Thank you and glad the information was helpful! Good luck with your plan!

[@opportunityknox8575]

Bless you for sharing. It would be such an exciting journey to take on. 🙏💕

[@julioalvarez4481]

Great video man, I love your level of depth and transparency of your videos. Makes me want to move to Japan! I want to go visit at least once in my life.

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Thank you! A lot of learning still but glad you liked it. Do visit when you have a chance!

[@Kaiyes_]

I reckon it's about time that a good startup comes up & consolidates info from all these websites. Plus keep the list updated.

[@daichimax]

Thank you for continuing to provide information about Akiya houses. 👍👍👍👍👍 & Subscribed!!! ...and all gov-employees, paid by our taxes, just help you to make everything more complicated.

[@salvadormarin6807]

His accent is so good I can’t tell if he’s American or Japanese.

[@aznboycols]

His wit tells me that he's spent time here in the States.

[@ajadrew]

Glad I found youe channel - my dream is to live in an old folk house preferably in the mountains but near a city/town. I'm thinking of Nara or Shikoku. This channel helps a great deal!

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Hi Andrew I'm glad you find the videos helpful. Nara is a great candidate - has lots of Kominka houses and the northern part is relatively convenient. Southern part gets a lot of rain so better to stay away from a river and avoid slopes!

[@ajadrew]

@@GoodOldHousesJapan Thanks for your response, very helpful 👍😊

[@cheng310]

thankyou for sharing informative videos

[@kyleroach2581]

Thanks!

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Thank you for the Super thanks! Hope you find the videos useful.

[@amysbees6686]

Great video! I checked out some Anita Banks a while back, and what an experience! I do not speak, let alone read, Japanese. This was quite challenging, even with Google translating. The photos, what few there were, were of varying quality. Some we so bad, it looked like US House foreclosure websites! All this makes one wonder if Japan really cares about selling these older homes at all. Quite sad.

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Thank you for watching! I really hope the properties in smaller cities and towns become more available to buyers in/outside of Japan. I agree that some photos are ridiculous. Having good photos is such a small investment that rewards in big & positive impact.

[@zeppelin.1874_]

Watching right now this your video, as a few before and newer ones 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!

[@antoinem.al-aziz3521]

Thank you for providing the video! My family and I are now starting to look in the Kyoto city wards and nearby Osaka. Do you know of banks that cover those areas? We have PR. Thank you.

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Hi Antoine, thank you for watching! Generally speaking the more popular/bigger the city is the less likely that there will be a Akiya bank from the government. Kyoto city for example all the properties are usually gathered by real estate companies such as Hachise, Iyeya, Arrows International Realty, or bigger national sites like athome. If you just want to look at machiyas 京町家情報センター(johocenter.kyomachiya.net/) is a good source too.

[@notanotherutubeuser]

akiya banks are in every prefecture in japan there are over 10 million akiya homes and that's just the listed ones there are many more not listed especially for remote non city areas, i'm researching this at the moment and i currently believe there to be around 20-40 million akiya

[@impressionsofjapan8683]

Very informative AND relaxing video! :D

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Thank you for the nice comment :) good to know the video was relaxing to watch!

[@boomsjapan]

Great video👍 Do you know of any Akiya banks in Niigata area 🙏 thank you

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

This here is a comprehensive Akiya site for Niigata prefecture. Very easy to see and navigate as well. niigatakurashi.com/akiya-search/

[@boomsjapan]

@@GoodOldHousesJapan Thank you so much

[@bhubryan596]

how about the subsidies? are the foreigners eligible for the subsidies? loved your content

[@ck7642]

Thanks again for another great video!

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Thanks for watching again!

[@weisbars5]

I would love to purchase one soon, been looking online but the huge obstacles are that we have to put an application in japanese and there may be a restriction that we have to live in it for most of the year. Can you recommend a consultant that can do this for foreigners? Would love to get a contacts if possible. Thx

[@JulienKabbabe]

Do you know where I can find a listing for Yokohama?

[@GuillaumeTANNEUX]

Informing video, thank you. Do you live in Kansai ? I'm in Osaka (Nagai). I'm already the owner of a brand new house (4 years old) but I'm interested in knowing more about the ever growing number of abandoned Japanese houses. If you live close and that you have spare time it would be nice to visit some of those houses together. Anyway thank you for the video.

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Yes I'm based in Kyoto. What area are you looking for? In the Kansai region, Hyogo and Wakayama probably have the most number of abandoned traditional houses. You can drop me an email (via the channel ABOUT tab) if you found a property that you would like to visit.

[@GrassCoyote]

if you buy the Akiya house, does it include the land or just the house?

[@cheng310]

ohayou gozaimasu what is the qualification for buying old houses in japan? and how much is the budjet..

[@hermes8258]

If you do not have to be a legal resident (I.e. you can be a tourist) why did the civic akiya bank ask fir your immigration status ID?

[@elsie4864]

I’ll be graduating in about 2 years i hope I can save enough in my first 6 years of working to buy a property, I’ve always been interested in japan’s country side so this is very helpful

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Will you be working in Japan while saving? Being in Japan while doing the property search will make things so much easier than trying to do it from overseas. Anyway good luck with your future plan! :)

[@elsie4864]

@@GoodOldHousesJapan yep i will try and get a job in japan, glad to know that the process will be easier

[@77FINNBEAR]

What region would you recommend for country living . Good farming and on the coast?

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

I haven't been to that many rural regions in Japan yet, but as someone who prefers warming weather I like the cities along the Seto Inland Sea! If colder weather is not a problem, then Toyama and Noto peninsula are amazing as well.

[@77FINNBEAR]

@@GoodOldHousesJapan will look into those areas. Thankyou.

[@nanikarthikreddy]

And could you please suggest areas where you think better places to buy house

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Like how I described in the other video, for long term possession I would avoid areas that have higher chances of natural disasters. Personally I like Kansai, Hokuriku, Chukoku area more (west Japan).

[@Enbukettmedvallmo]

you know any akiya web page in Tokushima pref ?

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

There should be a Akiya page for every city. This one in Naruto city is quite nice! www.narutoakiyabank.org/article/2360-2/?title=%E7%89%A9%E4%BB%B6%E6%A4%9C%E7%B4%A2

[@utpmahesh444]

Thanks for the nice video. May I ask what about the TAXES related to Akiya houses and Government rules related to Rebuild/Renovate the Akiya houses ?

[@utpmahesh444]

sorry I found kzbin.info/www/bejne/fGi9nKakbseqibc

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Taxes for akiya houses (or any other properties in Japan) have the same rules. Nothing special. Abandoned properties just get taxed more (annual property tax) if it's left abandoned for too long but for when bought by a new owner the tax gets back to normal. Also no special rule for renovating akiya houses (unless it's a registered cultural heritage), you can do whatever you want to the house.

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Taxes for akiya houses (or any other properties in Japan) have the same rules. Nothing special. Abandoned properties just get taxed more (annual property tax) if it's left abandoned for too long but for when bought by a new owner the tax gets back to normal. Also no special rule for renovating akiya houses (unless it's a registered cultural heritage), you can do whatever you want to the house.

[@SaxonSnow]

I know this is a old video and not sure you’ll see this. But I’m a welding student and hoping this trade will get me a job in Japan and my plan is to get one of these homes near where I work.

[@javicov9118]

love the page walkthroughs

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Thank you! Would like to share more in the future, including actually visiting an Akiya bank property.

[@user-w8jhtre23]

So it doesn’t mather form which countrie people can buy it? And if you own it as a foren citizen, for how long you can stay in Japan if you are coming in with visa, does owning a house and having a job gives you permanent stay?

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Hi Radek, yes people can buy properties in Japan regardless of their nationality. Owning a property in Japan doesn't grant you a special Visa status or permanent residency though.

[@user-w8jhtre23]

@@GoodOldHousesJapan ok thank you.

[@chany6336]

As a foreigner living in Japan, yes you can but the bank's won't give you a mortgage for X amount of years of you are a foreigner (even when you have a resident card) so you s have to buy the property outright. Those properties also usually come with conditions and standards to which they need to be fixed up to, so make sure you do your maths, good luck !

[@timd8912]

Thank you.....great job....

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Thank you for watching Tim!

[@shoiku4734]

You mentioned one Akiya bank website asked for documents of yourself and your family. Although tourists can buy such properties, will all the Akiya banks want documents like that just to answer questions about a property?

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

I think most Akiya banks only accept buyers who are planning to live & work in that city...and yes they're going to ask for all the IDs and such.

[@BryanHays]

Great explanation. thank you

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching.

[@marcia7887]

Gostaria de informações vivo em Kanagawa kem Yamato - shi

[@zacklouw8191]

Hi, is it possible to ask you questions about areas and akiya banks to try? I am looking for an Akiya in one of three locations or at least able to access these areas within an hour’s drive. I want to be in the countryside with lots of green spaces. And of course, following your video on areas not to buy in, I want to follow that method to have the lowest risk of natural disasters. 1. Fukuoka 2. Sapporo 3. Okinawa

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Hi Zack, I am not so familiar with Okinawa & Sapporo region but for Fukuoka there are tons of options within 1hr drive. For example, Yame city, Chikugo, city, Karatsu city, Saga city and more. The thing is though Kyushu region in general is getting a lot of rain & typhoon these past few years....

[@zacklouw8191]

@@GoodOldHousesJapan Thanks for the reply. For finding the akiya banks in these areas, would I search for each city separately or for the entire prefecture?

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

@@zacklouw8191 Yes each city has its own akiya bank so you would need to check the pages separately.

[@waldfee2283]

ありがとうございます！おつかれさまでした！

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

ありがとうございます❗

[@norris007]

I like that Forrest Gump reference! Nice

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

I couldn't come up with anything else but I'm glad you liked the reference...!!

[@liayuliawati4364]

Nice to meet you May I ask If we are around 50 - 60 years old and interesting in moving to the house in Japan, Is there any suitable job for us? We have family who is studying undergraduate programs for almost 4 years in Japan. Do the conditions for the having a House including change our citizenship or is it not necessary? Thank You.

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Hi, if you are moving to a decent size city then perhaps there are some jobs, but don't count on it...it may be easier to start your own business rather than trying to get hired. Having a house in Japan does not change anything regarding your citizenship or visa status.

[@liayuliawati4364]

@@GoodOldHousesJapan oke so if we are interesting in business May I have info the procedure etc

[@Moiez101]

thanks a lot for this bro! I'm moving back to Japan with my Japanese national wife. We'll be living in Kawasaki initially to work, and save up and land a remote-work job so that we can move to either Gunma, Tochigi, Shizuoka or Nagano.

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Hi Moiez, tons of old houses to buy in Gunma, Tochigi, Shizuoka, and Nagano. Please take time to explore those areas when you're in Japan. I'm sure you'll like what you see.

[@marcia7887]

Gostaria saber mais moro Kanagawa yamato

[@nanikarthikreddy]

Thank you for information. Are there any options to get real estate agents to get help finding houses ?

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Hi Karthik, for the houses listed on Akiya banks usually you would communicate with the city staff instead of real estate agents. For normal properties handled by agents you can check out realestate.co.jp or athome (major one in Japan).

[@chaosfury2016]

How much are those houses?

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Do you mean vacant houses in rural Japan in general? The most common price range is from 3mil JPY to 10mil JPY.

[@chaosfury2016]

@@GoodOldHousesJapan rural fhat kinda close to the metro :)

[@bumblewhooo4303]

Can I buy akiya house for vacation

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Yes you can. But if you want to buy through "akiya banks" run by the city, then 95% of the time they would require the buyer to move to the city/house. You can always find cheap traditional properties on sites like athome or suumo though. Most of the properties you find there can be used as vacation houses.

[@jackgamingyt248]

Yes I'm look for house in japan

[@user-fc9wv5gr2y]

Hello , is it available for foreigner?

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Hi Akiy bank properties are available for foreigners, but most of the time you have to be in Japan to visit the house yourself and make commitment to live in that house for a certain period of time.

[@sr969]

Is it allowed for foreigner/non japanese to buy akiya house?

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Yes. No restrictions to buy & own land in Japan as a foreigner living outside of Japan.

[@dixcreative]

I think you have stumbled on a business opportunity. Provide these cities with a web service to list on.

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

I am working on it 😂

[@dixcreative]

@@GoodOldHousesJapan houses here in Australian are out of reach price wise. It’s a very attractive idea. Now for the long road of learning the language. Investing in a business and self funding to get a visa. Lolz. What a world.

[@dixcreative]

I have 2 large hurdles, well 3.. learn the language of course. but to get a PR maybe buy a small business, BUT where to look is a hard one. So many options where to live, I suppose the smart person will travel the country as much as possible to find the ideal location. Mountain Views. city nearby, train nearby, I have heard living in a high rise is bad as the walls are thin and you can hear all the nieghbours :)

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

@@dixcreative PR is not really necessary as long as you start up and operate a business. With the business established, you can renew the Investor/Business Manager visa every year or few years. I agree on finding the ideal place. Most of the time people choose to find a place close to friends or relatives, but if there is no one, then the entire Japan is yours to choose... generally speaking though max 2 hours drive to the big cities will be a safe bet.

[@dixcreative]

@@GoodOldHousesJapan ok cool. Nothing can happen right now with the virus 🤦🏼‍♂️ if there are old houses that are very affordable. Are there small shops as well? To buy a small ramen shop ?

[@midrennelubin975]

Akia bank , Nathan’s city

[@Tampsey]

if you like hunting for akiyas? but dont buy them want to be in contact and do a hunt together for a weekend? also this video was very nice and even showing some sites people could look at.

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Thank you! Not hunting for akiyas or anything but would like to share more information regarding how the Akiya bank thing works - especially for foreigners

[@theGENIUSofART-understood]

erm, ya, i learned to read those japanese websites...... it's not that hard.

[@achselstollen3078]

Thank you for the information. But i cannot believe you as you said "this is a beautifully designed website". Are you serious? Japan is such a technically high evolved country but the design of many websites seems so strange to me.

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

I probably have seen too many Akiya bank pages and that became the norm.... I guess the correct way to say would be "this is a beautifully designed website (compare to other Akiya bank sites)".

[@achselstollen3078]

@@GoodOldHousesJapan There was really no bad intention in my comment. I am just amazed, how different the style is that western people like and what is famous in japan. It is the same thing with tv shows. While japan is bright, loud and with a lot of blinking lights, the western tv shows get darker and more slender each day. I like the japanese way and i am really in love with the country itself.

[@fabianastua]

Can you buy a house with Bitcoin? Thanks in advance.

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

No I don't think so, not for houses in rural area. Maybe in Tokyo...

[@fabianastua]

@@GoodOldHousesJapan ありがとう

[@JulietGermanotta]

I would really love to live in Japan and I prefer a older house/farmhouse but Japan doesn’t just give citizenship to American citizens. It would be really hard to get even permanent residence there, so why would I buy a property there? Someone tell me if I marry a guy that I would get permanent residence ? Well, I would like is to find a guy in his 30’s or 50s he can even have children since I can’t have any because I am transgender. Maybe I should marry a really old man in his 70s.? that’s how bad I want to move to Japan so beautiful there in the country side

[@mrbbkk]

Half the abandoned houses are not listed with the Akiya bank 8 million houses half not listed Can get secured loans against other paid off properties Some of the best properties are not listed Need to go there and talk to private parties, not banks and realtors.

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

You are right, the ones on Akiya banks is only a tiny fraction... Agree that for people who can physically be in the community & communicate in Japanese, talking to the locals will be the most ideal.

[@smudgepost]

I'm very interested in Akiya so this video has been helpful, thank you! Perhaps we can collaborate?

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Glad that you liked the videos. What kind of collaboration are you thinking of?

[@smudgepost]

@@GoodOldHousesJapan I'll send you an introduction. Thank you and keep up the good work!

[@johannes4386]

one of the biggest problem in Japan.... Digital Marketing is dead, you can't really find any detail information except for huge company... Japanese need to improve this, really

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Very true unfortunately...

[@julieabot4154]

Where in Japan is the ideal place to live? 😊

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Anywhere you feel like home :) I personally like Kansai reigon.

[@julieabot4154]

@@GoodOldHousesJapan I will try to see and feel 😊Thank you GOHJ

[@dominicaS30]

Can call me

[@Дюбель]

Зашёл посмотреть на японский домик, вместо этого смотрю на какого-то японца :(

[@LawrenceCaldwellAuthor]

Is this video boring you? lol

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

I hope not...

[@LawrenceCaldwellAuthor]

@@GoodOldHousesJapan Lol. Was just yanking your chain. You did stretch a lot.