Owning an Abandoned Japanese House | Akiya Buying Experience

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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[@onlyinjapanGO]

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!

[@typerightseesight]

If I could figure it all out in english. wow. lol

[@janvanspauwen7792]

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.

[@typerightseesight]

@@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

[@Tulsy_Grape]

Only $40,000!? That's actually insane!

[@typerightseesight]

@@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

[@LetsgowithHyro]

Thank you for receiving us and thanks John.

[@Denim9330]

Bro is living my *dream*. Countryside Japan is so gorgeous

[@laughingmonkeywatcher6993]

lol I thought the same thing when I saw your comment. Just make a move. Life wont happen without your move.

[@myhome772]

I’m extremely curious to know if you have a solid plan of securing employment in Japan. If you do, could you please kindly share it? Also, do you expect any language barrier? And how experienced are you with train commute? I would love to know. Thank you.

[@everythingisfine9988]

Make sure your earning enough to place kids in an international school

[@jsoe81657]

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.

[@knockknock1246]

That's so beautiful. The whole place, and the view!

[@GreenAppelPie]

The house has held up fantastically

[@chelseacarpenter2302]

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 💜💜

[@earlysda]

And your visa will be?

[@chelseacarpenter2302]

@@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 🤷‍♀️

[@Aiken47]

Only thing stopping me is employment in Japan - such a good looking house.

[@Denim9330]

Big same tbh. I'm working on finishing my Bachelor's specifically to go get a job in Japan.

[@Chuck8541]

haha Same here.

[@hannesRSA]

Would you swap for a salary 10 times lower in Japan though? It might be better to first get rich, then move. Though I think you need a job to be allowed to stay in Japan.

[@pawala7]

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.

[@GenJuhru]

Yeah, a retirement plan.

[@afjmorse]

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.

[@FirstLastOne]

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.

[@xeong5]

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.

[@alexb.1320]

Great to see that the original wood wasn't ripped out or slathered in paint. Really nice.

[@TomoyoKissesSakura]

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😊

[@laughingmonkeywatcher6993]

Thanks!

[@hangswithchristian]

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!

[@qtdcanada]

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.

[@michaels3003]

The back (presumably less old) part of the house is about 70 years old.

[@barrygomberg2524]

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.

[@ciello___8307]

Could have been an old family home. The kids probably live in the city and dont need it. Its a pretty common problem

[@rsmith02]

Maybe a three generation family home. The older ones passed on and the kids went to work in a city?

The previous owners would probably be thrilled that new life was being breathed into the home.

[@Davidgon100]

Rural Japan is beautiful. I visited a friend in Saga prefecture and loved his small town.

[@javy8912]

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!

[@helent9349]

The house is a work of art. Absolutely beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

[@Brithvampire]

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.

[@normamejias6587]

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.

[@anorax001]

This was really interesting. The house looks amazingly solid and in very good condition.

[@Tmidiman]

Wow this home is beautiful. Thank you for allowing me to see it.

[@YouBradd]

Darryl, I really like your works in progress project. Looks good, homely and very comfortable. 👌

[@TOKYO64DOTCOM]

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.

[@keichannnn]

awesome find.. it's so Spacious.. love it!

[@karamuenster]

Pretty spacious❤Congrats fam!!

[@markoconnell804]

Pressure wash the cement parameter walls. See if there is some sealer you can use to keep the clean view longer.

[@TOKYO64DOTCOM]

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.

[@lexnite22]

Wow, this was a great find for Daryl!

[@laughingmonkeywatcher6993]

It was more than a great find but it can happen to you. This trend is a once in a lifetime chance.

[@TOKYO64DOTCOM]

Also check under your floors. Homes like this aren’t usually insulated under the floors which is why some have floor heating. We found out our’s wasn’t because this past winter which was our first, we discovered the back of our leather sofa was wet with condensation as we were using a kerosene stove at the time while our heater/ac unit was getting fixed. We ended up buying a room size floor mat to solve that issue.

[@Pogue4]

Wonderful and beautiful home thank you for sharing.

[@jamesclayton3388]

Great view guys!..❤ and such a nice 🏡

[@wendyon4517]

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.

[@rztrzt]

That's a lovely house!

[@fotoline]

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.

[@laughingmonkeywatcher6993]

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.

[@ciello___8307]

Love the paint!

[@lasvegasbreakingnews1752]

Only in Japan you're next! Your family deserves a house!

[@TOKYO64DOTCOM]

That back door is a fire escape. They put those in to help people get out without running through other parts of the house.

[@hydrazine799]

6:30 Terrific view! 😊😊

[@jason_from_canada]

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. 👍

[@laughingmonkeywatcher6993]

Indeed this akiya trend is a once in a lifetime opportunity. If you want to grab it , we are happy to help :)

[@Chuck8541]

Wow, what a beautiful home!

[@davidvasta]

This guy is living the dream!

[@enjoystraveling]

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.

[@markoconnell804]

Gorgeous house.

[@bitcoinreport]

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.

[@ChrisCannon007]

Very nice!

[@shahzadkheros]

Lovely Video

[@TOKYO64DOTCOM]

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.

[@stacyscooby8488]

Beautiful it looks so beautiful home .

[@ItDaBiz]

Considering abandoning ship UK, this is definitely an option for me! Especially given home ownership is something of a myth here these days

[@kingrando]

This was a great video. So was he living there just on a Visa or was it residency? I will certainly check out the website!

[@yukiagu]

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! 😊

[@earlysda]

No retirement visa for Japan.

[@johnnny9]

wow just wow so nice the home

[@johnram-ld8rj]

SUPER!

[@raqsraqs3758]

Doggy is the star ⭐️

[@laughingmonkeywatcher6993]

He is!

[@DonnaDwyer-d1i]

Very interesting Barb.

[@TOKYO64DOTCOM]

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.

[@Boomdizzle99]

Thats so awesome! If I were to want to live in japan it would be doing it this way. owning your own home and property. an akiya that doesnt take too much to renovate. Rather than a tiny cramped apartment in Tokyo where you just throw your money away. building no equity and enriching the apartment owner. Im surprised your still renting john, have you considered going to buy your own home at this point?

[@meisseliseta-vt8pc]

It's like here in Finland. Families move to cities and lot of empty houses in countryside. Those are just a money hole. How about schools? Where people get money? It's cheap to live in countryside but there are reasons why houses are empty. Make love and babies ❤

[@usgp99]

Your family has beautifully brought a wonderful idea to life! We absolutely adore Japan and Shikoku-it’s magical. You all clearly have the perfect mindset for this. 👍🙏 We’d be thrilled to connect and share ideas about revitalizing an area and drawing in others who share our vision. 👍

[@laughingmonkeywatcher6993]

We agree！Tell us your vision. Lets make it happen ：）

[@jrmayberry3536]

Come do a house tour of my tiny home in Mie Prefecture!

[@user-wq8zo1qc4l]

The shape of the mountain... Yes, it was Kagawa.

[@ynwa3573]

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

[@michaels3003]

Unfortunately a lot of Japanese products (for export) are not made in Japan. Those that are can be very expensive.

[@laughingmonkeywatcher6993]

This is wisdom when you hear it , listen.

[@hubertvancalenbergh9022]

A dream home!

[@laughingmonkeywatcher6993]

No it is not a dream home. You can do it . just step out of your box and your dreams are available here. This is really a once in a life time opportunity. It is up to you to recognize it. Make a move. We are here to help.

[@rowdyduterte8476]

Amazing, this place is huge!

[@paulinomreyes]

Diamond in the rough indeed!

[@enjoystraveling]

Just to warn you, in some places, Koi ponds attract frogs, or toads that croak at night loudly. You could also make one of those Japanese rock stone gardens that you rake into different patterns. You can put decorations to the stone Japanese lantern and a Buddha or Shinto fox

[@laughingmonkeywatcher6993]

we already got frongs from the farm land and irregation systems behind our house. lol The sound of frongs are the most calming sound we can get. lol

[@REVIEWSONTHERUN]

Amazing!✌️

[@user-oe7pr5ww2m]

Please reinforce the structure before you live in there, the old house is very cheap but on the other hand the reinforcing against earthquakes are very expensive....

[@SilverforceX]

Beautiful house! I would love to retire somewhere there. Nice, quiet, clean air.

[@laughingmonkeywatcher6993]

Then hop on an airplane and see if you like it :)

[@laughingmonkeywatcher6993]

You can. We did. Just need to figure out how. It is very possible :)

[@SpearDusk]

very nice!

[@carolineindacityphx]

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.

[@loudsisi7895]

Wow what an amazing house! I am changing wallpaper patterns in my mind around that house while you walk 😂 So much potential, but it already looks fabulous!

[@OverTheSevenSeas]

Could you let us know if there is wifi available in the area. Maybe with an average speed one might be likely to get? That would be so helpful to know.

[@judymckee5992]

It is very nice but I am wondering whether it is cold in winter?

[@Shienlim]

at last its in 4k!

[@arkangeln910c8]

As always, I confirm the rule in japan: A huge, industrial or restaurant sink, taking half of the useful space in the kitchen. It's ridiculous!

[@arkangeln910c8]

By the way, I would arrange the whole house with western furniture, kick away the tatami, get rid of those ridiculously huge closets for futon storage which robe space, and use real western beds in bedrooms, because a bedroom is a place where people sleeps, not a multi-use room.

[@enjoystraveling]

Just wondering about the heavy paws of the dog, does it hurt the flooring of the tatami?

[@laughingmonkeywatcher6993]

no not really he is only 20kg . He is happy running around the house. We live with the expectation of wear and tear so no biggy, lol

[@xorbodude]

What about income? how does he support his family in the countryside?

[@dbl0fluff]

Where is this located? And are more akiya available here?

[@JackManic1984]

I mean it was an abandoned house, but I am not seeing why it would be a problem to live in? So much space and the environment is nice.

[@enjoystraveling]

Do you have a video about how to receive a resident permit in Japan? For example if you have enough retirement income to live there is it even allowed?

[@WANDERER0070]

Ask at Japan embasy 😊

[@WANDERER0070]

Beautiful house 😊 hoshii

[@laughingmonkeywatcher6993]

You can do it as well. That's the whole point of our website. Life doesn't wait.

[@antonettekawabata277]

Wow Sugoine 🤩 How much that house very cool house 😊

[@Jason_YT]

These look amazingly well built. Better than $1 million homes in US

[@laughingmonkeywatcher6993]

We strongly agree. We owned three houses in the US. This one is better than all of them and a fifth of the cost. Try not to listen to the people who don't know. They are the loudest, lol.

[@barry3565]

Nice! Japan is much safer than any other countries...I know I heard health care system is much better and affordable in japan? How about akiya in Chibari hill area just outside of Tokyo?

[@ramsessilent]

AMAZINING house! got alot of peek a boo going on! LOL great place! thanks for the share! stay awesome!

[@laughingmonkeywatcher6993]

sorry . everyone is shy. My husband agreed to take one for the good of the cause. lol John was a great great company. Great human!

[@johnclarke8096]

Don't forget the plastic water bottles keep the cats away, don't work but everybody has got them, don't be different 😂😂

[@BeyondTravelsPH]

This is amazing, Somebody definitely live in there 👍🏠

[@bobbyhawk8797]

Ohhh if i had the money i would love to live in Japan for few years

[@laughingmonkeywatcher6993]

Japanes gorvernment is quietly opening up the visa issues. look into it. If you wait for money first, you will wait until you retire. listen to you gut.

[@bobbyhawk8797]

@@laughingmonkeywatcher6993my gut tells me I'm broke lol

[@harveyh3696]

Wondering what annual taxes would be on a property such as this. Water, electric, any other additional costs.

[@pawala7]

Wouldn't be surprised if it was over 300k yen annual (after deductions) considering just the size of the place. Typical

[@laughingmonkeywatcher6993]

The annual tax for the property is roughly well under USD1000 . water USD30 , electricity USD60 , internet USD20 per month and the rest is too small to mention for non residents. If you get a visa there is a bigger cost however well worth the benefits ... in my opinion. If you want more details contact us. the link is in the video.

[@harveyh3696]

@@pawala7 Thanks for the insight!

[@Josh_Stuchbery]

If I sold my house in Australia I could easily afford one of these. Living mortgage free in Japan...wouldn't that be great.

[@laughingmonkeywatcher6993]

Yep! That was exactly our thought a year ago and now we are here. Dig in. The path is always there.

[@carols3517]

Beautiful house. With so much room, why don't you have a room just for the boys to sleep?

[@michaels3003]

Probably related to limited cooling.

[@tiffanyhp7]

Living my dream!! Once I graduate and get my degree, Ill be looking to move to Japan's countryside. I've been studying Japanese as well and learning the customs and culture as much as possible. It's consumed my spare time and I enjoy all of it. Just need to graduate first.

[@earlysda]

And your visa?

[@tiffanyhp7]

@@earlysda plan to get a workers permit first then eventually try to get a visa tho I know it’s difficult.

[@user-ue2vt7pd5x]

少し年季が入った物件のようですが耐震補強はされましたか？

[@Cat_guru-o2l]

I mean the yen is devalued, or else it wouldn't be possible even for ex pats to find a home in japan. Even retired seniors here in the states are buying houses in costa rica. I mean back in the 90's the imperial palace in tokyo was worh more than the whole state of california. Would be nice to see more often ,average Japanese folks in you're videos owning such abandoned homes lol

[@Briannal884]

Many ex pats found homes here in Japan well before the yen was devalued. There’s a reason Japanese people don’t stay in these homes, they’re far away from quality of life things usually. Long commutes to work, elderly populations that are dying off so these cities get empty, no work opportunities especially for foreigners who need a visa to live here long term. There are a lot of factors.

[@RandomStuff-zw7uh]

This is really cool to see. As someone with "only" about 500k net worth, I find it very difficult to own real estate here in Los Angeles (and whatever is within range, is frankly terrible). I can imagine a life like this for me in Japan - barring the obvious issue of immigration, employment, and language. Maybe my other concern with this kind of place is the education for children. I wonder how much they will need to travel in order to go to school.

[@hannesRSA]

Maybe keep your kids in a stable environment and make sure they grow up nurtured. Though not sure how great LA is for kids.

[@RandomStuff-zw7uh]

​@@hannesRSA True. The risk with this kind of rural environment is that you don't know when the next school will close due to low attendance. This can be deeply disruptive, not to mention the lack of school choices and long commute.

[@laughingmonkeywatcher6993]

The school is less than a block away. We hear the bells,lol. Coutry side folks appreciate kids.

[@asuranrocks]

i can't believe u just said backyard too

[@asdsad17]

single floor is nice. easy to step out during an earthquake.

[@laughingmonkeywatcher6993]

Kagawa prefecture is the least natural disaster prone area in japan but we agree. Nature is the Boss do what you can. Live your dream.

[@laughingmonkeywatcher6993]

Kagawa is the least natural disatar prone are in Japan. we do have a part of the house with only one floor.

[@UsurpersAndAssassins]

In New Zealand, I am paying $2000 a month to rent a room. Maybe I should move to Japan?

[@TheMimeGogo]

Shikoku? dang, that's pretty much the same area where my ex is from. - Takamatsu.

[@peterdevries3651]

I would love to live out there in Japan

[@laughingmonkeywatcher6993]

You should. It feels like we are on a different planet coming from the US. Find a way.

[@peterdevries3651]

@@laughingmonkeywatcher6993 wish I could