This American is Buying a House Near Tokyo

I help foreigners buy houses in Japan.
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Have you ever wondered what it takes to buy a house in Japan as a non-resident?
If so, this video is for you.
I followed Brandon, a U.S. native living in Korea, in his journey to buy his dream house in Japan.
We went to see three properties in Saitama.
Find out which house he will end up making an offer.
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#japan #realestateinvesting #financialfreedom #passiveincome #akiya #abandonedhouses #homebuyingtips #cheaphouses #housingmarket #japanhousingmarket #buyingahome #japanvlog
Disclaimer: I am not a financial advisor. This video and the ideas presented in it are for entertainment purposes only and should not be construed as financial or legal advice. Please also note that the past performance indicated in the video does not guarantee future results.
00:00 Intro
01:15 1st Property
05:02 1st Property Recap
06:26 Outside of the 2nd Property
12:55 3rd Property
19:19 3rd Property Recap
23:10 Going back to the 2nd Property
25:56 2nd Property Walkthrough
27:09 2nd Property Recap
29:52 Outro

[@shumatsuopost]

Which one of these houses we looked at would you buy and why? Leave a comment! Get Your Dream House Near Tokyo - Apply for Japan Akiya Assist: forms.gle/1CxWV3W5dNxjVj1m6

[@japan883]

I will buy the first one...i like the barn and the fields around

[@TenYen4796]

The first house is my pick but I would have to see the third house again. Brandon and I have the same interests 😊 I would ship my tools and yard equipment to Japan.

[@typerightseesight]

If I had even failed at being a streamer in the 2020s it would have been a successful life overall to settle down in something exactly like this. lol

[@viffer94]

Dude, house 3 for sure! Find a monk, a priest and a shaman to come bless the house and make a lowball offer. And sleep with the lights on at night. 😊

[@oceyho]

hell no, the 2nd property they could get in later in the vid, is by far the best one. Renovate those empty tatami rooms and you got a beautiful western style family house, with a good enough size garden that could also be renovated for a nice american style bbq garden.

[@fourspiralarms]

I like this format alot. I'd love to hear more about Brandon's story and his plans for japan / why hes in Korea and what he does for work etc. maybe in the follow up?

[@KamienTV]

I'd 200% go for that Akiya over the two other options, at that price point you can easily renovate as much as you'd like to make it look how you like and yeah..

[@arequina]

Just some context about Brandon's mentioning of what can $257,000 buy in WA. My sister bought a house 30 years ago for $150,000. It's a 5 bedroom house with a 2 car garage. Over 2200 ft^2. It's now worth over $700,000 at today's market price..

[@LizzieBeezie]

Wow 3rd one definitely is a beauty on its own if you put work into it. To me the 1st and 3rd one seems the most promising if you factor in the surroundings. Very peaceful and lots of land to build whatever you want, a koi pond, pool, whatever. 2nd one is very modern and good also but too many people around lol.

[@shumatsuopost]

Great insight!

[@jonesr227]

It would have been interesting to hear Brandon's story, such as: is he planning to live full time in Japan? On what visa? Or is he planning to rent it out? (it didn't sound like it). What's he doing living in Korea?

[@longtermerr]

I agree. I hope Shu learns that just watching house tours is probably best suited for his shorts, but for his vlogs, probably building a story works better (maybe waiting for an ending to publish would be best as well, but a P2 is fine I guess).

[@nbvw3]

@@longtermerr Yes, getting an idea of one's own options as one is watching the videos would be nice...

[@nbvw3]

I am living vicariously through these videos! I have always wanted to have a house in Japan, but don't see how I can afford it. Even 10k USD is a big ask, so for now, it will be the videos!

[@debbiecurtis4021]

I like number 3 best for the price. I could happily live there.

[@ct3408]

Beautiful home. Good choice. The third house is really nice too with a lot of land

[@shumatsuopost]

I think so too!

[@jrmayberry3536]

#1 next to some sort of waterway seems dangerous Should check hazard map

[@michaelmunno]

that 2nd house is beautiful. with a great location and just a nice amount of overall space. if I had the money, I'd go for that one too. wow. very nice. best of luck to Brandon.

[@shumatsuopost]

I agree!

[@stopato5772]

pay cash on 3 because it is the least lived in, and easier to make your own with light renovation, build a garage, design your own garden and the savings can build your furniture collection or business

[@kelseyclarke9488]

#3 easily! Make renovations pay respect to the owner and move on

[@act98006]

So many questions about the buyer........If Brandon is living in Korea, why is he moving to Japan? From the sounds of it, he plans to live there and not rent it out. Is that correct? Why does he want to move to Saitama? Does he work remotely so he could live there and work from there?

[@LordJagd]

Yeah my guess is he'd like a second home for vacationing in Japan. The flights from Korea to Japan are so cheap that it'd definitely be worth it.

[@kingdoge69]

@@LordJagd sounds pretty cool honestly

[@LarryKnipfing]

Grab that akiya. BUT beware the low beams between rooms. I rented a house like that once here in Japan and bumped my head on it a few times a day. Finally moved because of that!

[@sonicase]

hmm 1 was massive....buying a regular house (not akiya) does also seem cheap but once you go over about 200-250k there's a lot less of an incentive and more drawbacks start to add up...pretty rare to have 250k in liquid cash to drop...

[@alexandprivate1]

Nice video man! I'm starting to think about buying a house in Japan! Thank you for such an amazing content and keep going!

[@shumatsuopost]

Best of luck!

[@agmcroom2374]

This is really good content. That first house reminds me of the run stage from first street fighter alpha.

[@phoneix24886]

3rd property is amazing

[@debbiecurtis4021]

Number 2 is fabulous, but over my budget.

[@kankanueyama1005]

I don't want to throw cold water on your dream of buying property in Japan, however, please be aware that many rural cities in Japan are suffering from decreasing population so that there are risks you won’t be able to resale it and will be liable for property taxes forever. There are reasons why we Japanese don’t jump into buying these good looking cheap houses so please do some your own research if you really consider buying one. And please remember that school bus services are not always provided and if children walk to school, more than 15 mins is considered unrealistic for elementary school kids. Good Luck😊

[@barpillar11]

Finally…common sense

[@SugoiEnglish1]

How can they get a long term visa to live in Japan and even buy a house?

[@jrmayberry3536]

45m yen for that second house seems extremely over priced. You could build new and custom for the same price

[@user-cp3ip3rw7r]

土地が広い(700平米)のが理由ですね。田舎の700なら地価は低いですが、春日部市はさいたま都心や東京都心に近い郊外ですし。価格の決定要因は土地の広さと、立地ですね。築年数ももちろん要因の一つです。東京のど真ん中の何も建ってない狭い草むらが2億円くらいしますから。結局は立地です。

[@kitty_s23456]

​@@user-cp3ip3rw7rthnx for the info. Arigato.

[@kelseyclarke9488]

I do love #2 just needs some updates which is additional money but love the closeness to the station

[@arsenblackwell]

The suicide house looks nice.

[@Srjr0122]

Wow that first room would be perfect for me I would convert it to 3 bedroom house 2 in the second floor, one in the bottom and separate the kitchen from the dining room

[@shumatsuopost]

That's a great idea!

[@BeardyBaldyBob]

Defo option 3 for me. That house and land for that money is an absolute steal! And you would have a huge amount left in your budget to renovate it to exactly how you want. For 55k that is an absolute steal!

[@tridens6708]

I would choose 3 Rd House 1st nice rural location but to big 2nd to many houses people around you 3rd get local priest to bless the house peaceful area big garden renovate build garage

[@wisikahn]

I plan to go to Tokyo from Busan, Korea, in August.. Trying grab some deals around there..Originally I am from California also.

[@shumatsuopost]

Best of luck!

[@bobbyclemente21]

RE the second one, Japanese fudosan repping properties would do well to start videoing bukken 物件 so people can see it w/out visiting on in cases like Golden Week. Photos are good too, but video captures more. That third one is quite nice, but personally I couldn't live that far in the sticks if I had to work in Tokyo. I wanna move to Izu, but not have to commute to Tokyo for work. The ceiling of the 2nd one is awesome. A little bit overkill w/ wood, which I like, but probably too much.

[@lindafollent2014]

I have been in love with Japan for many years, have visited 8 or 9 times for holidays, and made friends there. I would like to be able to buy an Akiya somewhere near Ofuna ( as this is close to where 2 of my friends live) and was wondering if you had seen any in your travels.

[@MissCoco2109]

I love 3rd house ❤

[@iii898iii]

What's up with the wobble in every Japan Blogger? You're like the 3rd Japan base KZbin/blogger that have this wobble. The only exception is Paolo from Tokyo .

[@TropicTrdr]

#3;definitely solid and I doubt the owner committed suicide over the house.

[@gamingwithkraken7633]

Well I would say grab the cheap one, and the cheap one is also a great house, peaceful and lot of options. And just dump some cash on the renovations, will be equivalent to the other two or better. You would have to do some if not at all renovations for the #1 & #2 too, which makes the Akiya one a better potential option!

[@LK-dx2oq]

@ Shu Why don’t you answer questions on this channel? I am interested and want to learn more about a particular house

[@shumatsuopost]

You can fill out one of these forms so I can help you: Akiya Income Generator (for rental properties): forms.gle/7ySUCdpiLVy9mHoy9 Japan Akiya Assist (for vacation homes): forms.gle/1A7FHHJxqHfuuUjh7

[@KyleMoonstoner]

How long does the stigma of the suicide exist? Like would it make it difficult to hire help for the renovation after the sale? Or do you not need to disclose it as the new owner?

[@user-tx5pm8lq4t]

National guidelines state that the obligation to notify of suicides is generally three years, but legally there is no deadline. Buyers have the right to know accurate information about the property, so even if three years have passed, you may need to answer questions when asked. There is no obligation to notify of natural deaths such as death from old age or illness.

[@TenYen4796]

Watching for the third time 🎉🎉🎉 house #3 for sure.

[@shumatsuopost]

Hope you enjoyed it!

[@kuronekogaijin]

#2 without a doubt.. Love that house..

[@nyanya3]

Akiya because of space but what about upstairs bathroom? Seems like small storage rooms might have been meant for toilet. Much renovation potential. Houses near flat farm land like this I always wonder about drain water, creeks, and sewage.

[@debbiecurtis4021]

Number 2 you could have an Air bnb and park campervans there.

[@woolfel]

today in Boston, 300K gets you an out-house.

[@stephenfreeman8617]

Was the first house value based on the land value?

[@TrunxKraft3000]

29:50 You can definitely get a 2 story house in Texas for under 300k.

[@KKDCA]

In the UK and NYC , people live on hundreds of years old houses and it’s expected that most of them have history of someone who dies , murdered or committed suicide there. Just get a priest or monk to remove the bad spirit of bad luck of the house , respect the history and move on. ❤ I’d buy the Akiya ❤

[@Che1seabluesdrogba11]

The Itasha car in the background

[@YannMar]

42.8 million yen seems rather expensive for a house this far away from Tokyo, not gonna lie.

[@xxneggalee2785]

How much is that in usd

[@YannMar]

@@xxneggalee2785 $266‘000 and some change. The Anton in Japan guy bought his House in central Tokyo for arounds $45‘000 but had to put some effort into renovating it.

[@shenglongisback4688]

​@@xxneggalee2785$266,682.43 USD

[@maxmurphy4476]

​@@xxneggalee2785 265 000 dollars

[@rougeredvenitienne]

​@@xxneggalee2785errrr... easy to find on google...

[@CallMeSssnake]

Good stuff

[@richardang7438]

You'll find yuon inside the attic.

[@EsRoquer]

Such a house for 228.000€ … at the islands or touristic zones in Spain you can buy nothing for that. It would be for sure 1 milion at least. It could be interesting as an invest for B&B or booking with smaller houses but well “gardened”, like international companies invest here in Spain

[@n0m0]

Is it only me or Shu Matsuo kinda resembles Pewdiepie? lol.

[@cowrevenge]

Id be interested in more detailed location of house #2.

[@julian6889]

Where can I find the listing for the first house shown in this video and if you know if it’s still up for sale? I’m quite interested in it after seeing it

[@randomaccount-dq1jq]

With the 3rd property if your out in the middle of nowhere and the ex owner had their final hours in the garage i wouldn't be suprised if it might have taken a long while for someone to submit a wellness check and find him so probably the garage had to be demolished because the smells might have heavily set in. R.i.p to the past owner.

[@jessicaliz6548]

So awesome, 🙏

[@shumatsuopost]

I agree!

[@choopa1670]

I would love to buy a house in Japan as australia is way too expensive and I love the Japanese culture people food and cars. I am also arching your videos to find out if it is possible and how so thank you for sharing with us mate

[@shumatsuopost]

Best of luck!

[@MonkeyHero]

I can only speak for myself, but I might end up going for the one that was under 60k with the tragedy. With all the leftover cash I could renovate it to custom design and desire. I'm way ore into making a space mine than cookie cutter.

[@wendyon4517]

From a Kagoshima point of view since i dont know Saitama rural land prices. Seeing as you can build a new home on 60 tsubo in a rural area for just over ¥30 million yen (using a mid-range builder and depending on the land costs) I dont think #1 or #2 are worth it. They have too much land which is why they are on the pricier side I think. Just buy a new house if you are ok to spend ¥40 million. #3... even with the related issues is the best bet... at the ¥4 million Shu suggested. 200 tsubo of land is more than enough. The house looks smaller than 40 tsubo but its hard to tell without being there. Bathroom needs a reno for sure. Kitchen if he wants. otherwise it looks solid. But it will be tough to resell...

[@mukeshvig174]

Beautiful 2nd house though (fully) overpriced!

[@hanazuki333]

extra land is the most important thing to me , i hate living with a neighbor breathing in your neck .

[@conbob]

First house seems like good value

[@shumatsuopost]

I think so too!

[@matthewrios7549]

​@@shumatsuopostwhich house did he pick

[@kamanama3671]

Could this be turned into a bed-and-breakfast?

[@pang-ngiavang1956]

Do you have any listings in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture?

[@krillin876]

I don't recall seeing a Home Depot over in Japan or something like it

[@jrmayberry3536]

Theres plenty of equivalent stores

[@krillin876]

@@jrmayberry3536 but what about laborers? Looks empty in those suburban parts..

[@jrmayberry3536]

@@krillin876 i live in the deep countryside of Japan and there are excellent craftsmen and their prices are good. japan's entire economy is based on the constant tear down and re-building of houses.

[@speaksthis]

@@jrmayberry3536 - Yea, Toyota Teardowns are Tops, and Mazda Makeovers are Marvy.

[@joanna9242]

The last house is too close to the electrical wires. Being that close to the wires can affect you emotionally and might have been the reason the. previous owner was depressed

[@debbiecurtis4021]

Could you keep beehives and chickens on the land?

[@kitty_s23456]

I think in 1 and 3, you could. Probably not in 2, since it's in the city. 1 and 3 are more rural.

[@Friskyhorton]

Fantastic

[@shumatsuopost]

Thanks for watching!

[@hugasal2379]

Be careful, if you renovate that could awaken the spirits

[@K66821675]

is there flood, or earthquake often?how to stay longer time in japan?

[@Skyrage01]

Foreigners buying property en masse for renting it out will not end well for Japan in the end. Just saying.

[@speaksthis]

Won't matter. Competition will keep rental prices low and speculators won't be able to occupy rentals with overpriced rentals in a declining population market. Foreigners may buy up properties that locals don't acquire off market, but they aren't getting the "cream" of properties.

[@tezeydtm]

I will be definitely buying a house in Japan I will definitely be hitting you up

[@greendozen87]

I wish i can live rest of our lives in japan You have my subs👍

[@shumatsuopost]

Thank you!

[@barriath8841]

Kasukabe City? Somehow I think I heard that name in Demon Slayer xD?

[@somedudeonyoutoob]

if you buy this do you own the HOUSE and the LAND?

[@steel066]

Im not a huge fan of Windows or glass walls id of changed that for sure i want my sh*t looking like a post apocalyptic bunker

[@mariomolnar3184]

The Akyia seems great value, but the previous owner might have just hanged themselves in the house. The the most expensive one looks amazingly decorated and nicely furnished. Plus it's close to the train station So you pay more to get more haha, who would have thought?

[@speaksthis]

Unlikely - that's why the garage was torn down. The vid. creator mentioned "the garage".

[@mariomolnar3184]

@@speaksthis just seems like a good way out of a very nasty situation. but maybe I'm too accustomed to east europe

[@musicmaker11]

slow down on the camera work when showing off the inside of the house

[@rougeredvenitienne]

Errrr if you click on the center of the video you can stop it and enjoy it as much as you want without to give order to someone

[@romeomax101]

The American dream: buying amazing affordable homes outside of USA.

[@debbiecurtis4021]

Wow. If I sold my house in England, I could buy number 1 cash.

[@kuraabella]

I’m next please! I’m ready to buy one! I can get a flight asap if you respond to me.. Lol

[@TomTom-rw9pe]

Nice houses! I’m buying a new house in Gifu 4LDK It’s 27million Moving in this month!

[@shumatsuopost]

Love to hear that!

[@nielsjosefsen9941]

You go through the rooms to fast. That I dis not really get acquinted with the house.

[@davidlam5122]

The main question is can foreigners move to Japan?

[@danteinferno175]

of course, but you could only stay 3 months at a time unless you have a work visa or spousal visa

[@jrmayberry3536]

If a Japanese company gives them a job

[@tridens6708]

Only 3 month visa if you have a job or wife spouse

[@2Cranks1bike]

I really hope this doesn't become a rich California guy game. Buying up all the properties and renting/selling at ludicrous prices and ruining it for everyone else. It is a cancer to society.

[@kamanama3671]

do Rice fields equal mosquitoes?

[@rougeredvenitienne]

Was my question right away....

[@tridens6708]

Yes pady fields

[@2Cranks1bike]

Yes, bugs are HUGE in rural Japan,.

[@lidlett9883]

It's golden week.. You're not getting any help.

[@DidiGaga-hm4du]

FUKX that's the best house so far.

[@claus1225]

why are japan houses so cheap? i thought they are the #4 economy

[@aaronhousley7178]

Population collapse.

[@Crunchyconservativemamma]

Talk about annual upkeep expenses like property taxes

[@TonyRoche1]

The forgotten man of America are running to Japan to be the forgotten man of Japan 😂

[@Ian-wn7eb]

Youre in the middle of nowhere

[@speaksthis]

So you can be: The Bony King of Nowhere - Everybody Knows (Official Video) undayrecords

[@flynomadic999]

You get what you pay for.

[@koyumatchatea8160]

Brandon can't buy the third house. He'll have neck problems from ducking his head constantly when going room to room. Doors too low.

[@speaksthis]

If not a structural beam, easy to remedy.

[@ricardorodriguesrr18]

i'm just curious to understand a single guy would need such a big place to live lol or maybe hes not single and have a big family

[@2Cranks1bike]

because Americans.

[@SpecialK6910]

Keep Japan Japanese

[@user-hy2bq2nn9h]

Mister Brandon Sama will not thrive

[@speaksthis]

The last viewing of the ¥42.8m. home took place approx. two months ago, no? What's the delay in informing us of the outcome? Seems like it could have been tagged on at the end of this video. I know I write a lot, but I do so because I analyze in detail ("Which one of these houses we looked at would you buy and why? Leave a comment!). Some thoughts: 1) What is the obsession with distance to Tokyo Station? If you are 1 hour or 1.25 hours out, your "out"; so my "why" is "it matters very little"; 2) The buyer appears to be a single occupant, therefore any of the three houses was more than sufficient in living space; 3) While the most expensive place is nicer inside, outside is a "concrete jungle," which isn't appealing to me, personally; 4) With approx. a ¥23m. difference in price between the cheapest and most expensive place, that is a lot of ¥ to work with - like several other similar (to the least expensive of the three) property purchases which could generate a decent amount of rental income, potentially. I like the cheapest place most, although all three of the structures themselves were "nice". The frills are just frills in regard to the ¥42.8m. place. For me, since there is virtually no possibility of future profit generated off of a sale of that place, the "frills" aren't worth the expense. All the best and thanks for this video.

[@SmartYouTubification]

Heya, buyer of the house here. I work online/from home, but have hobbies that would bring me into Tokyo multiple times per week (Magic the Gathering, music, language exchange), as well as friends in the area, so some proximity to Tokyo is nice and practical for me, but in general I'm a stay at home guy. The difference between an hour or so to meet up with a friend, and two hours really starts to add up as 4 hours round trip vs 2 hours round trip is quite a big difference when planning the day. Also there will be 2 occupants in the house to start. As far as the concrete jungle feel, I've already thought about how I'd change some of that up in the coming years, especially if I'm able to buy/rent any of the surrounding land that is designated as farmland. That kind of gate and concrete wall seemed to be a status symbol of yore that doesn't interest me much tbh. I'd rather have trees/shrubbery instead and will probably shift to that route over time. Definitely not buying my first place in Japan to generate any kind of profit. Just looking for a place I actually want to spend time in and around, and if I end up hating it, it doesn't feel impossible to at least rent it out down the line (even if it isn't rented out profitably relative to my "investment"). We were able to talk down the seller a bit in price too, and Shu and I will probably follow up with another video in the future!

[@speaksthis]

@@SmartYouTubification -- THANKS for replying. I hope all is well with you. I work online/from home, but have hobbies that would bring me into Tokyo multiple times per week (Magic the Gathering, music, language exchange), as well as friends in the area, so some proximity to Tokyo is nice and practical for me - so not a big issue, that traveling distance a couple times per week. Rural peace. But in general I'm a stay at home guy. - Me too. The difference between an hour or so to meet up with a friend, and two hours really starts to add up as 4 hours round trip vs 2 hours round trip is quite a big difference when planning the day. - Your choice. Just my opinion that ¥23m. is a lot of extra to pay for 4 extra hours over a week's time. As far as the concrete jungle feel, I've already thought about how I'd change some of that up in the coming years, especially if I'm able to buy/rent any of the surrounding land that is designated as farmland. That kind of gate and concrete wall seemed to be a status symbol of yore that doesn't interest me much tbh. I'd rather have trees/shrubbery instead and will probably shift to that route over time. - Me too. Good luck figuring it out and doing the changes to make it look like "Green Lake" ;) Definitely not buying my first place in Japan to generate any kind of profit. Just looking for a place I actually want to spend time in and around, and if I end up hating it, it doesn't feel impossible to at least rent it out down the line - My point there was that the diff. in ¥ price would, if taken, generate cash that could be used to your benefit if you can be happy in the "Akyia" place in the video. Even if it isn't rented out profitably relative to my "investment"). We were able to talk down the seller a bit in price too, and Shu and I will probably follow up with another video in the future! Nice to talked it down. Your choices here, of course. All the best with the new place.

[@8-bit-g]

@@SmartYouTubification what kind of visa are you living in japan on?

[@zhen9907]

Too expansive ...

[@billyredrock4125]

Great video! This is not a criticism of you , but just a note though for those visiting Japan. Don’t stay at APA hotels (we one multiple times in the vid). That popular hotel chain was started and is own by a right-wing wacko who claims (in books he has in the rooms of his hotel) that war crimes like the Nanjing massacre and forced prostitution of Korean were made up by those countries. Again, definitely not a criticism of your vids-just a heads up for those visiting the amazing country of Japan.

[@nippononna]

Does speaking the truth make you "right-wing"? First of all, can you provide evidence (not testimony...) that the Nanjing Massacre happened? And regarding Korean comfort women, watch this video (with English subtitles) titled "Korean = Chicken? What Korean Men Were Doing if Comfort Women Were Abducted?" and can you refute it?

[@aoiumi6393]

Korean comfort women were people who gathered in response to recruitment. Some women may have been sold by their families. Japan outsourced the recruitment of comfort women to Korean organizations. There is no evidence that Japanese people or the Japanese military abducted Korean women. More than 90% of the comfort women for the Japanese military during the war were Japanese women. After the war, Japan paid a large amount of money as economic cooperation at the request of the Korean government according to the Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea, and economic cooperation funds were supposed to be paid from that to the Korean people, but the Korean government did not do so. The Nanjing Massacre is a propaganda that the Chinese Communist Party started to spread a long time after the war. The population of Nanjing increased the year after the Nanjing Massacre took place. The Japanese government offered to conduct a joint investigation with the Chinese Communist Party twice, but the Chinese Communist Party refused to cooperate and fled.

[@billyredrock4125]

@@aoiumi6393 , there is overwhelming evidence of both forced enslavement of women during the war and of the Nanjing massacre. The Japanese military had a history in China of extensive rape, so the military (this is documented in official records) set up ‘comfort stations’. It is correct that many Japanese women did this. It is also documented that many of those did not do so by choice. For anyone who cares to read it, Wikipedia has a very good source that includes many scholarly citations. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comfort_women Nobody likes to think that their country did horrifying things but we must admit that such things occur. As someone from the U.S., I too have to admit that my country has done horrifying things. I would never stay in a U.S. chain, for example, if their founder wrote a book left in all rooms claiming that the U.S. never intentionally bombed civilian populations in Japan or (closer to home) never destroyed Native American groups. The problem is when we fail to confront our history and learn from these past crimes.

[@takanochannel]

You may not know this, but the Nanjing Massacre was only recorded in Chinese history textbooks in the 1978 edition, and before that, Chinese people were unaware of such an event. This was testified by a Chinese person in his 50s. When the Japanese army arrived in Nanjing, the number of Chinese civilians was about 200,000. This is consistent with all records (both Westerners and the Chinese Nationalists who were there). The Chinese Communist Party claims that "over the next two months, the Japanese army massacred more than 300,000 civilians," but no records show that the number of Chinese civilians has decreased. Many personal crimes committed by Japanese soldiers have been witnessed, but on the other hand, civilians testify that "the Japanese military police were cracking down on those crimes." The 20 Westerners who were in the middle of Nanjing were free to go anywhere, but all they witnessed and recorded were "personal crimes," and not a single Westerner testified that they saw a "large-scale massacre." Today, the Chinese Communist Party, Iris Chang, other Chinese people, the Western media that buys off their claims, and people like you firmly believe that "the Japanese military massacred more than 300,000 civilians." However, this is most likely an exaggeration of the actual number of casualties by a factor of 100. Even the German John Rabe, who recorded the most detailed account, puts the number of casualties at "about 50,000," and this figure includes the large number of Chinese soldiers who died in Nanjing fighting the Japanese Army.

[@takanochannel]

I should also add that Mao Zedong never once uttered the words "Nanjing Massacre" in his life. Even Chinese scholars reluctantly admit this. Mao Zedong was the "leader of the wartime anti-Japanese movement," but he seems to have been less interested in Nanjing than you. Furthermore, regarding the issue of Korean comfort women, there are two key documents on the matter: the "US military report" and the "diary of a Korean merchant." This diary is a detailed record left by a Korean merchant who collected Korean women and did business with the Japanese military. These two documents describe Korean comfort women as "prostitutes who made a lot of money." Now that's bad. According to your definition, they are also "Japanese right-wingers." First of all, of the 20,000 comfort women during the war, 3,000 were Koreans and the rest were Japanese. In other words, 80% of comfort women were Japanese women. Even Western historians are unaware of such a simple fact. A common trick is to confuse "individual crimes of individual or groups of Japanese soldiers" with the work of the Japanese military as a whole. For example, there is the case of Dutch women in Indonesia who were forced into prostitution. The Japanese military command at the time deemed this to be "illegal" and arrested and punished the Japanese soldiers who carried it out! However, what is puzzling is that the Western media reports on the first half of this case but ignores the second half. "Kim, the brave Korean comfort woman who first came forward" initially testified that she was "sold by her parents," but when the uproar began, she began saying that she was "kidnapped by the Japanese military." You probably don't know this at all, but at present, a dozen or so Korean historians claim the following: "There is no evidence that the Japanese military kidnapped Korean women (because Koreans were Japanese at the time). No one has witnessed or recorded such a scene, including in the personal diaries of Koreans at the time." "Some Korean prostitutes were merchants who recruited women through illegal means." "The group that forced elderly women to testify that they had been kidnapped is related to North Korea and a communist group." You may not know this, but North Korea has announced that "the Japanese military made 200,000 Korean women sex slaves," while officially announcing that "the US military made 1 million Korean women sex slaves." As usual, NTY and others report the statements about the Japanese military as "true," but completely ignore the statements about the US military. Finally, I would like to add that Western historians and journalists are not as fair or professional in history as you believe them to be.

[@stupedcraig]

#3 all the way. all that land, close to train, decent inside, haunted discount.