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!
Thanks for your questions - glad to hear this was helpful. Valuation: this was calculated by an appraiser. Apparently, there are three ways to approach the appraised value. Similar to the US. Inspection: if it's done a property company, yes, it's inclusive. Renovation: It's the latter. There are different codes that you need to comply but I don't think there are requirements with the timeline. Hope this helps!
@@shumatsuopost thank you very much for your detailed and kind response pal; absolutely, it has been most helpful, I’ll Keep it handy for future references. Looking forward to seeing the next video!
This is insane. Never thought I'd see an investor on TH-cam 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. ✌😉
Aloha Ji F! Thank you for your kind words. I LOVE Kyushu. If I were to retire in Japan, I would retire there. Probably Fukuoka or Miyazaki. Hawai'i sounds pretty awesome but it's super remote and expensive... Good luck with your move! If you need help with finding a home here, let me know.
Shikoku is going to be crazy cheap as depopulation is hitting that area very hard. Sadly I've only been across Seto Ohashi from Okayama where my mom hails from, but there sure are some beautiful areas there as is there are in Kyushu. I agree with Shu, I really like Miyazaki!!!
@@yamoinca2 What area of Kyushu? I love Izu personally and have had my eye on that part of Japan, but having done a 2-week motorcycle tour of the lower part of Kyushu, I liked a lot of it w/ Miyazaki being my favorite prefecture there.
"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.
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 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.
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 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.
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'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!
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
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!
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.
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.
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...
That's great to hear. Thank you for your kind words. We offer service to help foreigners buy a cheap house in Japan. Here is the link to a free guide :) stan.store/shumatsuopost
@@shumatsuopost the steps are pretty loud and clear! The next step is to strike a deal by viewing the properties ! I have to wait until the golden week is over before I can do that though. :)
@@shumatsuopost sure do! By the way what's the typical turnaround time from striking a deal to handover? I can't really find much information about that actually. And it seems very much depending on the seller and agents who helping to seal the deal
Thank you for your honesty in the reasons why you would get an akiya and how it isn’t a good investment in the literal wealth sense. I invest real estate in the US, but more and more I’m seeing new home buyers being priced out. But if you can get a home, the fact that homes generally appreciate in value is huge. Being able to afford buying an akiya is wonderful but it’s definitely a long term commitment to eventually living in Japan
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!
Thanks for posting and sharing your knowledge on the real estate market in Japan. I do some investing in the US and am just beginning to learn about it in Japan.
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.
I am highly impressed over your frankness . Very informative . And you are excellent with your English language ability . As a lot of my friends are having their own houses around T Tokyo , I am lucky , I need not bother over this. But It's a chance for affordable people who are willing to lead a calm life in japan.
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
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 🙏🏾😊
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!
My wife and I are looking to buy an Akita to move in to and live in, we've been watching your videos and have fallen in love with many of them that you have shown. ... Our goal is to buy one to live in and possibly a second to make a monthly rental to pay for the yearly taxes. . Essentially retire and explore Japan
Thanks for this video! I haven't been to Japan yet. Id love an Akiya in a beautiful rural area but not sure which area exactly. Could you suggest some locations? I'm also going to film a movie featuring beautiful Japanese culture and traditions.
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.
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?
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.
@@ChimpoLust True. Some years ago there were some revisions made to help with easing the eviction of vexatious tenants but the Law still sides with the tenant in most cases.
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.
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
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?
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.
Thanks for the great video! My question would be about building codes and regulations. I'm a carpenter in America and have built countless homes from the ground up. I'd love to move to Japan realistically before I'm 45. Money is no issue, but I don't know if I'm allowed to renovate as I wish or if I need permits like here.
Thanks for watching! There are codes and regulations. I know a couple of foreign nationals who renovate houses in Japan so I'm sure a lot of the skills you have a transferrable here.
@@Big-Wonka I think you should rent an old home in the area you want to buy in to better understand how much daily work it is to live in an older Japanese home. Many Japanese prefer apartments because apartment living is so comfortable and easy compared to old house living.
@@happycook6737 I understand all of the drawbacks of an older home. I currently live in a 200 year old home. But I know what you're saying. I just love the architecture and don't mind renovating it to add insulation, new windows, ac, heat, etc
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?
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 !
Didn't Charlie Mung and Warren Buff invent the strategy of buying/investing when the market is low and also buying/investing when the market is high? As Warren Buffet said, he has seen this happen many times in his life. Not an investor. My wife and i never earned more than a middle class salary. We plan to get retired at 58 with a stock portfolio worth $4M. We have never sold so much as one share of stock......
It really isn’t about how much you save, it’s about how you manage your money. Whether you work to earn income or invest, it still boils down to income vs expenses, so yeah you may look into financial advisors for a strategy that suits your timing..
The adviser I'm in touch with is 'ROCH DUNGCA-SCHREIBER* , SHE works with Merrill, Pierce, incorporated and interviewed on CNBC Television. You can use something else. for me his strategy works hence my result. he provides entry and exit point for the securities I focus on.
4:39 I think that’s with any country. There are people who came here in USA, lived all their lives or decades and still don’t know English. Don’t really know American social norms. So it’s not out of the norm with japan.
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)
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.
Hello. I have a couple of questions about buying a house in Japan. Is it necessary to have a resident visa or is a tourist visa enough to live for the time that a tourist visa allows? How do I pay bills if I don't have a bank card in Japan? How much do your services cost to buy an Akiya?
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?
Few points you missed to tell us for non-residents foreigners. Home insurance is a must? When house isn't used for several months or few years, electricity bills are keep printed as service fee or any?
If you use 0KWH you still pay a bill if you don't shutoff service. It's not much ~$10 /month or so. If you have the house closed up and aircon off expect it to be full of mold when you return.
Perhaps you should add those looking to retire for the list of those who should not buy an Akiya. Without extensive renovations, the heat of summer and cold of winter may be too much for the elderly.
That's a good point - unless those elderly retires have the funds and willingness to pay for the renovations or the person is an early retiree or someone who's willing to go through the heat of summer and the cold of winter ;) #FIRE
I found a house that is only 20 years old for 280 man yen on the website "at home". It is a nice looking house. The only problem is it's in a small countryside town. It is about 11 mins from the train station and the next stop on the train line is a major tourist town called Yufuin. If I bought it then it would be as a guest house. But I doubt I would get so many guests. It is hard to see such a bargain and not take advantage of it.
Yeah, it's definitely possible to buy something really cheap in the middle of nowhere. But if it's just for you, it might be a great deal. Did you end up buying the place?
No. There was no point really as I'm looking for either a place to rent out or a place to live that has farmland nearby. It's hard though to see a house in really good condition, going for an extremely cheap price and not to buy it lol. All the best, Gareth.@@shumatsuopost
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.
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?
Some of teh Akiyas really aren't in too bad shape. Some of the houses in USA sell for half a mil and they are an absolute wreck! One I am purchasing only thing I need to do is get a new water heater and patch roof a little bit.
I'm really curious about these homes as I am looking for a 2nd vacation home. I like that they are often in the countryside as it would be more relaxed. Even with $100k in renovation and upgrades it would be a great deal compared to here in Florida. I don't care about investing. I just want a place to live for a few months at a time. Can you rent it out the rest of the time?
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. 😀
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.
Great video I'm thinking on moving to Japan in the next 2 years, I do got a serious question do some of those buildings can be haunted and if a death happened in those houses can the realtor mention it?
Genuine question, I have to ask since I am concidering buying a house in Kyoto sooner or later. When you buy these houses, aren't you worried about "the big quake"? If so, how have you prepared yourself for it economically? Is that something you account for or.. just hope it won't happen in our lifetime (again)?
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.
Hello, I subscribed to your channel as soon as I saw the video. I am currently trying to buy a house in Japan and I see that there are quite a few difficulties. I have Japanese friends who are helping me, but I need to find a good real estate lawyer and then deal with the visa process. I would greatly appreciate any advice or assistance you can provide. Is like my life project
Thanks for watching. We offer services to help foreigners purchase properties in Japan (we won't let our clients buy bad deals). You can apply here: forms.gle/qHVJ4e7ChajGFNAQ6
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!
Thanks for your questions - glad to hear this was helpful.
Valuation: this was calculated by an appraiser. Apparently, there are three ways to approach the appraised value. Similar to the US.
Inspection: if it's done a property company, yes, it's inclusive.
Renovation: It's the latter. There are different codes that you need to comply but I don't think there are requirements with the timeline.
Hope this helps!
@@shumatsuopost thank you very much for your detailed and kind response pal; absolutely, it has been most helpful, I’ll
Keep it handy for future references. Looking forward to seeing the next video!
@@hardstylelife5749 Absolutely. Stay tuned!
My dream😊
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.
That means a lot to me - thank you for your comment!
Hello @ahthisisgood do you have an email I can reach out to? I would like to ask some tips.
This is insane. Never thought I'd see an investor on TH-cam 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
Appreciate your kind words! Glad to hear it was helpful.
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. ✌😉
Aloha Ji F! Thank you for your kind words. I LOVE Kyushu. If I were to retire in Japan, I would retire there. Probably Fukuoka or Miyazaki. Hawai'i sounds pretty awesome but it's super remote and expensive... Good luck with your move! If you need help with finding a home here, let me know.
I just visited Japan and ended up putting an intent to buy on a home in Kyushu close to beach. Still in process. It this is my retirement dream.
Choose Shikoku.
Shikoku is going to be crazy cheap as depopulation is hitting that area very hard. Sadly I've only been across Seto Ohashi from Okayama where my mom hails from, but there sure are some beautiful areas there as is there are in Kyushu. I agree with Shu, I really like Miyazaki!!!
@@yamoinca2 What area of Kyushu? I love Izu personally and have had my eye on that part of Japan, but having done a 2-week motorcycle tour of the lower part of Kyushu, I liked a lot of it w/ Miyazaki being my favorite prefecture there.
"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.
Thanks, will do!
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 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.
Glad it was helpful!
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!
Appreciate the feedback!
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.
That's amazing! Thanks for sharing!
What part of Japan, if you don't mind the question, is your wife from? My mom's Japanese and lived in Tokyo 20+ years total.
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.
Are you into reading rather than watching? Here is the PDF version: stan.store/shumatsuopost
subbed + 👍🏼 + downloaded … thanks arigato gozaimasu 🙏🏼☺️
I like the way he starts the conversation. He is telling the truth. Due to this I would trust him.
Happy to hear that! Thanks for watching!
@@shumatsuopostI was in Japan and you are saying what my friend in Kofu City told me.
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!
Thanks for watching and appreciate your kind words! Stay tuned - there will be more :)
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
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!
Good idea. Thanks!
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.
Coming from tiktok, thank you for the informative video! New subscriber ❤ Wishing your channel many blessings
Thanks for watching and for your support!
This video is thorough, informative and super helpful. It is much appreciated. Arigato!
Glad it was helpful!
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.
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...
That's great to hear. Thank you for your kind words. We offer service to help foreigners buy a cheap house in Japan. Here is the link to a free guide :) stan.store/shumatsuopost
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
Will do - thanks for watching!
U will have a visa problem unless u marry a Japanese woman
just at the right time! I was browsing through the website yesterday and now I get to watch your content
Thanks for watching! What did you think of the steps - were they helpful? What do you want to know more?
@@shumatsuopost the steps are pretty loud and clear! The next step is to strike a deal by viewing the properties ! I have to wait until the golden week is over before I can do that though. :)
@@aerickwander Awesome to hear. Good luck with finding deals! Let me know how it goes :)
@@shumatsuopost sure do! By the way what's the typical turnaround time from striking a deal to handover? I can't really find much information about that actually. And it seems very much depending on the seller and agents who helping to seal the deal
Thank you for your honesty in the reasons why you would get an akiya and how it isn’t a good investment in the literal wealth sense. I invest real estate in the US, but more and more I’m seeing new home buyers being priced out. But if you can get a home, the fact that homes generally appreciate in value is huge. Being able to afford buying an akiya is wonderful but it’s definitely a long term commitment to eventually living in Japan
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!
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for posting and sharing your knowledge on the real estate market in Japan. I do some investing in the US and am just beginning to learn about it in Japan.
Best of luck!
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!
Glad you enjoyed it!
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.
That's a huge compliment - thank you so much :) You'll probably enjoy our course more. You get $100 off with a coupon code "100OFF" :)
I am highly impressed over your frankness .
Very informative . And you are excellent with your English language ability . As a lot of my friends are having their own houses around T Tokyo , I am lucky , I need not bother over this. But It's a chance for affordable people who are willing to lead a calm life in japan.
Thank you! 😃
Very informative. Thank you for all of your hard work in making this content.
Thanks for watching! More to come on this topic :)
Incredibly helpful, thank you for putting this together 🙏
You're welcome :)
Very helpful information. I am still on the fence as I live in Japan as a SOFA status resident. Probably best for me to own a condo, if anything.
Thanks 4 GREAT reportage! Appreciated!!
Glad you enjoyed 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
Because Japan likes to stay Japan, unlike Londistan or Commiefornia
@@raspucin70 so why invite for getting a home if you don’t want foreigners. Makes no sense
@@themothers Japan is not inviting anyone. There is reason why it’s so nice and safe country. No stupid immigrants
@@themotherscry
I think the idea truly scares Japan but would make it easier for foreigners to solve the Akiya problem.
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 🙏🏾😊
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!
Glad I could help!
Wow, expert explanation. Answered many of my questions. Thank you!
Great to hear!
My wife and I are looking to buy an Akita to move in to and live in, we've been watching your videos and have fallen in love with many of them that you have shown. ... Our goal is to buy one to live in and possibly a second to make a monthly rental to pay for the yearly taxes. . Essentially retire and explore Japan
Love to hear that! Best of luck on your journey!
Watch the wiring in the older homes.
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?
Glad to hear this was helpful. Yes, it is. That's actually what usually happens as most people here love to live in a new home.
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 watching! Feel free to reach out if you need help buying a house in Japan when you move here.
@@shumatsuopost I will for sure.
Thanks sr you are an authority on this subject
Thanks for this video! I haven't been to Japan yet. Id love an Akiya in a beautiful rural area but not sure which area exactly. Could you suggest some locations? I'm also going to film a movie featuring beautiful Japanese culture and traditions.
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.
Love your content! Very informative. Appreciate you sharing with us!
I appreciate that!
you're a very interesting source of knowledge, Shu.
Thank you.
Appreciate your comment. Thanks for watching.
Yes I’m looking to buy one. I live in Japan , have for decades, teenage children here.
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 watching! Not yet :)
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.
yes very true! good post.
Absolutely, it's true! ... if you have the possibility to have neighbors.
also in Japan isn't it extremely hard to evict a renter? it's not like USA where you can just kick someone out if you want.
@@ChimpoLust True. Some years ago there were some revisions made to help with easing the eviction of vexatious tenants but the Law still sides with the tenant in most cases.
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.
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
Thanks for watching! I appreciate the feedback!
Would you be able to talk about urban control vs urban promotion areas and the pros and cons of both?
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?
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.
Hope things would work out well for you!
Thanks for the great video! My question would be about building codes and regulations. I'm a carpenter in America and have built countless homes from the ground up. I'd love to move to Japan realistically before I'm 45. Money is no issue, but I don't know if I'm allowed to renovate as I wish or if I need permits like here.
Thanks for watching! There are codes and regulations. I know a couple of foreign nationals who renovate houses in Japan so I'm sure a lot of the skills you have a transferrable here.
@@shumatsuopost Thanks for the reply! Realistically I'd get an apartment for the first year or so until I settle in. Thanks again. You got a new sub
@@Big-Wonka I think you should rent an old home in the area you want to buy in to better understand how much daily work it is to live in an older Japanese home. Many Japanese prefer apartments because apartment living is so comfortable and easy compared to old house living.
@@happycook6737 I understand all of the drawbacks of an older home. I currently live in a 200 year old home. But I know what you're saying. I just love the architecture and don't mind renovating it to add insulation, new windows, ac, heat, etc
One question: How do you find an intermediary to help with buying/managing an Akita?
We offer such service. You can email me at shu@postfi.co with your criteria and/or fill out this form: forms.gle/9o1cEpbFNyvKoVzn8
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?
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
It's Anton Japan - I think he is a Swedish model/akiya DIYer.
@@shumatsuopost Anton Japan is amazing! Very skilful and carrying his DIY flawlessly. I'm a diyer too but this guy is godly level I would say.
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 !
Great video. Living in the countryside is my dream. Probably never happen but, who knows. 😊
Maybe one day!
Didn't Charlie Mung and Warren Buff invent the strategy of buying/investing when the market is low and also buying/investing when the market is high? As Warren Buffet said, he has seen this happen many times in his life. Not an investor. My wife and i never earned more than a middle class salary. We plan to get retired at 58 with a stock portfolio worth $4M. We have never sold so much as one share of stock......
It really isn’t about how much you save, it’s about how you manage your money. Whether you work to earn income or invest, it still boils down to income vs expenses, so yeah you may look into financial advisors for a strategy that suits your timing..
The adviser I'm in touch with is 'ROCH DUNGCA-SCHREIBER* , SHE works with Merrill, Pierce, incorporated and interviewed on CNBC Television. You can use something else. for me his strategy works hence my result. he provides entry and exit point for the securities I focus on.
I think I’m in a fever dream
4:39 I think that’s with any country. There are people who came here in USA, lived all their lives or decades and still don’t know English. Don’t really know American social norms. So it’s not out of the norm with japan.
That's a good point. Thank you for your insight.
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)
Glad it was helpful!
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!
If you need help when you're ready, let us know!
@@shumatsuopost I am in the process of a career change (and studying Japanese). It might happen sooner than later!
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.
Glad it helped!
Hello. I have a couple of questions about buying a house in Japan. Is it necessary to have a resident visa or is a tourist visa enough to live for the time that a tourist visa allows? How do I pay bills if I don't have a bank card in Japan? How much do your services cost to buy an Akiya?
Thanks Shu
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?
Appreciate it your support. If you buy the land, you own it. If you don't pay taxes, eventually your house will be foreclosed. You can sell it.
this ist he best video on this ive seen so far thank you
Thanks for watching! Appreciate your support.
Few points you missed to tell us for non-residents foreigners. Home insurance is a must? When house isn't used for several months or few years, electricity bills are keep printed as service fee or any?
If you use 0KWH you still pay a bill if you don't shutoff service. It's not much ~$10 /month or so. If you have the house closed up and aircon off expect it to be full of mold when you return.
Do older houses, built before 1981??? have less stringent rules when it comes to earthquake safety
Thanks for the video! Would love to find a Akiya with farm plot. The tax deductions are a great resource.
Thanks for watching! If you need personalized help, fill out this form :) forms.gle/mF4jXXStZuNp8nHC9
Thank You Very Much for Sharing Your Knowledge! 👍👍👍👍👍& Subscribed!!!
Welcome!
Perhaps you should add those looking to retire for the list of those who should not buy an Akiya. Without extensive renovations, the heat of summer and cold of winter may be too much for the elderly.
That's a good point - unless those elderly retires have the funds and willingness to pay for the renovations or the person is an early retiree or someone who's willing to go through the heat of summer and the cold of winter ;) #FIRE
Nothing a kerosene heater and some air conditioning won't solve. That's how the elderly in Japan handle it.
I found a house that is only 20 years old for 280 man yen on the website "at home". It is a nice looking house. The only problem is it's in a small countryside town. It is about 11 mins from the train station and the next stop on the train line is a major tourist town called Yufuin. If I bought it then it would be as a guest house. But I doubt I would get so many guests. It is hard to see such a bargain and not take advantage of it.
Yeah, it's definitely possible to buy something really cheap in the middle of nowhere. But if it's just for you, it might be a great deal. Did you end up buying the place?
No. There was no point really as I'm looking for either a place to rent out or a place to live that has farmland nearby. It's hard though to see a house in really good condition, going for an extremely cheap price and not to buy it lol. All the best, Gareth.@@shumatsuopost
Thank you for video! But what about visas for non citizens?
my dream is to buy a house & lot in Japan.very informative!
Good luck!
Thank you so much for this content, I am learning.
Glad it was helpful!
This is quite informative. Thanks a bunch!
Glad to hear you found it informative. Thanks for watching!
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.
dont do anything until you get your visa sorted.
This is an excellent resource! Thank you for putting it all together. Liked & subbed 😁👍
Thanks for watching! :)
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?
You could just demolish the Akiya and build a new home on the property.
Thanks for this! I am contemplating on having a holiday home in Japan at some point!
Glad to hear you enjoyed it, Christine! If you need help with your holiday home in Japan, let us know :)
@@shumatsuopost most definitely!
Some of teh Akiyas really aren't in too bad shape. Some of the houses in USA sell for half a mil and they are an absolute wreck! One I am purchasing only thing I need to do is get a new water heater and patch roof a little bit.
I'm really curious about these homes as I am looking for a 2nd vacation home. I like that they are often in the countryside as it would be more relaxed. Even with $100k in renovation and upgrades it would be a great deal compared to here in Florida. I don't care about investing. I just want a place to live for a few months at a time. Can you rent it out the rest of the time?
Thank you for sharing your experience 🙏
Thanks for watching!
Probably the best video on the subject, very much appreciated. Hope to collaborate.
Glad you enjoyed it!
This was a very informative video. I'm planning to purchase within 5 years.
Thanks! Be sure to reach out to us - we help foreigners buy akiya :)
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. 😀
Appreciate the feedback! Thanks!
me watching this thinking i can do this knowing damn well i have 20 dollars in my account current
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.
Great video I'm thinking on moving to Japan in the next 2 years, I do got a serious question do some of those buildings can be haunted and if a death happened in those houses can the realtor mention it?
Appreciate it. If it's an unusual death the information will be publicly available.
@@shumatsuopost thank you so much for the information =)
I do not have plans in buying one, but this sure was interesting. Who knows one day I'll do it.
Glad you liked the video!
Thank you so much ❤
You're welcome ;)
Will be great share the legal advisor to get investor visa , or pay taxes if the home is rent, also get Japanese Bank Account
Are you allowed to make changes to the facade/exterior or roof without planning permission or consent?
Genuine question, I have to ask since I am concidering buying a house in Kyoto sooner or later. When you buy these houses, aren't you worried about "the big quake"? If so, how have you prepared yourself for it economically? Is that something you account for or.. just hope it won't happen in our lifetime (again)?
Yes. Japan is known for earthquakes so it's something we all have to accept to live here. The good news is that the whole country is well prepared.
@@shumatsuopost I know that :) But I meant it would be interesting to know about if you have insurances, safetymeasures etc.
Duuuude, thanks heaps for this vid, just subscribed.... cheers to you 🤟
Appreciate it!
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.
Glad I could help!
yes earthquakes are a concern in japan especially getting insurance
Hello, I subscribed to your channel as soon as I saw the video. I am currently trying to buy a house in Japan and I see that there are quite a few difficulties. I have Japanese friends who are helping me, but I need to find a good real estate lawyer and then deal with the visa process. I would greatly appreciate any advice or assistance you can provide.
Is like my life project
Thanks for watching. We offer services to help foreigners purchase properties in Japan (we won't let our clients buy bad deals). You can apply here: forms.gle/qHVJ4e7ChajGFNAQ6
I can have a relative buy it then sell it to me on a contract. I can also trade it for a foreign property without any actual exchange on paper.