Buying Akiya homes in Japan. Just because it’s cheap doesn’t mean it’s good.

Buying Akiya homes in Japan. Just because it’s cheap doesn’t mean it’s good.

Yes, I really do have that interest to one day buy one such unit

I love traveling and I love traveling to Japan a lot more than many other countries. In January this year, I went to Fukuoka and Nagasaki with my wife. Next month, January 2026, I will be traveling to Nagoya and Kyoto. The currency definitely helps. Ringgit is stronger than Yen. Yes, I have been saying this for a very long time but only recently people suddenly realize Ringgit is much stronger than Yen. Whatever lah. Now, what is Akiya?

Briefly, Akiya are abandoned homes in Japan. Why abandoned? Well, many reasons but one prime reason is aging population. Smaller towns are no longer able to function properly because the population growth is no longer happening. Thus, when the owner has passed away, the home would eventually be abandoned in the future. Without someone to take care of the home, it will soon become an akiya. The price to buy one would be low by any standard. Yes, even versus property price in Malaysia, these akiyas could be cheaper!

Just because it’s cheap doesn’t mean it’s good

However, buying one is not just paying the selling price and move in just like that. It has to include also many other costs such as renovation… maintenance and upkeep and also usually some council related payments too. In a country where the population is old, finding someone to renovate will not just be hard but will also be very expensive too. Plus this is one country where we could not simply dump things somewhere… Please do not do so because chances are you will soon be caught. Now, what are some of the costs associated with buying an akita?

Here’s one such article in domain.com.au Tucked away in Japan’s countryside, millions of abandoned homes – known as akiya – sit empty, waiting for a second life.

With property prices often shockingly low, these forgotten houses have become unexpected opportunities for foreigners willing to take on a renovation challenge. Rural homes can be found for as little as $10,000, but many require costly renovations.

Christie suggests budgeting between ¥20 million and ¥30 million ($207,000 and $311,000) for a solid home in a rural or semi-rural location. Kitchen and bathroom upgrades alone cost around ¥1.5 million ($15,500). Article in domain.com.au

What are some of the available resources?

I found a few informational ones as follows:

This one says it has over 170k + listings under USD100,000. Yes, less than RM410,000. Cheaper than buying a condominium. Looking at the image, USD60,000 really do look tempting! Haha. GO and browse their sites for more choices.

Choices look aplenty and pictures look good.

I do not have experience and does not think I will buy one soon

Interest is high. High enough that I told my wife. However, nothing beyond that unless the children has graduated from university and started working. By then, my wife and I will have more time and we can then look for dates where the flight tickets are the cheapest and we can then travel to Japan even more often and stay there a little longer. Before we buy, we need to know if we truly can stay there, get used to the situation etc. Going as tourist could be very different to stay there as a resident. We will see. If you have experience, please do share with me too. Thank you.

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