- 14 Mar 2002
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If you have ever dreamt of owning property in Japan, now is your time: with 8.5 million empty homes (空き家 akiya), some prefectures give them away for free and even offer renovation subsidies. So why not work from home in the Japanese countryside?
The report found 13.6% of Japan's 62.42 million homes were unoccupied. This was particularly pronounced in the prefectures of Wakayama, Tokushima, Kagoshima, and Kochi, all of which recorded home vacancy rates over 18%. [...] Cities like Tochigi and Nagano have "akiya banks." These websites, which are developed by the city or municipal governments, list abandoned homes. Some of them are available for as little as 50,000 yen ($455). The town of Okutama in western Tokyo even hands over aging and vacant buildings for free, per Nikkei. Some new residents have found creative ways to repurpose them, turning them into workshops and eateries.
There are more than 8 million empty homes in rural Japan, and local governments are selling them for as little as $500 in a bid to lure residents
In Japan, local authorities are giving away renovation subsidies to incentivize people to move into the country's rural areas.
news.yahoo.com
A Guide to Akiya: Vacant Houses in the Japanese Countryside for a Steal | Tokyo Cheapo
Interested in a cheap home in the Japanese countryside? Here's a look at akiya (abandoned houses), how to get one and how much they
tokyocheapo.com