Latest Posts
Kominka Renovation Costs in Japan
A buyer-focused look at kominka, akiya, and old house sales in Japan, including the renovation questions to ask before falling in love with the beams.
Akiya: The Real Story Behind Japan's Vacant Houses
A zero-yen asking price still needs a budget. Four checks for a cheap Japanese house, the documents to request, and current listings you can browse without an account.
Can You Use SUUMO in English? Options for Foreign Buyers (2026)
No. SUUMO, at home and LIFULL HOME'S search only in Japanese. What browser translation misses on a real listing, and how to search Japanese houses in English.
Akiya Japan vs Real Estate Japan vs Buy Houses Japan (2026)
Akiya Japan, Real Estate Japan or Buy Houses Japan? Prices, coverage, alerts and languages of three English sites for houses in Japan, checked on 17 October 2026.
New House Listing Alerts in Japan: A Saved Search From Abroad
Get an email when a house in Japan that matches your area and budget is listed. A worked Nagano example, free and paid alert options, and what alerts miss.
Japan Court Auction Houses: How Foreigners Can Bid (2026)
Almost anyone can bid at a Japanese court auction, whatever their nationality. How BIT works, the 20% deposit, the payment deadline, loans, occupants and costs.
Buying a House in Shikoku: Cheap Houses, Typhoons and the Nankai Trough (2026)
Tokushima, Kagawa, Ehime and Kochi compared for foreign buyers: 1,242 live houses, some of Japan's lowest median asking prices, the highest vacancy rates, and the typhoon and Nankai Trough checks to run first.
Buying a House in Chugoku: Sea of Japan or Inland Sea? (2026)
Tottori, Shimane, Okayama, Hiroshima and Yamaguchi compared for foreign buyers: 2,879 live houses, median asking prices, the oldest housing stock in Japan, landslide zones and a coast-by-coast checklist.
Buying a House in Okinawa: Concrete, Typhoons and Island Logistics (2026)
Why Okinawa houses cost almost three times the national median, how the main island differs from Miyako, Ishigaki and the smaller islands, and what to inspect in a concrete house exposed to salt and typhoons.
Buying a House in Tohoku: Six Prefectures, Snow and Prices (2026)
How the 1,943 houses for sale across Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Akita, Yamagata and Fukushima differ in price, age, snow and hazards, with a winter-first checklist for foreign buyers.
Buying a House in Chubu: Snow Country, the Alps and the Pacific Coast (2026)
Nine prefectures, three climates. Live house counts, median asking prices, snow, altitude and earthquake checks for Niigata, Hokuriku, the Alps, Shizuoka and Aichi.
Is There a Zillow for Japan? Where to Find Houses for Sale
Zillow does not list houses in Japan. What to use instead (SUUMO, HOME'S, at home, akiya banks) and how to search listings in English by area and price.
Japanese Real Estate Websites: SUUMO, HOME'S, Akiya Banks
Which Japanese real estate websites to use: SUUMO, LIFULL HOME'S and at home for volume, akiya banks for vacant homes, and English search for overseas buyers.
Mokomoko vs Buy Houses Japan: Akiya Mart Fees and Houses (2026)
Mokomoko, formerly Akiya Mart, charges US$15 to US$30 a month for its map and US$5,025 for purchase help. Compare fees, houses and who each service suits.
Japan House Prices by Prefecture (October 2026)
Median asking prices for 24,442 detached houses for sale across all 47 prefectures, checked on 6 October 2026. See where houses cost least, where they cost most, and why building age explains much of the gap.
What ¥5 Million Buys in Japan: 3,272 Houses Under ¥5 Million (October 2026)
3,272 of the 24,409 detached houses we verified for sale on 6 October 2026 asked under ¥5 million (about US$32,000). What they have in common: size, age, layout, location, and the costs that come on top of the price.
LIFULL HOME'S Akiya Bank vs Buy Houses Japan (2026)
LIFULL HOME'S Akiya Bank lists municipal vacant houses for sale and rent, in Japanese. Compare what it covers, how akiya bank purchases work and when Buy Houses Japan is the faster place to start.
Fukuoka House Prices: 1,108 Houses for Sale by City and Ward (October 2026)
The median asking price of a detached house in Fukuoka prefecture was ¥25.0 million on 6 October 2026, across 1,108 houses. Prices by city, town and ward, from ¥46 million in Fukuoka City to under ¥6 million in Omuta.
Japan’s 47 Prefectures for House Buyers: Places, Local Life and What to Check
Compare all 47 prefectures with specific towns, cultural and outdoor highlights, and practical checks for choosing a home base.
An Old Extension on a Japanese House: Build a Record of What Changed
A document-request checklist for houses whose current rooms do not match the oldest plan.
Reading a Japanese Floor Plan: Test a Normal Day, Not Just the LDK
Use furniture, movement and access questions to turn a Japanese floor plan into a viewing brief.
House Handover in Japan: Prepare a Record for Keys, Meters and Open Items
A practical handover worksheet to agree with your agent before the day you receive a house.
How to Choose Japanese Property Websites as an Overseas Buyer
A practical guide to Japanese property websites, useful search terms, overseas purchase planning, and the checks to make before viewing a house.
Leaving a House Empty in Japan: Write the Management Plan First
Define visits, evidence, emergency authority and utility arrangements before buying a house you will use only part of the year.
How to Brief a Video Viewing of a Japanese House
A room-by-room remote viewing plan that records what was shown, what remains unknown and what requires an independent inspection.
A 10-Minute Walk to the Station? Check the Whole Commute
Understand Japanese listing walking times and test the route, station entrance and train service before choosing a home.
Rural Japan Internet: Check the House Before Buying
Verify address-level internet availability, installation conditions and a tested backup before choosing a rural home for remote work.
How to Compare Renovation Quotes for a Japanese House
A scope-first checklist for quantities, exclusions, hidden damage and change orders when comparing Japanese renovation estimates.
Japan House Search Websites by Use Case
Compare SUUMO, HOME'S, at home, akiya banks, English sites, and cross-portal search by what each one actually helps a house buyer do.
Private Roads and Rebuilding in Japan: Four Separate Checks
Separate physical access, legal road classification, land rights and the proposed building plan before judging a cheap house.
Home Inspections in Japan: What to Ask the Inspector to Check
Define inspection access, exclusions, reporting and follow-up before paying for an assessment of an older Japanese house.
Japan Real Estate for Sale: How to Find Houses and Homes That Are Actually Available
Looking for houses for sale in Japan? Learn where Japanese property listings appear, how to narrow your search, and what to check before you buy.
Japan House Hazard Maps: Check the Address Before You Visit
A practical way to screen flood, landslide and tsunami maps, save the evidence and ask better questions before viewing a house.
Buying Property in Hokkaido: Three Markets That Have Almost Nothing in Common
Niseko, Sapporo, and rural Hokkaido price differently, sell to different buyers, and cost different amounts to keep warm. Plus the winter running costs nobody budgets for.
Home Insurance in Japan: What Fire Cover Includes and What Earthquake Cover Does Not
Kasai hoken, jishin hoken, and the flood clause people leave off. How earthquake payouts are actually calculated, and why the hazard map belongs in your viewing checklist.
Leasehold Land in Japan: Why That Cheap House Does Not Come With the Ground
Shakuchiken explained. Ground rent, renewal fees, landowner consent, and why banks hesitate. One of the real reasons a listing is priced below everything around it.
Buying an Apartment in Japan: What a Mansion Actually Costs to Own
Management fees, the repair reserve, and the bylaws that decide what you may do with the unit you just bought. The costs that never appear in the asking price.
Buying Property in Japan, Step by Step: From Offer to Keys
The actual sequence of a Japanese property purchase, what happens at each stage, what you sign, what you pay, and where a foreign buyer can still walk away.
Why Is That House in Japan So Cheap? Rebuild Bans, Leasehold Land, and Other Red Flags
Some Japanese houses are cheap because the market is soft. Others have rebuild restrictions, leasehold land or unresolved title. Learn which documents and local confirmations to request before you pay.
Cheap Houses Near Tokyo: Where Chiba, Saitama, Ibaraki and Gunma Make Sense
You do not have to move to deep countryside to buy cheap in Japan. A realistic tour of the affordable edges of the Kanto region: what US$19,481 to US$64,935 (¥3-10 million) buys within reach of Tokyo, and the trade-offs by prefecture.
Akiya Renovation Subsidies in Japan: The Grants Buyers Keep Missing
Many Japanese municipalities will pay part of your akiya renovation, sometimes over US$6,494 (¥1,000,000). How the subsidy system works, who qualifies, and how to check a town's program before you buy.
Tanabata and Japan's Summer Festival Season: What July Feels Like When You Own a Home Here
July is the height of Japan's matsuri season, from Tanabata wishes on bamboo to Kyoto's Gion Matsuri and Osaka's Tenjin Matsuri. What the summer festival calendar looks like, and why it matters when the house is yours.
Cheap Houses in Kyushu: Miyazaki and Kagoshima
Southern Kyushu combines Japan's mildest climate with some of its most affordable detached houses. What the market looks like in Miyazaki and Kagoshima, and what to watch for.
The Annual Cost of Owning a House in Japan (Even When You Are Not There)
Fixed asset tax, insurance, septic servicing, standby utilities, and vacant house management. What a Japanese house costs per year, and the tax penalty for letting it rot.
Does Buying a House in Japan Give You Residency or a Visa?
No. Japan has no golden visa, and a house gives no visa or residency. How long owners can stay, and the visas buyers actually use alongside a purchase.
How to Buy a House in Japan From Overseas: A Remote Purchase Playbook
Foreigners can own Japanese property outright without living in Japan. Here is the realistic remote process, from shortlist to key handover, including power of attorney and money transfer.
Earthquake Standards for Old Japanese Houses: What 1981 Means for Buyers
Why June 1981 is the most important date in any Japanese listing, how to check which seismic standard a house was built under, and what a retrofit really costs.
Akiya House Sales in Japan: How to Search Without Chasing Myths
A practical guide to searching akiya and house sales in Japan without confusing cheap listings, vacant homes, and renovation projects.
Cheap Houses in Japan: The Total Cost Behind the Listing Price
Cheap houses in Japan can be real, but the purchase price is only one line item. Learn what to include before comparing akiya and house sales.
Osaka House Sales for Foreign Buyers: What to Filter First
A practical search guide for foreign buyers comparing Osaka house sales, condos, old homes, and investment properties.
Airbnb, Minpaku, and Japan House Sales: What Buyers Should Know
How to think about Airbnb and minpaku intent when searching Japan house sales, especially around Osaka, Kyoto, tourism zones, and akiya renovation.
Five Things That Surprise Foreign Buyers in Japan
Cash offers, setback rules, road frontage, the 重要事項説明 ritual, and why renovation isn't always your call.
Foreign Buyer's Mortgage and Tax Primer for Japan
A short, factual primer on what financing and taxes actually look like when a foreign buyer purchases real estate in Japan.
Why Japanese Homes Depreciate, and Where That Breaks Down
Wood houses are written off in 22 years and concrete in 47, but the depreciation curve no longer applies everywhere.
Japan Home Viewing Checklist
A practical checklist for buyers preparing to view homes in Japan and compare listings with confidence.
Understanding Japanese Property Terms
Decode Japanese property listings: floor plans, ownership, building structure, road access and zoning terms, with questions to check before choosing a home.
Welcome to Buy Houses Japan Blog
Why we built an AI-first property search for Japan and what this blog will cover.
Osaka Home Search Checklist
A practical checklist to avoid zero-result searches and find matching listings faster.