Buying an akiya in Japan: the essentials before you filter
An akiya (空き家) is a vacant Japanese house. There are around 9 million of them across the country, from central Kyoto machiya to countryside kominka, and contrary to the “1 euro house” myth, genuinely liveable homes usually sell for $16,000 to $160,000, renovation not included. A foreigner can buy with the same rights as a Japanese citizen, no visa or authorisation required; purchase fees stay at or below 6% of the price. Buying grants no right of residence, and without residency in Japan the purchase is made in cash.
Unlike aggregators that republish dead listings, this catalogue is re-crawled every day: prices and availability are checked at the source, and every property gets an immoJapon score recomputed nightly (price per m² compared with real recorded transactions from Japan’s Ministry of Land (国土交通省) where they cover the area, otherwise with the median of comparable listings we track, then estimated net yield). No score is published when a property’s floor area is unknown, and short-term rental licence feasibility (180-day minpaku or 365-day 旅館業) is derived from each listing’s zoning. To understand every step of the purchase, the full guide is free; to go deeper, read buying an akiya: the 2026 guide and the real cost of a renovation.
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreigner buy an akiya in Japan?
Yes, with the same rights as a Japanese citizen: no prior authorisation, no residency requirement, and you can buy even on a tourist visa. Only a nationality declaration applies since 2026.
How much does a Japanese house really cost?
Liveable akiya in this catalogue mostly sell for $16,000 to $160,000. Add at most 6% in fees, then renovation: often $1,100 to $3,200 per m² on an older property.
Are the listings up to date?
Yes (that is the difference with the giant aggregators): sources are re-crawled every day, properties that disappear are flagged and removed from search, and scores are recomputed nightly.
Where can I see the original listing link?
The link to the source listing (Japanese agency) is reserved for Premium members, along with the estimated net yield, email alerts, the weekly selection and access to new listings 24 hours before everyone else. Everything else (photos, price, score, location) is free to browse.
How is the immoJapon score calculated?
Two measured components, nothing else. Price per m² is compared with a reference median: real recorded transactions (国土交通省 · 不動産情報ライブラリ) where they cover the area and property type, otherwise the median of comparable listings we track; each listing states which reference is used. 50 means “at the median”; above 50, the property is cheaper than its comparables. This component counts for 85%. The estimated net yield from short-term rental counts for the remaining 15%. A land price per m² is never compared with a building price per m², and a median computed on fewer than five comparables is not used.
What the score is not: a promise. When the agency does not state a property’s floor area, its price per m² is unknown: no score is published and the listing shows “n/a”. We prefer an empty cell to an invented number.