The promise of cheap or free houses in Japan has dreamers and chancers rushing to some of the country’s more rural hamlets to make chump-change bets on the disused and dilapidated.
Quaint farmhouses. Traditional wood, clay, straw and bamboo kominka with thatched roofs. Remote mountain lodges with million-dollar views.
For the right person with the right skills and the right expectations, buying an akiya, which means empty house in Japanese, can be a rewarding experience that yields a unique space and a livable home, competitively priced.
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