Buying a House in Japan

AkiyaMart Productions
  • 5.0 (24)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

We’re Joey & Take - two friends who dreamed of owning a cheap home in Japan. So we bought one...and then five more! Dreaming of owning property in Japan? We cover everything you need to know and more. Highlights include: Pros and cons of purchasing in Japan The complexities of Japan’s real estate market Challenges for foreign buyers Interviews with locals, expats, and experts All the mistakes we’ve made (so you can avoid them!)Find your Japanese dream home: www.akiya-mart.com Serious about buying? Let’s chat! https://www.akiya-mart.com/how-to-buy/ Take a video tour of our Beppu Akiya: https://youtu.be/M7Hb6ENxm_0 Take a video tour of our Tokyo Akiya: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ils4PSA8kqg Take video tour of our Nagasaki Akiya:https://youtu.be/Snd_KXz7VBw Drop us a line! podcast@akiya-mart.com

  1. Making the Search Process Simpler With AkiyaMart v4

    3d ago ·  Video

    Making the Search Process Simpler With AkiyaMart v4

    Buying a house in Japan used to mean combing through sometimes dozens of multiple listings just to get an accurate picture of a property. With AkiyaMart v4, we solved that problem. Let us tell you how we did it. Unlike in the US, where the MLS aggregates property details into singular cohesive listings, Japan's REINS system operates almost like a series of Craigslist ads. We wanted to simplify the home search process for you, so we built our own way to provide aggregate listings with a real-time price history so that you get the full picture right away. Buying a House in Japan is a production of AkiyaMart. Find your Japan dream home at akiya-mart.com. First time subscriber? Use promo code V4BABY for $50 off AkiyaMart Pro annual.Want a free 1:1 consult with Take & Joey, recorded as an episode? Apply: https://0oopfg486ij.typeform.com/to/bTKUZmqy Follow us on Instagram and YouTubeQuestions? Email podcast@akiya-mart.com Hosts are Take Kurosawa  and Joey Stockermans. The AkiyaMart Production Team is Carlos  Gutierrez, Devin Silvernail, and Lukas Fotty.

    25 min
  2. Answering Your Top 10 Japan Home Buying Questions

    Jun 5 ·  Video

    Answering Your Top 10 Japan Home Buying Questions

    This week, Take and Joey run through the ten most frequently asked questions from AkiyaMart consultation calls. After three years and thousands of consultations, they identified your top questions and hope this episode can help you prep for your Japan home buying journey. They cover whether foreigners can buy property in Japan, how the buying process actually works end to end, why loans are not available in almost all cases, what Airbnb zoning looks like and where to check eligibility, how property taxes are assessed, what renovation realistically costs, and why reaching out to a seller's agent before working with a buyer's agent can complicate a deal significantly. Want free 1:1 coaching with Take & Joey, recorded as an episode? Apply: https://0oopfg486ij.typeform.com/to/bTKUZmqy Follow us on Instagram and YouTube! Buying a House in Japan is a production of AkiyaMart. Find your Japan dream home at akiya-mart.com. Questions? Email podcast@akiya-mart.com Hosts are Take Kurosawa and Joey Stockermans. The AkiyaMart Production Team is Carlos Gutierrez, Devin Silvernail, and Lukas Fotty.

    51 min
  3. What's Next for AkiyaMart + Spring 2026 Recap

    May 29 ·  Video

    What's Next for AkiyaMart + Spring 2026 Recap

    This week, Take and Joey break down what's next for AkiyaMart and why they're repositioning toward a broader Japan real estate platform. The most immediate change is that they've decided to stop using the word "akiya." For foreigners it's shorthand for cheap, abandoned homes in Japan. But for many people in Japan, the word carries real cultural and economic weight. For the team, this business has always been about more than just cheap homes. It's about connecting people to Japan, and this choice reflects that vision. This episode also covers three weeks on the road through Tama, Otaru, Fukuoka, and Beppu, the AkiyaMart team gathering, and what two and a half years of building a Japan real estate company from scratch actually looks like. Want free 1:1 coaching with Take & Joey, recorded as an episode? Apply: https://0oopfg486ij.typeform.com/to/bTKUZmqy Follow us on Instagram and YouTube! Buying a House in Japan is a production of AkiyaMart. Find your Japan dream home at akiya-mart.com. Questions? Email podcast@akiya-mart.com Hosts are Take Kurosawa and Joey Stockermans. The AkiyaMart Production Team is Carlos Gutierrez, Devin Silvernail, and Lukas Fotty.

    25 min
  4. Linda's Journey from Europe to Western Tokyo

    May 22 ·  Video

    Linda's Journey from Europe to Western Tokyo

    Can a foreign family actually build a life in suburban Japan? Linda moved from Europe to western Tokyo with no Japanese, no prior visit, and a toddler. Ten years later, her daughter is fluent, she knows the whole neighborhood, and they can't imagine leaving. This episode covers moving to Japan with kids, international schools vs. the Japanese public school track, raising a multilingual child in Japan, and what daily life looks like for a foreign family outside central Tokyo. Follow us on Instagram and YouTube! Buying a House in Japan is a production of AkiyaMart. Find your Japan dream home at akiya-mart.com. Questions? Email podcast@akiya-mart.com Hosts  are Take Kurosawa and Joey Stockermans. The AkiyaMart Production Team  is Carlos Gutierrez, Devin Silvernail, and Lukas Fotty.

    32 min
  5. Kristian's Journey from Melbourne Real Estate to Fukuoka Language School

    May 15 ·  Video

    Kristian's Journey from Melbourne Real Estate to Fukuoka Language School

    Is a year at a Japanese language school your ticket to living in Japan? Kristian is an AkiyaMart consultant and former Melbourne real estate agent who moved to Fukuoka to attend Japanese language school. He joins Take and Joey to walk through the visa process, what a year of daily study actually produces, and tips for those wanting to buy an akiya at the same time. Are you considering moving to Japan to study Japanese? This is the episode for you. Follow us on Instagram and YouTube! Buying a House in Japan is a production of AkiyaMart. Find your Japan dream home at akiya-mart.com. Questions? Email podcast@akiya-mart.com Hosts are Take Kurosawa and Joey Stockermans. The AkiyaMart Production Team is Carlos Gutierrez, Devin Silvernail, and Lukas Fotty.

    33 min
  6. Making Your Way in Fukuoka, ft. Carlos Gutierrez

    May 8 ·  Video

    Making Your Way in Fukuoka, ft. Carlos Gutierrez

    In this episode, Take and Joey sit down in Fukuoka with Carlos, who  recently relocated from Los Angeles on a Business Manager Visa. He  breaks down the full process: which visa to apply for, why Fukuoka's  immigration bureau is faster than Tokyo, how to find an apartment as a  foreigner when 80% of landlords say no, and what the first couple months  on the ground actually look like.  If you're thinking about moving to Japan, this is the episode for you.   Follow us on Instagram and YouTube! Buying a House in Japan is a production of AkiyaMart. Find your Japan dream home at akiya-mart.com. Questions? Email podcast@akiya-mart.com Hosts  are Take Kurosawa and Joey Stockermans. The AkiyaMart Production Team is Carlos Gutierrez, Devin Silvernail,  and Lukas Fotty.

    43 min
  7. Why Aren't Akiya More Attractive to Japanese Buyers? ft. Tomoa Ishihara

    May 1 ·  Video

    Why Aren't Akiya More Attractive to Japanese Buyers? ft. Tomoa Ishihara

    This week, Take and Joey sit down with Tomoa, a Japanese friend, to  answer a question we get all the time: "why didn't a Japanese person buy  this akiya first?"   Tomoa breaks down how kegare shapes Japanese attitudes toward used  homes, why rural properties rarely appeal to Japanese buyers, and what  foreign buyers need to understand about owning property responsibly in  Japan.  Follow us on Instagram and YouTube! Buying a House in Japan is a production of AkiyaMart. Find your Japan dream home at akiya-mart.com. Questions? Email podcast@akiya-mart.com   Hosts  are Take Kurosawa and Joey Stockermans.    The AkiyaMart Production Team is Carlos Gutierrez, Devin Silvernail,  and Lukas Fotty.

    36 min
  8. Dear Diary Series: We finished work on Jissoji Lux

    Apr 24 ·  Video

    Dear Diary Series: We finished work on Jissoji Lux

    Take and Joey are wrapping up three years of work on Jissoji Lux, their first-ever akiya in Beppu, Japan's top onsen city, and gearing up for a major launch in Otaru this spring. Both projects represent what it looks like when an akiya renovation reaches the finish line. In this episode, they record from inside Jissoji Lux and walk through what three years of work actually looked like. The house is a two-bedroom property walking distance from Hyotan Onsen, one of Beppu's most well-known bathhouses. Total investment was around $80K. Their Otaru property is a two-unit duplex, currently completing its ryokan license, and targeting a May launch. Otaru, a skier's paradise, is also a huge domestic draw for food tourism. Follow us on Instagram and YouTube! Buying a House in Japan is a production of AkiyaMart. Find your Japan dream home at akiya-mart.com. Questions? Email podcast@akiya-mart.com Hosts  are Take Kurosawa and Joey Stockermans. The AkiyaMart Production Team  is Carlos Gutierrez., Devin Silvernail, and Lukas Fotty. Chapters: 00:00 Intro: Back at Jissoji Lux 00:32 Where It All Started 02:13 Gear Talk and First Beer 04:12 Joey's Solo Otaru Trip 05:29 Why Otaru Works 08:43 The Scallop Story 11:37 Otaru Property and Sale Timeline 13:40 Why Having a Tokyo Base Matters 15:45 Getting Around Japan With an Akiya 18:10 Fukuoka as a Japan Base 19:48 The Van and the Drive to Beppu 20:28 Jissoji Lux Today 22:04 How We'd Grade the Renovation 23:13 Why We're Selling Now 24:15 Beppu Walkability 25:05 Hyotan Onsen 27:17 Onsen Etiquette for Newcomers 28:57 Beppu Travel Tips 30:37 Community Onsen Life 32:36 The Exec Retreat Angle 34:37 Taking Profits on a Project 37:14 How Beppu Started the Business 39:59 Who Should Buy This House 42:46 Farewell to J. Lux

    45 min
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5
out of 5
24 Ratings

About

We’re Joey & Take - two friends who dreamed of owning a cheap home in Japan. So we bought one...and then five more! Dreaming of owning property in Japan? We cover everything you need to know and more. Highlights include: Pros and cons of purchasing in Japan The complexities of Japan’s real estate market Challenges for foreign buyers Interviews with locals, expats, and experts All the mistakes we’ve made (so you can avoid them!)Find your Japanese dream home: www.akiya-mart.com Serious about buying? Let’s chat! https://www.akiya-mart.com/how-to-buy/ Take a video tour of our Beppu Akiya: https://youtu.be/M7Hb6ENxm_0 Take a video tour of our Tokyo Akiya: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ils4PSA8kqg Take video tour of our Nagasaki Akiya:https://youtu.be/Snd_KXz7VBw Drop us a line! podcast@akiya-mart.com

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