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Akiya, houses, land, apartments & akiya bank listings across all 47 prefectures — in English. Free to browse. Save listings, set alerts, and connect with licensed agents. Since 2020.
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Japan's immigration system frustrates many would-be residents. Here's an honest look at who Japan is actively recruiting, what the visa thresholds actually are, and which paths are genuinely accessible.
A complete guide to the Saved Properties feature: saving listings, organising your shortlist with tabs, search, and filters, sharing with agents, and exporting to CSV.
Best prefectures to buy property in Japan, ranked by listing volume and buyer value. From Okinawa beaches to Fukuoka city apartments, find your ideal location.
Browse akiya and property for sale across all 47 prefectures using our map, filters, and AI-powered English descriptions.
Save searches and get email alerts when new properties match your criteria. Never miss a listing.
When you find the right property, connect with our partner agent Teritoru for licensed purchase support.
Akiya (空き家) means "empty house" in Japanese. With over 9 million vacant homes across the country, Japan's akiya represent one of the most affordable entry points into property ownership — and foreigners can buy with the same rights as Japanese citizens, no visa required.
Some municipalities offer akiya for free. Rural homes commonly sell for ¥500,000–¥5,000,000 ($3,500–$35,000 USD).
Japan has no restrictions on foreign property ownership. Buy land and buildings outright, purchase remotely with a licensed agent.
Akiya Japan aggregates municipal akiya banks and real estate listings into one English-language search — 1,111,000++ properties across all 47 prefectures.
April 2026 Update
April was a big month for Akiya Japan. Here is what is new.
The catalog now has over 539,000 active properties — houses, land, apartments, commercial spaces, and rentals across all 47 prefectures. The search page defaults to for-sale listings (~127,000 properties); use the category filter to browse rentals, land, and more. New listings are being added every day.
We added dozens of new city- and ward-level data sources across Hokkaido, covering Sapporo, Asahikawa, Hakodate, Tomakomai, and many smaller towns. Thousands of new Hokkaido properties are being added over the coming weeks. If you have been watching Hokkaido, now is a good time to check back.
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All 47 prefecture pages have been rebuilt with curated photography and structured content covering Daily Life, Festivals & Culture, Getting There, and Buying Property Here. If you are still deciding on a region, these pages are a good starting point.
The search wizard now supports any Japanese city or ward, not just prefectures. Type a city name — Kitakyushu, Takaoka, Matsumoto — and your alert or search will target that exact area.
The search page now has a unified filter bar: your active filters appear as tags inside it, and you type directly into the same bar to add more. Type a keyword — ski, ocean, farmhouse — and matching filters appear instantly. Type a price range like under 5m or a prefecture name and it sets that filter without opening any section. Everything you have selected is visible in one place, and you can remove any filter with a single click. The filter sections are still there if you prefer to browse and tweak them the usual way.
Active filters appear as tags in the bar — type to add or refine.
From akiya to ocean-view homes, forest retreats, and Mount Fuji vistas
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Genuine traditional Japanese architecture: kominka (古民家), minka (民家), machiya (町家), samurai houses, thatched roof homes, sukiya-style. Must have identifiable traditional construction — NOT regular older wooden houses or standard prefab homes.
Browse Traditional HouseExplore properties across Japan's diverse regions
Browse akiya and property for sale across Japan's 47 prefectures
