The Truth about Buying an Akiya or Vacant House in Japan — An Interview With Matt Ketchum
Akiya, or vacant houses in Japan, have become a hot topic on international news websites. Articles about Japan giving away countryside houses for free or for 500 US dollars have fueled the dreams of people desiring to come and live in the Japanese countryside. Reality is much more complex — although rural real estate in Japan can be very cheap, it is also extremely complicated to assess the quality of the property you are buying without solid experience in the field. The local real estate has some implicit rules, and some sellers may not give you all the information on purpose. Paperwork can give headaches even to the most fluent in reading the Japanese language.
Akiya & Inaka was born to help navigate the difficult process of buying a dream house in the Japanese countryside. Its members, Matt Ketchum and Parker Allen, are inaka [countryside] enthusiasts with years of experience. Through Akiya & Inaka, they support their customers at every step — from inspecting the property to negotiating the price.
In this interview, Matt Ketchum tells us about the hidden price that comes with free houses, common traps and mistakes to avoid, his experience of the “slow life,” and much more.
