Australians crippled by the country’s housing crisis have found a new alternative – moving to Japan.
The Asian country has recently become more popular with Australians looking for a sea change and an escape from skyrocketing rent and property prices.
Unlike many other countries, Japan has no restrictions on foreigners buying property, meaning Australians can buy a home or apartment even if they don’t have a visa or residency permit.
Jaya Thursfield is an Australian who has made the move with his Japanese-born wife and their two sons.
The family decided to buy an akiya – an abandoned or vacant house – in the village of Ibaraki, about an hour northeast of Tokyo, and his wife’s hometown.
He bought the three-bedroom traditional Japanese home on a 1,800-square-meter lot in 2019 for the equivalent of $35,000.
But because the house had been abandoned for five years, it was left ‘filled with junk’ and almost completely covered in overgrown bamboo and vines.
Tractors and cars had also been left behind.
The house needed a lot of work — $250,000 to be exact — with Mr. Thursfield that still adds the finishing touches to the home to this day.
Jaya Thursfield is an Australian who has moved to Japan with his Japanese-born wife and their two sons. He bought an abandoned home and spent four years fixing it up
All the while, the father of two has been documenting the purchase and renovation process, regularly posting videos and photos to his Youtube and Instagram accounts where he has more than 230,000 subscribers.
“We decided to come to Japan mainly because house prices in Melbourne were way beyond our budget,” Mr. Thursfield SBS Dateline in September last year.
About 14 percent of housing in Japan is akiya, mostly because the majority of residents have chosen an urban lifestyle in major cities.
The situation has become so dire that last year the Japanese government began offering the equivalent of $10,000 per child to families who moved from Tokyo to the country.
Some local authorities also offer grants for renovation costs.
In a YouTube video detailing the process of buying an akiya, Mr Thursfield said he wanted a place that had a backyard and was big enough for friends and family to visit.
Thursfield bought the three-bedroom traditional Japanese home on a 1,800 square meter lot in February 2019 for the equivalent of $35,000
Thursfield has gained a large following on his social media accounts and regularly updates his fans on developments in his house
“I grew up in Australia and have fond memories of playing cricket and football in the backyard with my brothers and cousins and wanted the same for my boys,” he said.
“Of course, price was a factor, but it wasn’t the most important thing.”
Finding the ‘perfect’ home was not easy for Mr Thursfield. Cottages required the buyer to be a registered farmer, while other properties were too expensive or did not have a garden.
A friend eventually passed on an ad for an akiya they had seen in the local paper, which would later become the family’s forever home.
Mr. Thursfield said they had to bid on their akiya at auction, and to do so potential buyers had to put down 10 percent of the minimum bid as a refundable deposit.
“You get one bid, and at the end of the time period, whoever has the highest bid is the winner of the auction,” he said.
“In our case, we participated in the auction at the tax office itself. The auction was held over an hour.
“It was a bit nerve-wracking as there were quite a lot of people because they were auctioning many properties at the same time and we didn’t know who else was bidding on our property and how much they would bid. ‘
Mr. Thursfield did as much of the work as he could, while hiring a team of carpenters to help, working on the house year-round, even in the freezing snow
Mr. Thursfield submitted a bid of 3 million yen, which is about $30,000, with only one other bidder just below them.
Houses in Japan also come with a one-time property tax on the value of the lot.
Thursfield’s home was assessed when the land was subdivided five years earlier at about $123,000, so it was taxed at that price.
They had to pay an extra $2,600 to register the house under their name, along with an additional $1,600 each year in taxes.
Mr. Thursfield said entering the derelict house was ‘a bit creepy’.
‘It was full of other people’s things. You still had pictures of the previous owner’s grandparents on the walls. There were still old noodle bowls in the sink. The kitchen was an absolute disaster and there was still stuff in the fridge,’ he told SBS.
But he said the home has given him a life he might never have been able to afford in Australia.
The current median house price in Melbourne is $942,750, according to data from CoreLogic.
“I feel like I’ve managed to get the Australian dream here in Japan – and it’s getting harder and harder in Australia now,” he said.
Thursfield pointed out that buying an akiya in Japan was not an investment.
He said that akiya should be homes that families live in forever, with the value depreciating immediately once purchased.
The father of two also warned that those looking to buy an akiya should always try to check out the property themselves beforehand.
Housing in Japan is much more affordable than in Australia. Pictured is a cabin in Bizen, Okayama at a price equivalent to $40,000
This Japanese home with an ocean view is priced at $221,000 (pictured above are US prices). Popular Instagram page Cheap Houses Japan keeps potential buyers updated with the latest available properties in the country
In some cases, people actually still live in the home, but it is listed as vacant because they have stopped paying their property taxes.
Termites are another major problem in Japanese homes, with Mr Thursfield adding that the property needs to be strong enough to withstand frequent earthquakes that shake the country.
“So after hearing all the things you might be wondering, it’s really worth it,” he said in a video.
‘If you are looking to buy an akiya, I think it has to come down to reasons other than price. There are cheaper ways to buy a house in Japan if you just want a roof over your head.
This property surrounded by lush green forest is only $57,000
“But if you’re doing it for lifestyle reasons or you want to enjoy the process or want to do something a little different, you know it could be a pretty good option for you, especially if you want to stay in Japan long term.
“Generally, it will be cheaper than buying land and building a new house. And if you’re flexible and can live further out from one of the centres, or live in any part of Japan, then you can really find a bargain.’
Mr. Thursfield has gained quite a following on his social media accounts and regularly updates his fans on developments in his house.
The once abandoned home full of junk has now become a beautiful home with wooden floors and a well-kept garden.
His latest video, shared five months ago, showed a timelapse of the house from when the family first moved in to what it is now.
Footage showed the kitchen filled with dirty pots and pans, while other miscellaneous items were scattered around the home.
The garden was completely overgrown and the roof of the adjoining warehouse had holes in it.
Mr. Thursfield did as much of the work as he could, while hiring a team of carpenters to help, working on the house year-round, even in the freezing snow.
The majority of the renovations were completed over four years, but Mr Thursfield still provides updates on the finishing touches he is making to the property he now calls home.