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 change and an escape from skyrocketing rental and property prices.
Unlike many other countries, Japan has no restrictions on foreigners buying property, meaning Australians can buy a house or apartment even if they don’t have a visa or residence permit.
Jaya Thursfield is an Australian who 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 rural village of Ibaraki, about an hour northeast of Tokyo, and his wife’s hometown.
He bought the three-bedroom, traditional Japanese-style house on a 1,800-square-meter plot in 2019 for the equivalent of $35,000.
But because the house had been abandoned for five years, it was “filled with rubbish” and almost completely covered in overgrown bamboo and vines.
Tractors and cars were also left behind.
The house needed a lot of work – $250,000 to be exact – and Mr. Thursfield was still putting the finishing touches on the house to this day.
Jaya Thursfield is an Australian who moved to Japan with his Japanese-born wife and their two sons. He bought an abandoned house and spent four years renovating it
The father of two has been documenting the purchase and renovation process all along, regularly posting videos and photos to his site 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 above our budget,” Mr Thursfield said SBS dateline in September last year.
About 14 percent of homes in Japan are akiya, mainly because the majority of residents in major cities have opted for an urban lifestyle.
The situation has become so dire that last year the Japanese government began offering the equivalent of $10,000 per child to families moving from Tokyo to the countryside.
Some local governments also offer subsidies for renovation costs.
In a YouTube video detailing the process of buying an akiya, Mr Thursfield said he wanted a place with a backyard and big enough for friends and family to visit.
Mr Thursfield bought the three-bedroom traditional Japanese-style house on a 1,800 square meter plot in February 2019 for the equivalent of $35,000
Mr Thursfield has gained a large following on his social media accounts, regularly updating fans on the progress of his home
“I grew up in Australia and have fond memories of playing cricket and footy in the backyard with my brothers and cousins and wanted the same for my boys,” he said.
‘Price obviously played a role, but it was not the most important thing.’
It wasn’t easy for Mr. Thursfield to find the “perfect” house. Farms required the buyer to be a registered farmer, while other properties were too expensive or had no garden.
A friend eventually passed along an advertisement for an akiya they had seen in the local newspaper, which would later become the family’s forever home.
Mr Thursfield said they had to bid for their akiya at auction, and to do that 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 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 Authorities themselves. The auction lasted over an hour.
“It was a bit nerve-wracking because there were quite a lot of people because they were auctioning a lot of properties at the same time, and we didn’t know who else was going to bid on our property and how much they were going to bid. ‘
Mr Thursfield did as much work as he could, while also hiring a team of carpenters to help, who worked on the house all year round, even in the freezing snow
Mr. Thursfield made a bid of 3 million yen, which is the equivalent of about $30,000, with only one other bidder just under.
Houses in Japan also have a one-time property tax levied on the value of the land.
When the land was divided five years earlier, Mr. Thursfield’s house was valued at about $123,000, so it was taxed at that price.
They had to pay an additional $2,600 to register the house in their names, along with another $1,600 a year in taxes.
Mr Thursfield said it was “a bit creepy” going into the abandoned house.
‘It was full of other people’s things. There were still photos of the previous owner’s grandparents on the wall. There were still old noodle bowls in the sink. The kitchen was an absolute disaster and there were still things in the refrigerator,” he told SBS.
But he said the house has given him a life he might never have been able to afford in Australia.
The current average price for a home in Melbourne is $942,750, according to data from CoreLogic.
“I feel like I’ve managed to achieve the Australian dream here in Japan – and that’s becoming increasingly difficult in Australia now,” he said.
Mr Thursfield points out that buying an akiya in Japan is not an investment.
He said akiya should be homes for families to live in forever, depreciating immediately after purchase.
The father-of-two also warned that those looking to buy an akiya should always try to view the property for themselves beforehand.
Houses in Japan are much more affordable than in Australia. Pictured is a cabin in Bizen, okaama, priced at the equivalent of $40,000
This Japanese house with ocean views costs $221,000 (pictured above are US prices). Popular Instagram page Cheap Houses Japan keeps potential buyers informed about the latest properties available in the country
In some cases, people still live in the house, but it sits empty because they no longer pay property taxes.
Termites are another major problem in Japanese homes, with Mr Thursfield adding that the property must be strong enough to withstand the frequent earthquakes that rock the country.
“So after hearing it all, you might be wondering if it’s really worth it,” he said in a video.
“If you want to buy an akiya, I think it has to be for reasons other than price. There are cheaper ways to buy a house in Japan if all you want is a roof over your head.
Surrounded by lush green forest, this home costs just $57,000
“But if you’re doing it for lifestyle reasons, or if you want to enjoy the process, or do something different, you know it could be a good option for you, especially if you’re staying 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 from one of the centers, or in any part of Japan, you might be able to find a bargain.”
Mr Thursfield has gained a following on his social media accounts, regularly updating his fans on the progress of his home.
The once abandoned house full of rubbish has now become a beautiful home with wooden floors and a well-landscaped garden.
His last video, shared five months ago, showed a time-lapse of the house from when the family first moved in to what it is today.
Footage showed the kitchen filled with dirty pots and pans, while other items were strewn throughout the house.
The garden was completely overgrown and there were holes in the roof of the adjacent warehouse.
Mr. Thursfield did as much work as he could, while also hiring a team of carpenters to help, who worked on the house all year round, even in the freezing snow.
The majority of the renovations were completed in four years, but Mr. Thursfield continues to provide updates on the finishing touches to the property he now calls home.