Photo: sunflower fields in Saiyo, Hyogo
It has now been a little over 2 months since we moved into our new residence!
Our “new” fixer-upper home located in rural Hyogo, Japan, was an akiya, a Japanese word used for homes that have been unoccupied or abandoned for some years.
In the past, Japanese houses were thought to have a “lifetime” that could be used up.
Older houses often fall into disrepair after their owners pass away and younger generations choose to remain in the city (resulting in over 8 million unoccupied houses in Japan!!), and newer houses, similar to housing boom suburbs in the U.S., frequently have weaker building standards than traditional houses and are often not built to last.
However, while newer homes and apartments are still generally preferred by consumers, reforming old houses is gradually becoming more popular in Japan.
There are many reasons to buy an akiya instead of a newer home!
