Japan’s Abandoned Houses: Crisis or Expat Dream? | Full Episode | SBS Dateline

As homeownership becomes increasingly expensive in many parts of the world, we travel to Japan, where millions of empty and unwanted houses, known as ‘akiya’, are being sold cheaply or given away. Can foreign buyers help solve Japan’s empty house problem? 00:00 Intro 02:29 How many empty homes are there in Japan? 03:24 Australian Jaya Thursfield shows his renovated akiya 04:35 How much has Jaya spent on his new home? 07:02 How a foreigner can buy an akiya 07:19 Meet the "akiya hunters" from Akiya & Inaka real estate consultancy 09:10 How much do akiyas cost and what's a catch? 09:59 Looking for akiyas in the Japanese countryside 10:42 Japan's vacant housing problem 11:58 Can you just claim an empty house? 13:16 What the Japanese government does to address the issue 13:39 Why the Japanese don't want akiya 16:52 How akiya consultants help the Japanese to deal with their inherited property 20:55 Why Australian Dara Robinson is looking to invest in an akiya 24:36 Do people in small towns want foreigners to move in? Subscribe to Dateline: https://bit.ly/3gkQHtr Website http://www.sbs.com.au/news/dateline Facebook   / datelinesbs   Twitter   / datelinesbs   Instagram   / datelinesbs   Watch more Dateline, SBS 9.30pm Tuesday, and on SBS On Demand. Dateline is an Australian award-winning international documentary series with a current affairs backbone. Every week we transport you to a different part of the world to share half-hour stories about family, social injustice, identity, tragedy, redemption and survival. We scour the globe to bring you special characters and a world of daring stories. Network Terms & Conditions: https://www.sbs.com.au/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.sbs.com.au/privacy Feedback or complaints: https://www.sbs.com.au/complaints