"We knew that Japan had an issue with akiya, and because we really love the Japanese lifestyle, the people, the culture, and the old traditional houses, we thought, why not?" Jason, 51, told ...

Their eventual plan was to have two akiya — one for the guesthouse and one as their own residence. "We had a list of houses on Omishima that we wanted to check out in person when we finally made ...

Buyers must move into the house with at least another occupant, intend to live for a long time and meet other conditions. Akiya owners receive the city’s help to unload unused properties that ...