I’ve lived in Japan for 24 years and own a house in Shonan, by the ocean in Kanagawa Prefecture. Saying home prices are falling like rocks is only partly true. There are more and more akiya (abandoned homes) that you can buy pretty cheaply, and with the weak yen they can feel even cheaper. But those akiya are usually in rural areas, which don’t appeal to most people — especially, as you said, the younger generation. And akiya are very old and need renovation (unless you’re willing to live in a total dump). But like anywhere, it comes down to location. For example, the value of my house and land has gone up and keeps going up. Same with homes in big cities like Tokyo. I just wanted you to know that prices aren’t falling like rocks across the board. That said, if you’re seriously considering investing in property in Japan, it could be a smart move depending on various factors. Let me know if you need more expert advice — I know some very good real estate agents.

The problem is the visa. You can’t get a visa to stay in Japan long term

Don’t forget some houses also come with unpaid taxes — one reason families don’t want to take over old houses is that they’re not worth it. But yes, you can find cheap houses without old taxes, though many need some renovation. And you can own one, but owning it doesn’t get you a residence permit. Also don’t forget most of the cheap places are out of the way or rural; more central places are extremely expensive instead. I used to spend about a month in Japan every year for nearly 10 years

I’ve heard renovation is expensive. The other thing is that you can buy property, but it doesn’t give you residency status. Plus the Japanese keep foreigners at quite a distance, so the isolation would be severe

Japan is definitely a better place to live

You can get a business for free. Houses too. The government pays you to marry their women