Buying a House in Japan

This week, Joey and Take are joined by Ryan, AkiyaMart's representative director in Japan to talk about Joey's recent move to Ishigaki, and to cover just how hard it can be for a foreigner to rent in Japan. It might be easier just to buy a place after all. Find out why.Follow us on Instagram and YouTube!Buying a House in Japan is a production of AkiyaMart. Find your Japan dream home at akiya-mart.com.Questions? Email [email protected]   are Take Kurosawa and Joey Stockermans. The AkiyaMart Production    Team is Carlos Gutierrez., Devin Silvernail, and Lukas Fotty.

This week, Take and Joey are joined at Tama base camp by Erik, an early  AkiyaMart customer and current AkiyaMart Direct Sales Manager, who has  purchased three akiya in Japan, including the viral $69 home he is  currently rehabbing as a traveler-friendly Snoopy-themed stay. The group  covers some of the unwritten rules that lead to headaches during car  registration, home buying or renovation, and the realities of navigating  daily life in Japan.Follow us on Instagram and YouTube!Buying a House in Japan is a production of AkiyaMart. Find your Japan dream home at akiya-mart.com.Questions? Email [email protected]  are Take Kurosawa and Joey Stockermans. The AkiyaMart Production   Team is Carlos Gutierrez., Devin Silvernail, and Lukas Fotty.

This week, Joey and Take are joined at Tama Base camp by Lukas is an  AkiyaMart consultant from Alberta, Canada, currently living in rural  Hokkaido In the group covers what people actually need to know before  committing to a purchase in Japan: visas, realistic budgeting, property  condition, and why visiting your target area before you buy matters more  than most people expect. Lukas also shares what daily life in a small  rural town with almost no other foreigners actually looks like, and  where he is thinking about buying himself.Follow us on Instagram and YouTube!Buying a House in Japan is a production of AkiyaMart. Find your Japan dream home at akiya-mart.com.Questions? Email [email protected] are Take Kurosawa and Joey Stockermans. The AkiyaMart Production  Team is Carlos Gutierrez., Devin Silvernail, and Lukas Fotty.Chapters: 00:36 Meet Lukas 01:53 Life in Hokkaido 05:10 Visas and Moving Plans 09:42 Content Creator Journey 14:52 Consulting on Akiya 20:03 Japan Frustrations Bureaucracy 22:37 Rural Hokkaido Life 31:00 Gen Z Homeownership Dreams 34:45 Buying Akiya With Partners 39:47 Consultation Prep Tips 40:35 Final Wrap and Outro

This week, Take and Joey are back in Japan, recording from Tama Base Camp, and a lot is happening for the duo this spring: Joey moved to Ishigaki in Okinawa, things are moving with the Tama house, and we've got another Japan speed run through Tokyo, Otaru, Fukuoka, and Beppu, where the guys are finishing up Jissoji Lux to put on the market as a turnkey starter-kit home.Follow us on Instagram and YouTube!Buying a House in Japan is a production of AkiyaMart. Find your Japan dream home at akiya-mart.com.Questions? Email [email protected]  are Take Kurosawa and Joey Stockermans. The AkiyaMart Production  Team  is Carlos Gutierrez., Devin Silvernail, and Lukas Fotty.Chapters:00:40 Podcast Intro And Format02:16 Tokyo Sprint Plans06:17 Why Tama Base Camp Works07:15 Upgrades And Local Support11:04 Joey Moves To Ishigaki14:18 Island Life And Taiwan Proximity17:32 Otaru House Updates21:19 Jissoji Lux Farewell24:10 Healthier Japan Routine26:38 Wrap Up and Upcoming Episodes

Want to buy an akiya in Japan but the idea of earthquakes keeping you up  at night? We get it. Japan shakes, so we made a tool to help you figure  out where to look.  This week, Joey and Take catch up with university friend Keita, the  geospatial software engineer who built AkiyaMart's new earthquake  overlay filter. He explains how it works, why Shindo (felt intensity)  matters more than magnitude for property buyers, and the key limitations  of 100–120 years of historical data.  Follow us on Instagram and YouTube!Buying a House in Japan is a production of AkiyaMart. Find your Japan dream home at akiya-mart.com.Questions? Email [email protected]  Hosts are Take Kurosawa and Joey Stockermans. The AkiyaMart Production  Team is Carlos Gutierrez., Devin Silvernail, and Lukas Fotty.Chapters:00:00 Japan Quake Reality Check00:31 Meet Keita From Yakushima02:21 Why Move Off Tokyo03:31 Avocado Farm Dream04:49 Earthquake Overlay Launch06:33 How The Map Is Built09:05 Testing Famous Quakes11:13 Data Limits And Controversy14:44 Shindo Vs Magnitude16:45 ICU Tokyo Example18:07 Wrap Up And Where To Find Keita19:53 Podcast Outro And Links

This week Joey and Take sit down with AkiyaMart agent and short-term rental manager Ryosuke Takamoto. Together, they talk about the pros and cons of doing minpaku from abroad without a manager, the setup costs for minpaku and ryokan businesses, the setup timeline and structure, and how AkiyaMart can help you manage your Airbnb from anywhere in the world.Follow us on Instagram and YouTube!Buying a House in Japan is a production of AkiyaMart. Find your Japan dream home at akiya-mart.com.Hosts are Take Kurosawa and Joey Stockermans. The AkiyaMart Production Team is Carlos Gutierrez., Devin Silvernail, and Lukas Fotty.Chapters:00:47 Meet Ryo Takamoto02:11 Airbnb Setup Experience03:13 Licenses Explained04:20 Minpaku vs Ryokan07:34 Getting Licensed Step by Step09:27 Best Locations to Buy10:51 Lifestyle Owners and Managers13:28 DIY or Hire Pros14:36 Neighbors and Local Rules16:18 Eligibility and Zoning Checks19:20 Costs and Fees Breakdown22:27 Final Advice and Wrap Up

21 years ago, Cathy and Ron Stockermans were inspired to take their family on an adventure abroad.. After Cathy was offered a job at a high school in Shizuoka, they, and their three sons, took the leap of faith that changed their lives. 21 years later, they sit down with Take and, one of their sons, Joey, to discuss that decision, how it shaped their lives, and how it led Joey to where he is today. From adjusting to a new culture, to inspiring Joey to stay in Japan for university, to Ron and Cathy's subsequent 15 year world journey; it all started with that decision to seek adventure.Follow us on Instagram and YouTube!Buying a House in Japan is a production of AkiyaMart. Find your Japan dream home at akiya-mart.com.Hosts are Take Kurosawa and Joey Stockermans. The AkiyaMart Production Team is Carlos G., Devin S., and Lukas F.Chapters:00:00 Milk Mixup in Japan00:52 Meet Joey’s Parents03:51 Why We Moved Abroad08:19 Family Decision and Planning10:02 Arriving in Numazu13:52 First Morning Food Hunt16:46 Trash Rules Culture Shock18:30 Adapting to Work and School22:14 Safety and School Questions23:20 IB vs American Schools24:32 English Immersion Japanese School26:12 Cleaning Duties and Discipline28:15 Rules Beyond Campus28:54 Family Life and Daily Routines30:51 Fitting In Japanese Society33:09 Costs Banking and Living35:14 Oldest Son Ben’s Adventure37:16 Language Growth and Friends39:46 Leaving Japan Next Chapter42:05 Advice and Final Wrap

On this first Dear Diary episode of 2026, Take and Joey get together to reminisce about their days studying abroad together in Tokyo and to talk about just how far the two have come since then. The guys give us a rundown of what happens at AkiyaMart and introduce us to two new products that the team hopes will remove some headaches from the purchase process and even make akiya buying just a bit more accessible.Questions? email [email protected] us on Instagram and YouTube!Buying a House in Japan is a production of AkiyaMart. Find your Japan dream home at akiya-mart.com.Hosts are Take Kurosawa and Joey Stockermans. The AkiyaMart Production Team is Carlos G., Devin S., and Lukas F.Chapters:00:40 Welcome Back: Dear Diary 202601:30 Who We Are: AkiyaMart Origin Story08:09 How the Filthy Dorm Prepared Us for Akiyas09:43 What We Do at AkiyaMart10:29 AkiyaMart Direct: Our Paid Buying Program12:14 Introducing AkiyaMart Care: Post-Purchase Utilities, Taxes, and Contractors15:39 Mail Digitization + Pricing Breakdown: What AkiyaMart Care Costs18:48 Introducing AkiyaMart Viewing: $250 Virtual Tours Starting in Tokyo25:00 Why Viewings Are Hard in Japan: No Lockboxes, Seller Agents, and Low Commissions27:51 2026 Plans: Visa Progress, Sakura Tree Dreams, and Closing Thanks29:35 Outro: Ratings, Links, and Where to Find Us

This week Joey and Take meet up in Tokyo with Danny Wilson, a comedian and host of Tokyo Super Great Time Tokyo Podcast. Danny shares his journey of growing up in the U.S. and moving to Japan to reconnect with his roots. He discusses his career in Japanese comedy, his experiences in a prestigious Japanese comedy school, and the challenges and joys of being a bilingual comedian. The conversation touches on cultural differences, his aspirations, and the dynamics of the Japanese comedy scene. Buying a House in Japan is a production of AkiyaMart. Find your Japan dream home at akiya-mart.com.00:58 Meet Danny Wilson06:14 Comedy in Japan vs. America09:17 Learning Japanese Slang15:51 Exploring Japanese Real Estate Opportunities24:27 Life in Japan vs. the US29:32 Advice for Aspiring Comedians and Japan Enthusiasts31:53 Conclusion and Podcast Wrap-Up