Canadian buys $11,000 house in rural Japan for personal use, not investment

Andrew Koller, a 31-year-old Canadian freelance camera operator, purchased a house in Yamagata, Japan, in March 2026 for approximately $10,600 USD, plus an additional $3,000 USD in closing costs. Koller, who has been learning Japanese since 2020 and visited Japan in 2023, was inspired to buy a property outside of major tourist cities to gain a deeper connection with the community and engage in DIY renovations. He views the purchase not as an investment, but as a way to follow through on a personal goal and potentially use it as an affordable vacation home, noting that the cost of travel and skiing in Japan is comparable to domestic mountain towns in Canada. Renovations began in April 2026, with the goal of respecting the traditional Japanese style of the 1960s or 70s-built home.