slow life

Why are people moving in droves to Fukuoka Prefecture? We asked someone who did for some insight

What’s the appeal of the more rural southwestern prefecture over a centralized urban lifestyle?

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Collapsed shed at our cheap countryside house reveals unusual Japanese gems from the past

Dilapidated outbuilding at the SoraHouse contains some surprise items that could tell a story or two.

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44 bubble machines on the roof of a Japanese country house is our idea of renovating【Video】

We start our improvements to the SoraHouse with what’s really important: weird fun.

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We throw a bubble party at our cheap countryside house in Japan【Video】

A soap bubble guru is born at the SoraHouse.

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What happens when our team starts renovating our cheap countryside house in Japan?

The SoraHouse becomes a playhouse for our reporters.

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Searching for treasure in the river at our cheap countryside house in Japan

We bought the SoraHouse for US$9,100 and now it’s time to see if we’re sitting on a goldmine.

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A house in the Japanese countryside for just US$9,100? You bet we bought it!【Photos, video】

Welcome to the SoraHouse.

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One in four young people in Japan’s biggest cities thinking of moving to the countryside【Survey】

A surprising number of young adults are considering trading the hustle and bustle of Tokyo and other cities for a slow-paced rural lifestyle.

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Island village in Japan will pay for your dates, give you a cow if you moo-ve there

Earlier this month, a realtor in Kumamoto Prefecture had us all day-dreaming about living the rural lifestyle by offering a house by the sea, absolutely free. But while the promise of complimentary shelter is tempting, another small town in the Japanese countryside is trying to attract new residents by offering another popular survival requirement: food.

So if you’re craving some tasty Japanese beef, you might want to pack your bags and move to this tiny island community in Kyushu that’s welcoming newcomers by giving them their very own cow, and also paying for singles’ dates.

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So, who wants a free house by the sea in Japan?

We like to think of ourselves as pretty capable bargain hunters. After all, we still think back fondly on the day we got a car for 980 yen (US$8.25) and the night we got liquored up with unlimited sake for 3,000 yen (thankfully that wasn’t all within the same 24-hour period).

But as attractive as those deals were, we think we’ve found something even more enticing: a house in a coastal town in Japan that’s completely free.

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