What’s the appeal of the more rural southwestern prefecture over a centralized urban lifestyle?
slow life
Dilapidated outbuilding at the SoraHouse contains some surprise items that could tell a story or two.
We bought the SoraHouse for US$9,100 and now it’s time to see if we’re sitting on a goldmine.
A surprising number of young adults are considering trading the hustle and bustle of Tokyo and other cities for a slow-paced rural lifestyle.
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.
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.