I'm a 31-year-old Canadian who bought an $11,000 house in rural Japan. Here's why I don't see it as an investment.

Looking beyond tourist cities

Koller began studying Japanese with a private tutor in 2020. He wanted more than a brief, surface-level encounter with Japanese life, and saw owning a home outside a major tourist center as a way to spend time in the community.

He also enjoys do-it-yourself projects and felt he had enough basic skills to renovate a neglected property. The plan was to use the house as a vacation home while becoming more involved locally.

A lower-cost property

Koller said buying a second home in Canada, such as a rental, can be difficult. He and his partner already own a primary residence and a rental property near a university area in Alberta.

Their main home is worth just under 600,000 Canadian dollars, or about $422,880, he said. The rental was bought for around 500,000 Canadian dollars a decade ago and has since increased in value.

Koller said the cost of skiing in Japan also influenced his decision. In his calculations, flying there for a week of skiing was cheaper than staying in Banff or Jasper.

Buying and renovating

Koller visited Japan in October 2025 to view properties and made an offer the following month. It was accepted, and he took possession in March 2026 before spending all of April working on renovations.

The home was built in the 1960s or 1970s, according to Koller, and is not a historic property. However, it has traditional features, including tatami rooms, which he wanted to preserve as a Westerner renovating the house.

A home, not an asset

Koller may use the home as a short-term rental in the future, but he does not expect it to earn much. His main aim is for rental income to help cover maintenance costs.

He said buyers should view a house in Japan more as recreation than as a financial asset, arguing that real estate loses value over time. For Koller, the payoff is the cultural experience.