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The Flagship
The Akiya Guide
The complete walkthrough for foreign buyers who've stopped wondering if and started asking how — everything from reading a listing to wiring the money yourself, written so you can act on it, not just nod along.
350+
pages of practical, step-by-step guidance — no filler, no fantasy.
29
chapters across the full purchase: search, due diligence, offer, paperwork, payment, post-closing.
30+
worksheets and checklists you actually use against real listings.
glossary + index so you can find the answer the day you need it.
$199
One-time. Yours to keep. Instant download.
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For buyers actively moving toward a purchase
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Sourced to Japanese government primaries
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Updated for 2026 rule changes
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Written by someone who lives here
Digital product. This is a downloadable PDF, not a physical book — nothing is shipped. You'll get an instant download link after purchase.
The Real Math
What you're sold vs. what you actually need
Here's what foreign-buyer consultants and "akiya services" advertise — and what each thing really takes once you know the steps.
THEY CHARGE
Foreign-buyer "consultation" fees, layered on top of the purchase
$$$$
THE REALITY
Coordination, translation, and form-filling bundled as expertise — most of it avoidable once you know the steps.
THEY CHARGE
A single guided property viewing
$$$$
THE REALITY
A trip you can make yourself once you've shortlisted — and it's per viewing, every time.
THEY CHARGE
Curated or "members-only" listing access
$$$$
THE REALITY
Most of these services pull their listings straight from free public portals like SUUMO and at home. I checked — the photos match the originals. You're paying a subscription for translation, not for access you couldn't get yourself.
THEY CHARGE
Document & listing translation service
$$$$
THE REALITY
A translation app handles the large majority of listings. Pay this only for the rare document that truly needs certifying.
It adds up fast. The guide is $199 — once.
NO OVERPROMISING
What you still pay for
Some costs are real and unavoidable. The guide names every one, so nothing surprises you at the desk:
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Brokerage commission, if you use an agent — legally capped at 3% of the price + ¥60,000 + tax
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Judicial scrivener (shiho-shoshi) to register the transfer — a real, required cost
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Registration & license tax and property acquisition tax
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Stamp duty — typically ¥200–¥10,000
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All-in, closing costs usually run 8–15% of the purchase price
The point isn't "pay nothing."
It's "pay only for what's actually required — and not a yen more."
Who is it for?
IS THIS YOU?
This is for you if
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You get real satisfaction from figuring things out yourself — and you'd rather learn the process than pay someone to gatekeep it
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You've decided you want to buy an akiya and you're ready to act
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You want to know where the real costs are before you commit
Buy an akiya yourself.
Skip the thousands in fees.
Buying a vacant home in Japan gets sold as something that needs a small army of paid middlemen. It doesn't. The Akiya Guide is the complete walkthrough that lets you do it on your own — and shows you exactly which costs are real and which ones you were never required to pay. *Digital product. This is a downloadable PDF, not a physical book — nothing is shipped. You'll get an instant download link after purchase.
$199
One-time. Yours to keep. Instant download.
Sourced to government primaries · Updated for 2026