Remote Hokkaido town selling land for Y120 per sq meter

Not a good investment.

Gasoline prices are not going to go down.

With six months of winter, temperatures down to minus 20 and everything relying on gasoline; heating, transportation, delivery of food products, this is not a good idea.

Unless you like looking at snow and ice, shivering in a freezing cold house with nothing to eat, unable to go anywhere.

Foreigners need not apply?

Not far from Sapporo.. Tempting?

Conversely, I'm curious how much land costs in some remote town in Okinawa...

@LostinNagoya

they must either be Japanese or have a permanent residence

I believe this answers your questions?

This is a great idea, particularly for those that like living in the country. I wish I had the cash to join in the lottery, although I doubt my wife would want to live in the cold. Best of luck to those who get picked.

Foreigners need not apply?

I think everyone would appreciate it if people would actually read the articles before commenting.

Some of you have expressed racism in this case. Please read carefully before you accuse. They want to repopulate the town and they don't want people (foreigners ) to buy and keep the land for investment purposes. Foreigners holding permanent visa can buy provided they plan to live there and contribute towards increasing population of the town. If they allow foreigners to buy without living there whole town with it's resorts would be sold-out to Chinese investors within minutes. Where does racism come in this. ?

guess no people is allowed...

The infusion of new people would help Japan in the end.With the economy in such a state ,why not begin a HomeStead Program for Younger ,Willing Japanese!- Farm life is tough yet rewarding. What I wouldn't give to escape the City & just visit once & a while!

Just looking on a map, it's only about 20 miles out of downtown Sapporo... Hardly remote.

Well, Ok, I'll take a chance. Sign me up for a square meter.

I was thinking that it would be great to buy some land up there as a summer house, but they don't accept foreigners. Too bad. Maybe after I get that permanent residency. :(

Chinese are coming to town to buy them up for investment.

Is there any Japanese law prohibiting foreigners who are not living in Japan to buy the land? Anyone? Please let me know. Otherwise sonner or later, these Chinese will buy up everything to control Japanese property and water rights.

It's. It the edge of nowhere, but you can see it from there when it's not raining snowing or so cold you can't move it go to the UNemployment office.

Oops - it's not the edge of no where but you can see it!

Who do you contact?

Land in the country in lots of places is already cheap, if you have Y5,000,000 to spend(or even half that) you can get a decent chunk of land & possible even with a home that can be fixed up with a bit more

No foreigners need apply? But permanent residents are foreigners. If you are serious about staying here, get PR. Also, Yuni has a great spa, if you like spas, and it is in melon country (Yubari), if you like melons. And only 20 minutes from Sapporo. Not bad.

Those people complaining about the cold !!!... Have you never heard of insulation? How do you suppose millions of people around the world manage to survive, in colder places than your centrally heated Tokyo appartment?

Those people complaining about the cold !!!... Have you never heard of insulation? How do you suppose millions of people around the world manage to survive, in colder places than your centrally heated Tokyo appartment?

It does make me laugh when I hear people complaining about the cold because it falls below zero every once in a while. They should try living in a place like Northern Finland where it reaches -40C. Granted Sapporo has fallen to -18C but there is something they can do which is called wrapping up warm.

Those people complaining about the cold !!!... Have you never heard of insulation? How do you suppose millions of people around the world manage to survive, in colder places than your centrally heated Tokyo appartment?

This is not Tokyo.

Wrapping up warm doesn't cut it!

If you haven't lived in Hokkaido, you don't know the extent of the cold, snow and ice.

Of course there is insulation.

There is also double glazing and double front doors (Open the outside door, enter the hallway. Shake the snow off your coat and take off your boots. Then open the door and enter the house).

They have another word for cold.

Samui (cold) - (0 degrees) Shibareru (really, really cold) (minus 10, 20 degrees)

Attatakai (attake-) is plus one or two degrees.

Yuni has a nice onsen and a good bakery. And it's a nice place to visit. Hokkaido fish, vegetables and beer are excellent.

Yubari in Hokkaido declared bankruptcy a few years ago. And with Hokkaido's reliance on gasoline for heating and all transportation, I don't think it's going to be a hundred years before other areas in Hokkaido go under.

is there any Japanese law prohibiting foreigners who are not living in Japan to buy the land?

Indian friends bought some properties. It is a company that bought, so they had to do a paperwork as investors at the JETRO. Smooth and quick. Anybody can do it as an individual can create a real estate investment company for the purpose.

Land in the country in lots of places is already cheap,

True, from 1 million yen, a plot + house, with access road and electricity in the sticks in Kansai. But no other services. It's tough for water in Winter (and yes it does freeze up there).

KariH...centrally heated Tokyo apartments? Maybe for rich expats. Never seen that, or much insulation, or double/triple paned windows in any apartments either.

Ranger I was quoting the post about Tokyo apartments.

Looks like a wonderful place. But it reminds me of a place in Gunma that was advertising a 10 year lease on a plot of land for 100,000 yen. Only rule is that you need to live there at least a few months a year.

Cute farmers' daughters there? I'll stay warm and help repopulate the town.