# Free and cheap houses in Japan (with a catch)

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/plain-english-227674/free-and-cheap-houses-in-japan-with-a-catch
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/plain-english-227674/free-and-cheap-houses-in-japan-with-a-catch.md
Podcast: [Plain English](https://stenobird.com/podcast/plain-english-227674)
Published: 2026-06-08T11:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://plainenglish.com/871
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/ea21e6cf-aecb-402f-9366-51bf3ee8580a.mp3
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Duration seconds: 910

## Resource

Today's story: Japan has millions of vacant homes, especially in rural areas where populations are shrinking. Some of these properties, known as akiya, are sold for surprisingly low prices or even given away for free. While they attract adventurous buyers from around the world, many require extensive repairs, complicated paperwork, and a willingness to adapt to life in rural Japan. Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/871 Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/871 -- Plain English helps you improve your English: Learn about the world and improve your English Clear, natural English at a speed you can understand New stories every week Learn even more at PlainEnglish.com Mentioned in this episode: Hard words? No problem Never be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

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## Transcript

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