You can purchase an entire island in Japan for little more than an apartment in mid-west America.
If you’ve got a spare couple of thousand dollars lying around, how about splashing out and buying yourself your own Japanese island? With the 2024 American election leading to a spike in searches for those looking to find a new home in Canada, others might fancy broadening their search further afield.
As well as finding a new job, we imagine finding a new place to live is top of the list for those who are moving countries. While Japan is on the bucket list of many in terms of dream vacations, landing your own little piece of land in the Land of the Rising Sun might not be as far-fetched as you'd think.
One website is selling whole private islands in Japan, and better yet, it'll cost less than your average apartment in Ohio.
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Aqua Styles is a Japanese site that lists islands for sale. Although you might think owning a private island is reserved for the likes of Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, Aqua Styles proves it's not the impossible dream it's billed as.
As Japan is made up of 14,125 islands, and with only 260 of them inhabited, you can nab yourself a bargain as Japan tries to sell some of them off.
Aqua Styles claims to be the only company in Japan to sell uninhabited islands, and aside from disputed islands, they're typically freehold so can be bought and sold by sole individuals.
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With prices ranging from 20 million to 500 million Yen, that's a reasonable $130,000 to heftier $3.42 million.
For the budget-conscious, there's a listing for ¥38 million, which comes in at around $245,000. As the average list price in Ohio is $259,900 and the average price per square foot is $156, you could be lauding it over your subjects as your own Emperor of Japan for less than what it would cost to purchase property in "The Buckeye State".
But what do you get for your money?
Based in the Fukushima Prefecture, the 6,772.10㎡ property is just three hours from the Tokyo metropolitan area and covers an entire peninsula. Having previously been inhabited, there's a log house, pellet stove, and even solar power.
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the listing adds: "If you go there on a Friday night, you can light a fire and enjoy hot coffee and charcoal-grilled sandwiches while watching the lake surface sparkle in the morning sun on Saturday. We also recommend BBQ."
Saying there are 'endless' ways to have fun, the site suggests you could build a tree house or a new log house, but we imagine you might want something more substantial if you're going to make it a more permanent abode.
A treasure trove of listings includes a $279,000 uninhabited island perfect for pearl farming and one that's referred to as the 'best' uninhabited island in Japan. Having been reduced to just $570,000 and boasting everything from a ferry dock to a parking lot, this could be your perfect island getaway.
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For those who haven't quite settled on Canada, Japan could be the great escape you've been looking for.