Empty Houses No One Wants: A Foreign Buyers' Dream? | Full Episode | SBS Dateline

As homeownership becomes increasingly expensive, we travel to Japan, where millions of abandoned houses, known as akiya, are being sold cheaply or given away. Can foreign buyers help solve Japan's empty house problem? This episode first aired in 2023. 00:00 Intro 01:21 How can a foreigner buy an akiya? 07:06 Meet the "akiya hunters" 10:38 Why Japan has so many empty homes 14:31 Why the Japanese don't want to inherit homes 20:22 Looking to invest in an akiya Subscribe to Dateline: https://bit.ly/3gkQHtr Website http://www.sbs.com.au/news/dateline Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DatelineSBS/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/datelinesbs/ Watch more Dateline, SBS 9.30pm Tuesday, and on SBS On Demand. Dateline is an Australian award-winning international documentary series with a current affairs backbone. Every week we transport you to a different part of the world to share half-hour stories about family, social injustice, identity, tragedy, redemption and survival. We scour the globe to bring you special characters and a world of daring stories. Network Terms & Conditions: https://www.sbs.com.au/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.sbs.com.au/privacy Feedback or complaints: https://www.sbs.com.au/complaints