Canadian man, 31, buys house in Japan but doesn’t consider it as an investment – Check why and price of property

Watching anime shows such as Naruto, Pokémon, and Dragon Ball Z since childhood prompted a 31-year-old Canadian man to purchase a property in Yamagata, Japan, in March 2026. Andrew Koller, a freelance camera operator, told Business Insider that his fascination with Japanese culture made him fall in love with the country.

Koller learnt Japanese in 2020 with the help of a private tutor and made his first visit to the Asian country in 2023, which sparked the idea of buying a house there. “I wanted more than just the superficial, surface-level experience of Japanese life,” he said.

He wanted to buy a property away from tourist destinations where he could spend more time and build a friendly and healthy relationship with the local community.

Social media also played a key role in reinforcing his decision. He said the algorithms started showing similar content about people buying properties in Japan.

Koller, who enjoys do-it-yourself projects and has a small workshop, felt he had the skills to handle basic renovation work. He also wanted to prove to himself that he could follow through on an idea he had long considered but never pursued.

Koller shared that real estate had always been an area of interest from a young age. His spouse already owns their primary residence and a rental property in Canada. However, purchasing another property seemed challenging amid skyrocketing prices in Canada, particularly in Alberta, where Koller lives.

He purchased his rental property at the age of 20 with the help of his parents, who co-signed the mortgage because lenders were unwilling to offer a loan to someone so young. He rented out the rooms and lived there rent-free while attending college.

His residential home is now valued at just under 600,000 Canadian dollars ( ₹5.69 crore), while the rental property was purchased for around 500,000 Canadian dollars ( ₹4.74 crore) about a decade ago.

In comparison, Koller spent 15,000 Canadian dollars ( ₹14.22 lakh) on the purchase price of his Japanese property, with another 3,000 Canadian dollars ( ₹2.84 lakh) going towards closing costs.

The relatively low cost of owning a house in Japan, along with the country’s skiing opportunities, made the purchase attractive to him.

Skiing opportunities and affordable travel

Koller enjoys snowboarding and said the property is close to a large ski resort. He also expects to visit Japan several times a year and spend extended periods there.

He said a week-long skiing trip to popular mountain destinations such as Banff or Jasper in Alberta could cost more than flying to Japan, where skiing is also relatively affordable.

How did Koller buy and renovate the Japanese house?

Koller travelled to Japan in October 2025 to explore properties. He made an offer on the house in November, which was accepted, and took possession of it in March 2026. He then spent the entire month of April working on renovations.

Koller wanted to retain much of the property’s original character rather than completely transform the interiors to suit his preferences as a Western buyer.

“I wanted to try and adapt to their way of life rather than trying to impose my own. I just wanted to complement what was already there,” he told Business Insider.

By the time he shared his experience, the renovation was approximately 98% complete. He had spent slightly more on the renovation than on the purchase itself, taking his total expenditure on the property and renovation to more than 18,000 Canadian dollars ( ₹17.07 lakh).

He carried out most of the work himself, helping keep the overall cost relatively low.

Why Koller does not see the house as an investment

Koller also cautioned against viewing the property as a conventional investment asset. According to him, real estate outside major Japanese cities does not necessarily follow the same appreciation patterns that buyers might expect in Western markets.

“It’s not an asset,” he said, adding that buyers should not approach such purchases with the expectation of acquiring a property that will steadily increase in value.