# This Foreigner Couple Bought a Mountain Home in Tokyo

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4C3xSj2cz8
Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/H4C3xSj2cz8
Generated: 2025-11-11T09:38:13.188+00:00

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## Quick Overview

A couple from Los Angeles, Deana and Mark, purchased a spacious 6LDK (six-bedroom house) in Ome City, Tokyo, for ¥11.5 million (approx. $75,000) and spent an additional ¥10.5 million (approx. $68,000) on renovations, totaling around ¥22 million (approx. $143,000) for the entire project.

**Key Points:**
- The buyers, Deana and Mark, are from Los Angeles, California, and bought the home as a future retirement/vacation property.
- The property is located in Ome City, Tokyo, which is about an hour west of Shinjuku, offering a balance of nature access (hiking, fishing) and proximity to the city.
- The house was built in 1972, making it 53 years old at the time of filming.
- The total investment (purchase price plus first round of renovations) reached ¥22 million (approximately $143,000 or $150,000 equivalent).
- The house is spacious, featuring 6LDK (six bedrooms, living, dining, kitchen), two parking spaces, and a beautiful garden/view, which is rare for central Tokyo.
- Renovations included updating the kitchen (which was previously a narrow galley style) and adding a second bathroom upstairs for convenience.
- The owners found the home buying process surprisingly seamless, though the renovation process involving choosing fixtures and colors was slightly more difficult due to a language barrier with managers.

![Screenshot at 0:01: The video opens by contrasting the question of a spacious Tokyo home's cost with initial footage of the quiet, nature-filled Ome neighborhood where the renovated house is located.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/H4C3xSj2cz8/00-00-01.png)

**Context:** The video features an interview with Deana and Mark, a couple originally from Southern California (LA), who recently purchased and renovated an older house in Ome City, a suburban, nature-rich area within the Tokyo Prefecture. The host, Shu Matsuo, Co-Founder of AkiyaHub, tours the 6LDK home with them, discussing the location's appeal, the purchase price, the renovation scope, and their future plans for using the property as a base for exploring Japan.

## Detailed Analysis

The video documents the journey of Deana and Mark, a couple from Los Angeles, who purchased an aging house in Ome City, Tokyo. They chose Ome because it provided access to nature (hiking and fishing near Okutama and Mt. Mitake) while still being within the Tokyo Prefecture, about an hour from Shinjuku. The house, built in 1972, is a spacious 6LDK structure sitting on a large 353 sqm plot with 120 sqm of living space. The initial purchase price was ¥11.5 million (approx. $75,000), and they invested an additional ¥10.5 million (approx. $68,000) in the first round of renovations, bringing the total cost to about ¥22 million (approx. $143,000). The renovations modernized key areas, replacing the old galley kitchen with a contemporary stainless steel unit and adding a much-needed second toilet upstairs for convenience, especially as they plan for retirement. The couple intentionally preserved some traditional elements, like a tatami room with an old kotatsu and the wooden fittings of an engawa. They noted that while the purchase process was seamless, managing renovations involved a language barrier, making fixture and color choices tricky. They plan to use the home as a base to explore the rest of Japan, including family in Kagoshima and Shizuoka.

### Location & Purchase Context

- Ome City (1 hour from Shinjuku) chosen for nature balance
- Property built in 1972
- Initial cost ¥11.5 million ($75k)
- Total cost including renovations approx. ¥22 million ($143k)

### Home Features

- Spacious 6LDK (6 bedrooms) on a 353 sqm plot
- Features include two parking spaces and a large garden with mountain views
- Owners value the green scenery, which is unavailable near central Tokyo

### Renovations & Modernization

- Replaced narrow galley kitchen with new modern unit
- Added a second upstairs toilet for convenience in retirement
- Preserved traditional elements like tatami rooms and wooden engawa

### Decision Process & Future Plans

- Decided on Japan due to affordability compared to Hawaii/California
- Plan to use the home as a base to explore other parts of Japan after retirement
- Renovations were made easier by using a service like AkiyaHub to navigate language barriers

![Screenshot at 0:04: Map highlighting Ome City's location relative to Tokyo and Yokohama, showing it is further west.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/H4C3xSj2cz8/00-00-04.png)
![Screenshot at 0:34: The buying couple, Deana & Mark from California, standing in front of their newly purchased home, marked with a 'SOLD' stamp.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/H4C3xSj2cz8/00-00-34.png)
![Screenshot at 0:55: Scenic view of Okutama, featuring a long pontoon bridge over a turquoise reservoir, highlighting the natural surroundings near Ome.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/H4C3xSj2cz8/00-00-55.png)
![Screenshot at 1:23: The covered parking area underneath the house structure, showing space for two cars.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/H4C3xSj2cz8/00-01-23.png)
![Screenshot at 2:53: Split screen showing the cramped 'BEFORE' kitchen on the left versus the renovated, modern kitchen on the right.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/H4C3xSj2cz8/00-02-53.png)
![Screenshot at 3:14: Split screen showing the 'BEFORE' state of a tatami room \(yellowish walls, traditional table\) versus the host standing in the renovated space.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/H4C3xSj2cz8/00-03-14.png)
![Screenshot at 4:05: View from inside the house showing the sliding doors opening to the garden area, emphasizing the connection to nature.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/H4C3xSj2cz8/00-04-05.png)
![Screenshot at 6:29: Map showing Ome's location relative to Tokyo, highlighting the distance from the central city, with Okutama and Mt. Mitake marked nearby.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/H4C3xSj2cz8/00-06-29.png)
![Screenshot at 7:39: Infographic displaying the property metrics: Living Space 120 sqm / 1300 sqft; Land Space 353 sqm / 3800 sqft.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/H4C3xSj2cz8/00-07-39.png)
![Screenshot at 8:09: Graphic overlay displaying the purchase price: ¥11.5 million / $75,000, contrasted with the renovation cost of ¥10.5 million / $68,000.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/H4C3xSj2cz8/00-08-09.png)