# This Foreigner Couple Bought Their Dream Home Outside Tokyo

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoyDteRZtr8
Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/NoyDteRZtr8
Generated: 2025-11-10T14:14:20.719+00:00

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## Quick Overview

An American couple from Seattle, Trevor and his wife, purchased a 30-year-old, fully renovated house in Kamagaya City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, for just under ¥17 million (approximately $110,000 USD), utilizing the services of AkiyaHub, and they found the entire process surprisingly quick and seamless despite initially being skeptical.

**Key Points:**
- The couple purchased a 30-year-old house (built in 1995) in Kamagaya City, Chiba Prefecture, for under ¥17 million (approximately $110,000 USD).
- The property is located less than an hour from central Tokyo and about 40 minutes by train from Tokyo Disneyland.
- The house was fully renovated last winter, making the interior feel brand new, and includes three bedrooms, two with balconies, and a car parking spot.
- The buyer, Trevor, who is from Seattle, and his wife, who works for Sony in Japan, were able to complete the entire purchase process in just five weeks.
- They were able to win a mini-game at the Chiba Marines baseball game and received a signed baseball as a prize.
- The couple chose this location because it felt like a quiet, neighborhood-like area, close enough to Tokyo for work/access but far enough to avoid the high price points seen near the city center.

![Screenshot at 00:04: The host, Shu Matsuo, introduces the video by posing the central question about the purchase price of a 30-year-old house located 40 minutes from Tokyo Disneyland.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/NoyDteRZtr8/00-00-04.png)

**Context:** The video features an interview between Shu Matsuo, Co-Founder of AkiyaHub, and Trevor, an American expatriate from Seattle, Washington, who recently purchased a renovated Akiya (vacant Japanese house) in Kamagaya City, Chiba Prefecture. The interview details their motivation for buying property in Japan, the specifics of their purchase, the quick closing timeline, and their initial impressions of the newly acquired home, which they intend to use as a vacation home initially.

## Detailed Analysis

The video documents the journey of Trevor and his wife, an American couple residing in Seattle, who decided to purchase an Akiya (vacant Japanese house) in Kamagaya City, Chiba Prefecture. They were initially looking for cheaper houses further from central Tokyo but were drawn to this renovated 1995 property after seeing it on AkiyaHub. The purchase price, after favorable USD to JPY conversion rates, settled at just under ¥17 million (about $110,000 USD). The house is a two-story structure featuring an L-shaped kitchen with a fish grill, a renovated wet room/bathroom, and three bedrooms, two of which have balconies. The process was notably fast, taking only five weeks from finding the house to closing, which Trevor found surreal. He noted that the location is about an hour from central Tokyo and 40 minutes by train from Tokyo Disneyland, but the short travel time by train makes the distance feel negligible. They also mentioned they were fans of the local Chiba Marines baseball team and won a signed baseball at a game. Their decision to buy was partly influenced by the quiet, neighborhood feel of the area and the fact that the house required minimal immediate renovation, allowing them to move in quickly after closing. The wife, who works for Sony, has teams in Japan, providing a reason to return frequently, and Trevor recently quit his job at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to return to school for International Relations.

### Property Details & Location

- Built in 1995 and fully renovated last winter
- Land Space: 66 sqm (710 sqft), Living Space: 63 sqm (678 sqft)
- Location: Kamagaya City, Chiba Prefecture, <1 hour from Tokyo, 40 minutes by train from Tokyo Disneyland
- Includes car parking spot.

### Purchase Process & Timeline

- Purchase price under ¥17 million (~$110,000 USD) due to favorable USD/YEN conversion
- Took five weeks from finding the house to closing
- The couple initially found the process too simple and suspected a scam, but AkiyaHub provided necessary documentation.

### Interior Features

- Entryway with a light indicator showing if internal lights are on
- Kitchen features an L-shaped counter, espresso machine, toaster oven, and new fridge
- Three bedrooms upstairs, including a small one currently used for the bed (decorated with Sanrio plushies).

### Resident Background & Future Plans

- Trevor is from Seattle and is now a full-time student studying International Relations; his wife works for Sony in Japan
- They plan weekend trips, including exploring Northern Japan (Hokkaido)
- They value the quiet neighborhood feel.

### Anecdote

- They attended the Chiba Marines' last home game of the season, where they won prizes, including a signed baseball, after playing mini-games.

![Screenshot at 00:00: The host, Shu Matsuo, standing outside the newly purchased home, setting up the video's central question.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/NoyDteRZtr8/00-00-00.png)
![Screenshot at 00:15: A split screen showing the exterior of the pink house next to a black house, with a 'SOLD' stamp overlaying the property Trevor purchased.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/NoyDteRZtr8/00-00-15.png)
![Screenshot at 00:07: A map highlighting Kamagaya City's location relative to Tokyo and Tokyo Disneyland, showing travel times.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/NoyDteRZtr8/00-00-07.png)
![Screenshot at 00:51: Interior view of the hallway/entry area, highlighting the high ceilings and the door to the attic space being opened.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/NoyDteRZtr8/00-00-51.png)
![Screenshot at 01:30: Close-up of the compact, modern kitchen shelving unit featuring an espresso machine and toaster oven.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/NoyDteRZtr8/00-01-30.png)
![Screenshot at 02:27: View inside the renovated wet room/bathroom showing the small tub and modern fixtures.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/NoyDteRZtr8/00-02-27.png)
![Screenshot at 04:05: View from the second-floor balcony showing the narrow outdoor sitting area with bright green furniture overlooking the neighborhood.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/NoyDteRZtr8/00-04-05.png)
![Screenshot at 05:20: Overlay graphic displaying the property's land and living space measurements in sqm and sqft.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/NoyDteRZtr8/00-05-20.png)
![Screenshot at 06:28: Exterior shot of Hatsutomi Station, confirming the property's proximity to public transit.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/NoyDteRZtr8/00-06-28.png)
![Screenshot at 07:34: Overlay graphic summarizing the purchase price: ¥17 million / $110,000.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/NoyDteRZtr8/00-07-34.png)