The Akiya Inspection Checklist for Foreign Buyers

Why Akiya Inspections Are Different

A new-build inspection in Japan is largely a formality. A modern Japanese house is built to a code so prescriptive that most surprises are minor. An akiya inspection is the opposite: every property is its own story, written by decades of weather, maintenance neglect, structural shortcuts that were legal at the time, and an owner who may have last lived there in the early 2000s.

This checklist is for foreign buyers preparing to view candidate akiya. It is not a substitute for a professional building inspection (we cover when to commission one below), but it will let you screen properties efficiently, ask the right questions, and identify the deal-killers before you waste a flight.

For the broader buying process, see our pillar guide: Finding Your Akiya in Japan.

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Before the Visit: Documents and Pre-Checks

Two hours of paperwork review before you visit will save two days of wasted travel. Ask your agent for the following on every shortlisted property:

• 登記簿謄本 (tōki-bo tōhon, real estate registration certificate). Confirms current owner, lien status, and whether the property is registered at all. Some rural akiya are unregistered (未登記), which adds months of legal work.
• 公図 (kōzu, cadastral map). Shows the lot boundary and the surrounding parcels. Check whether the property fronts a legally classified road.
• 地積測量図 (chiseki sokuryō zu, official land survey). Required for many transactions; absence may signal disputed boundaries.
• 建築確認済証 (kenchiku kakunin-sumi shō, building permit). Confirms the building was legally constructed. For pre-1985 buildings, this is often lost; ask whether reconstruction permission would be granted today.
• 修繕履歴 (shūzen rireki, repair history). Rarely complete for akiya, but ask. Roof, plumbing, and termite work in the last 20 years are the items that matter most.

A bilingual agent will translate these on your behalf. The most important documents to translate fully are the registration certificate and the cadastral map.

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Structural Fundamentals

Foundation type and condition

Walk around the perimeter. Concrete foundations (布基礎 nuno-kiso, or ベタ基礎 beta-kiso) are standard for post-1970 builds. Pre-1970 builds often sit on stones or shallow concrete footings, which makes seismic retrofitting expensive. Look for:

• Horizontal cracks wider than 0.3mm — possible settlement or shear failure.
• Vertical cracks alone are usually cosmetic.
• Spalling concrete with exposed rebar — significant.
• Water staining at the foundation/wall joint — drainage problem.

Termite history (シロアリ shiroari)

Japanese houses are predominantly wooden, and termites are the single most common silent killer of structure. Indicators:

• Mud tubes climbing the foundation or first-floor wall exterior.
• Hollow-sounding wood when you tap floor joists or wall studs.
• Sawdust piles at corners or under decks.
• Sagging floor in tatami rooms — often advanced infestation underneath.

Any seller in Japan should disclose a known termite history. Absence of disclosure does not mean absence of termites. A professional termite inspection costs ¥30,000–¥50,000 and is the single best money spent on an akiya.

Roof condition

Roof leaks are the second most common akiya problem after termites. From the ground, look for:

• Missing or shifted tiles (瓦 kawara).
• Rust streaks on metal roofs (トタン totan, often seen on rural houses).
• Sagging ridgelines.
• Moss growth, especially on the north slope — suggests long-term moisture.

Inside, check the ceiling under every roof slope for water stains. Brown or black rings indicate active or historic leaks.

Exterior walls and weatherboarding

Mortar walls (モルタル) are common on older houses. Look for spider-web cracking, peeling paint, and detached sections. Wood siding (サイディング) ages faster; check for warping and rot at the base.

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The 1981 Line: Seismic Code Matters

Japan revised its building seismic code in June 1981, after the Miyagi-ken-oki earthquake of 1978. The pre-1981 standard is called kyū-taishin (旧耐震); the post-1981 standard is shin-taishin (新耐震). This date is one of the most important numbers in akiya buying.

Why it matters

• Insurance. Earthquake insurance is significantly more expensive — sometimes refused — for kyū-taishin properties.
• Mortgage. Most Japanese banks will not finance kyū-taishin houses without seismic retrofitting.
• Resale. A kyū-taishin building loses value faster and sells slower.
• Safety. The 1995 Kobe earthquake demonstrated that kyū-taishin buildings collapsed at roughly five times the rate of shin-taishin ones.

Retrofitting options

Seismic retrofitting (耐震改修 taishin kaishū) costs typically ¥1,500,000–¥4,000,000 for a small wooden house. Many municipalities subsidize a portion (¥500,000 is common). For buyers planning a full renovation, the retrofit work integrates well with the renovation budget.

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Snow-Country Specifics

If the property is in a snow-country area (北海道, 東北, 北陸, 山陰, mountain Nagano), several issues need extra attention beyond a regular inspection.

Roof snow-load rating

Snow density on a Hokkaido or Aomori roof can reach 300 kg per square meter at the height of winter. Roofs designed for southern Japan will collapse. Ask:

• What is the rated snow load (積雪荷重) for the roof?
• When was the roof last reinforced, replaced, or inspected?
• Is the roof a steep snow-shedding design (落雪屋根 rakusetsu-yane) or a horizontal flat design with heating (融雪屋根 yūsetsu-yane)?

Water pipe protection

Burst pipes from freezing are routine in unoccupied snow-country akiya. Check that pipes are insulated, that the previous owner shut off the water supply at the meter before leaving, and that the property has working drain-down valves (水抜き栓 mizu-nuki-sen).

Heating system

Most older Hokkaido houses use kerosene heating (灯油 tōyu). The oil tank (灯油タンク) should be inspected — leaks contaminate soil and trigger remediation costs. Boiler systems (ボイラー) over 15 years old will need replacement (¥300,000–¥800,000).

Roof access and snow removal logistics

If the roof is not a snow-shedding design, can you physically clear it? Hiring a snow-clearing crew (¥30,000–¥60,000 per session, 3–6 sessions per winter) is common in heavy-snow areas.

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Interior Systems

Plumbing

Run every tap, flush every toilet, fill the bathtub partway. Look for:

• Brown water — pipe corrosion (galvanized iron pipes, common pre-1990).
• Low pressure on upper floors — old supply line.
• Slow drains — possible blockage or main line failure.
• Sewage smell — broken trap or main line crack.

Electrical

Test every outlet you can reach. Open the breaker panel and photograph it. Pre-1980 wiring may not have ground (アース) on water-adjacent circuits — code-compliant rewiring costs ¥300,000–¥800,000.

Water heater (給湯器 kyūtō-ki)

Service life is 10–15 years. Replacement runs ¥150,000–¥350,000. Note the manufacturing year on the nameplate.

Septic system (浄化槽 jōka-sō)

If the property is not on municipal sewer, it has a septic tank. Required annual maintenance is ¥20,000–¥40,000. If maintenance has lapsed for years, full inspection and possible replacement (¥800,000+) may be required.

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Land and Legal Issues

Road frontage (接道義務 setsudō gimu)

Japanese building law requires that any buildable lot front a legally classified road of at least 4 meters width for at least 2 meters of the lot boundary. If the property fails this test, you cannot legally rebuild — the property is saikenchiku-fuka (再建築不可). Resale value drops 30–50% as a result. This is the single most common deal-killer in rural akiya.

Land classification (地目 chimoku)

Land is classified by use: 宅地 (takuchi, residential), 田 (ta, paddy), 畑 (hatake, dry field), 山林 (sanrin, forest), 雑種地 (zasshu-chi, miscellaneous). Foreign nationals face additional restrictions on agricultural land purchases under the Agricultural Land Act (農地法). Confirm classification on the registration certificate before offering.

Boundary disputes

Rural property boundaries are often informal — a fence, a hedge, an oral agreement from 60 years ago. A modern survey (確定測量 kakutei sokuryō) costs ¥400,000–¥800,000. If the registered boundaries do not match physical features, the survey is non-negotiable.

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The Professional Inspection

For any property you are seriously considering, commission a professional building inspection (ホームインスペクション or 既存住宅状況調査 kison jūtaku jōkyō chōsa). Costs and timing:

• Standard inspection: ¥50,000–¥80,000, 2–4 hours on site, written report in 5–10 days.
• Termite inspection (separate): ¥30,000–¥50,000.
• Seismic diagnosis (耐震診断): ¥150,000–¥300,000 for a full structural assessment.
• Septic inspection: ¥20,000–¥40,000.

For a ¥10M+ all-in purchase, spending ¥150,000 on full inspections is the cheapest insurance you will ever buy.

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Inspection Day Kit

Bring with you on every site visit:

• Flashlight (a powerful one — crawl spaces and attics are dark).
• Tape measure (laser preferred for room dimensions).
• Phone with charged battery for photos.
• Small notebook.
• Old shoes or boots — akiya floors are often dusty and sometimes damaged.
• A bilingual partner or agent.
• This checklist printed or saved offline.

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What To Do Next

Once you have screened a property against this checklist and are still interested, commission the professional inspections before signing the preliminary contract. The standard transaction timeline gives you a one to two week window after the offer is accepted and before the contract is signed — use it.

For honest discussion of the cost surprises that come after a successful inspection, read our Hidden Costs of Akiya Ownership guide. For a 15-minute English conversation about a specific property, contact us.