The real estate agent picked us up in a company car at Takayanagi Station in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture, about an hour and 15 minutes commuting time north of central Tokyo. The car had long scratches on the side, probably incurred during attempts to park in unfamiliar spaces, and we drove to the property through dense suburban sprawl overseen by towering pylons and interrupted by small plots of farmland.
The two-story house we were visiting had royal blue siding and was 16 years old. The owner had moved out two years ago. The wallpaper was discolored, the laminate wood floors spongy, the second floor "veranda" filled with debris.
The price: ¥5.9 million. We estimated it would take at least ¥6 million to make it livable, but even around ¥12 million seemed too much. Moreover, anyone who bought the house would have to assume the lease for the land, which was ¥38,000 a month.