House of the Hearth

1940s wood house in Isa, Kagoshima, farmland, approval needed

Isa, Kagoshima

Year built
1949
Building size
184.76 sqm
Land size
960 sqm
Structure
Wood
On the town's official empty-home register Source: www.city.isa.kagoshima.jp (opens in a new tab) Checked 2026-09-27

From the listing

Upon entering the front door, a spacious entry hall welcomes you. It appears the flooring was raised from what was originally a dirt floor of a work shed. Suitable for greeting visitors as well as brief rests or reading time as a relaxation space. Raising one's gaze, tall ceilings and impressive beams stand majestically. The wall beyond the beams bears traces of soot. The walls may be clay-plaster mixed with straw. A sense of atmosphere from past living emerges, creating an ambiance impossible to achieve overnight. Proceeding left from the entrance toward the western side of the property, there are 8-mat and 6-mat Japanese-style rooms and a veranda with soft daylight. Imagine leisurely weekends on the wooden deck beyond the veranda. As mentioned later, there is also soft, rich soil farmland. A wooden deck would be perfect for watching vegetable growth and sun-drying harvested vegetables. Next to the north side of the Japanese-style room is a wood-floored Western-style room. Perhaps the Japanese room was renovated to wood flooring. The nook with shelving along the hallway window seems like it would instantly become an atelier when displaying favorite folk art or craft pieces, a dignified space. Another wood-floored room to the east. There's an odd frame in the floor, yes, let's open it and check. An irori (traditional hearth) remains! Perfect for placing ash, charcoal, and a trivet to grill mochi and squid. A compact sink is also conveniently located, promising lively evening meals! A bath and toilet are also right near the wood-floored room and entry hall. The dining kitchen of 10 mats! If combined with the south-facing Japanese-Western room, it could function as a large living-dining kitchen. With a corridor stretching north-south... 6-mat and 4-mat Western-style rooms that seem well-suited for bedrooms or studies. A surprising turn from the first half, this feeling offers modernity and convenience. The front farmland of the house (soil is deeply rich). The east side farmland of the house (soil is deeply rich). There's also a storage shed. There was an outdoor faucet along the approach to it, so how this heavy machinery is removed remains a mystery (please verify). A persimmon tree laden with fruit. Recently I learned that in Isa, a ripe persimmon is called "jugurissho." The sound accurately captures the state! I was told that when cicada cries change to "jugurissho," persimmons ripen, I'm unsure if it's Kagoshima or Isa dialect, but it's such a cute etymology. / Renovation history: H7 work shed portion converted to residence / Notes: A vacant property is ultimately a used house and is rarely in perfect condition like new construction. When viewing or purchasing, please thoroughly confirm property details with the assigned real estate agent or owner, and consider carefully only after being satisfied. Examples of items to confirm: presence/absence of water leaks, whether termite damage exists, if groundwater or mountain spring water comes with the property whether water quality meets your intended use, boundary matters and property-specific issues regarding relationships with neighbors, insects and animals naturally emerge due to the rural setting, and so on. There are countless considerations, but the important thing is to verify in advance what can be confirmed to minimize any gap of "this wasn't what I expected..." / Renovation history: H7 work shed portion converted to residence

Specifications

Land size
960 sqm
Building size
184.76 sqm
Year built
1949
Structure
Wood
Floors
1
Rooms
7DK
Gas
Propane (LPG)
Water
City water
Sewer
Septic (combined)

Where a detail is not shown, the source listing did not state it. We leave it out rather than guess.

The price in context

The nearest official land-price benchmark is about 6,400 yen per sqm, down about 16% over five years (7,600 to 6,400), which the survey classes as declining.

The asking price works out at about 5,104 yen per sqm of land, 20% below the nearest residential benchmark of about 6,400 yen per sqm. The benchmark is for bare land; akiya prices usually bundle a worn building, so a large gap is normal and does not by itself mean a bargain.

Source: Japan's Ministry of Land land-price survey. A benchmark for the area, not a valuation of this home.

Official records

Area and hazard data

4 checks clear, 3 to know about. Each check is against a government map for this exact point. Where a map is missing or we can't use it, we say so; that never means there's no risk.

Hazards and ground
Earthquake code
Caution
Built before the 1981 earthquake code. Expect a structural survey, harder mortgages, and a retrofit budget; towns often grant part of that cost.

Source: Estimated from year built

Strong-earthquake chance
Checked, clear
About 4% chance of a strong quake (shindo 6-lower or above) in 30 years, low for Japan, where most places sit between 3% and 26%

Source: National earthquake-hazard model

Landslide risk
Checked, clear
Checked: no designated landslide zone at this location. Zone edges are approximate, and this is not a legal property disclosure document.

Source: Government hazard map

Flood risk
Checked, clear
Checked: outside a mapped flood area. The maps cover designated rivers only, so this is not a promise of no flooding.

Source: Government hazard map

Tsunami risk
Checked, clear
Checked: no designated tsunami inundation zone at this location

Source: Government hazard map

Liquefaction
Note
Moderate liquefaction susceptibility. Ask for a ground report before major work.

Source: National landform survey

Farmland rules
Warning
Inside a strict farmland zone. You will need the agricultural committee's permission to buy or convert, and foreign buyers are often refused.

Source: Government land-use records

A pre-1981 build predates Japan's current earthquake code, which can matter for insurance and renovation. We flag the era from the year built where we have it.

Getting around
Nearest station
Masaki station, about 12.7 km away (Hisatsu Line)
Setting
About 22.7 km to the nearest built-up town area (population about 12,000)
Coast
About 25.0 km from the coast
Schools
primary 0.7 km, junior high 1.9 km, high school 1.9 km
Clinic
About 20 min walk

Location

Area
Isa, Kagoshima
Nearest station
Masaki station, about 12.7 km away (Hisatsu Line)
Setting
About 22.7 km to the nearest built-up town area (population about 12,000)
Coast
About 25.0 km from the coast
Schools
primary 0.7 km, junior high 1.9 km, high school 1.9 km

This marks an approximate area, not the exact building. The circle is a rough radius from the listing's published address, so you can see the neighbourhood without us guessing at a precise spot. The published address only names the neighbourhood.

Rules of this akiya bank

These are the bank's published eligibility rules, not confirmation that your intended use of this home is allowed. Check with the municipality and owner.

We have not established these rules for this listing. Unknown does not mean permitted.

Matched subsidies

Grants and rules

9 programmes in our data could apply to this home, all with conditions you would have to meet first. Amounts change every year. Always confirm with the town before you rely on a figure.

  • Isa City Wooden Housing Seismic Diagnosis & Retrofit Subsidy Conditional
    Up to 1,150,000 yen
    What you would need

    Seismic diagnosis: 2/3 subsidy rate, max 60,000 yen. Retrofit work: 8/10 subsidy rate, max 1,150,000 yen (changed July 2025).

    • Must be resident or owner of the wooden house. If owner and resident differ, both must consent. Must not be in default on municipal taxes.
    • Plus 1 more condition on the town's page.

    Official source for Isa City Wooden Housing Seismic Diagnosis & Retrofit Subsidy (opens in a new tab)

  • Migration Support Payment Program Conditional
    Up to 1,000,000 yen
    What you would need

    Base payment for 2+ household members; additional payments available

    • Must have resided cumulatively 5+ years in Tokyo 23 wards within the 10 years before transfer, or resided in Tokyo metropolitan area (excluding designated disadvantaged areas) and commuted to Tokyo 23 wards
    • Plus 2 more conditions on the town's page.

    Official source for Migration Support Payment Program (opens in a new tab)

  • Regional Revitalization Migration Support Program (Household) Conditional
    Up to 1,000,000 yen
    What you would need

    Base amount for household migration: up to 1 million yen. Additional 1 million yen per child under 18 may be added (stackable add-on, not included in base cap).

    • Resident of Tokyo 23 wards or commuting to Tokyo 23 wards from Tokyo Metropolitan Area (excluding disadvantaged regions)
    • Plus 3 more conditions on the town's page.

    Official source for Regional Revitalization Migration Support Program (Household) (opens in a new tab)

  • Tokyo-Area Migration Support Subsidy Conditional
    Up to 1,000,000 yen
    What you would need

    Multi-person household: 1,000,000 yen. Single person: 600,000 yen. Additional 1,000,000 yen per minor (under 18) brought along after 1 April 2023.

    • In 10 years before moving to Isa, spent cumulative 5+ years in Tokyo 23 wards or non-disadvantaged Tokyo metro areas, AND commuted to Tokyo 23 wards
    • Plus 2 more conditions on the town's page.

    Official source for Tokyo-Area Migration Support Subsidy (opens in a new tab)

  • Regional Revitalization Migration Support Program (Single) Conditional
    Up to 600,000 yen
    What you would need

    Base amount for single migration: up to 600,000 yen.

    • Resident of Tokyo 23 wards or commuting to Tokyo 23 wards from Tokyo Metropolitan Area (excluding disadvantaged regions)
    • Plus 3 more conditions on the town's page.

    Official source for Regional Revitalization Migration Support Program (Single) (opens in a new tab)

  • Combined Wastewater Treatment Tank (Septic) Subsidy Conditional
    Up to 548,000 yen
    What you would need

    Base: 332,000 yen (5-person), 414,000 yen (7-person), 548,000 yen (10-person tank). Add 50,000 yen if local contractor used. Additional up to 90,000 yen for removal or up to 150,000 yen for in-house plumbing when converting from septic or pit toilet.

    • Must install combined treatment tank or convert from single-treatment septic or pit toilet

    Official source for Combined Wastewater Treatment Tank (Septic) Subsidy (opens in a new tab)

  • Dangerous Vacant Building Demolition Subsidy Conditional
    Up to 200,000 yen
    What you would need

    20% of eligible demolition costs, capped at 200,000 yen; amounts below 1,000 yen discarded.

    • Must not be in default on city taxes. Must be owner of the dangerous building or delegated by owner to execute demolition.
    • Plus 1 more condition on the town's page.

    Official source for Dangerous Vacant Building Demolition Subsidy (opens in a new tab)

  • Hazard-Proximity Dangerous House Relocation Subsidy Conditional
    Demolition/relocation: max 975,000 yen. Construction/purchase/renovation: interest subsidy on loans (max 8.5% annual rate). Land acquisition: max 2,060,000 yen. Site development: max 608,000 yen.
    What you would need
    • Must demolish and relocate, or construct/purchase/renovate replacement housing
    • Plus 1 more condition on the town's page.

    Official source for Hazard-Proximity Dangerous House Relocation Subsidy (opens in a new tab)

  • Migration & Home Exchange Promotion Subsidy Program Conditional
    Base rate 1/5 of eligible costs capped at 500,000 yen for renovation; additional add-ons for migrants, age, families with children, and small settlements when base costs exceed 2.5 million yen.
    What you would need
    • Migrant: resided continuously outside the municipality for 10+ years AND transferred to Isa within 3 years before application or by end of the application fiscal year
    • Plus 3 more conditions on the town's page.

    Official source for Migration & Home Exchange Promotion Subsidy Program (opens in a new tab)

Work with us

Interested in this house?

This prefecture has a licensed, English speaking agent on the ground. Send the form below and it reaches them and us together. Free to ask, and nothing to pay until you decide to go ahead.

  1. 1Tell us where you are and what you would use it for.
  2. 2We check the home and the town's rules with you, free.
  3. 3If you go ahead, Szuwen (Steven) Huang handles the purchase in Japan for a flat fee.

Szuwen (Steven) Huang

KORYOYA LLC

More about Steven
Licensed in JapanSpeaks EnglishCovers Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo and 5 more

Ask about a viewing, renovation costs, the records above, or how buying works from abroad.

Goes to Szuwen (Steven) Huang and to us.

12 other homes currently listed in Isa.

Before you buy

Where this data comes from

Every fact on this page comes from the town's own listing or an official government record, checked for this address. Where a fact is missing, we say so rather than guess.

  • Landslide-risk areas, from Japan's Ministry of Land mapping data (KSJ A33).
  • Flood-risk areas, from Japan's Ministry of Land mapping data (KSJ A31a).
  • Tsunami-risk areas, from Japan's Ministry of Land mapping data (KSJ A40).
  • Earthquake-hazard forecast, from the national J-SHIS model (2024).
  • Farmland rules, from Japan's Ministry of Land mapping data (KSJ A12).
  • Stations, coastline and schools, from Japan's Ministry of Land mapping data.
  • Official land prices, from Japan's Ministry of Land land-price survey.

Map data: National Land Numerical Information (Kokudo Suchi Joho), Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, processed by Engawa.

出典:「国土数値情報」(国土交通省)(https://nlftp.mlit.go.jp/ksj/)をEngawaが加工して作成

Checked against the town's listing
Checked against the town's listing: 2026-09-27
Source listing last changed
Source listing last changed: 2025-12-09

We re-check listings against their sources through the week. Where a fact is missing, we say so rather than guess. Data from the source listing plus official government records.

4,900,000 yen

(approx. GBP 23,000)

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