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1860s wood house on a large plot in Niigata
Sekikawa, Niigata
- Year built
- 1868
- Building size
- 192.39 sqm
- Land size
- 1090.17 sqm
- Structure
- Wood
About this home
From the listing We purchased this property with the intention of running an old folk house cafe and private lodging while enjoying gardening together, but have had to abandon this plan due to the need to care for elderly parents. Sekikawa Village, where this property is located, stands out in Niigata Prefecture for its natural beauty and tranquility. While car travel is necessary, supermarkets and essential infrastructure are available within a reasonable distance, offering a good balance as a 'countryside that is not too inconvenient.' The area around this property also receives comparatively less snow than other parts of Niigata. Despite viewing many properties throughout Niigata, we encountered reluctance from neighbors and relatives toward migrants from Tokyo even for good buildings, making us keenly aware of relocation difficulties. Regarding Sekikawa Village, however, the village office staff and neighbors were all kind and supportive, which led us to make this purchase. / This property is based on a historic old folk house originally built in the Meiji era and has been carefully maintained over many years. The beams and pillars passed down through the ages possess weight and elegance not found in modern buildings, allowing you to truly appreciate the charm of an authentic Japanese house. The grounds comprise over 1,000 m² of spacious, level land in a corner-lot location with excellent openness. You can enjoy comfortable rural living without concern for neighbors' views. The layout is 12SLDK with ample space, suitable for multi-generational housing as well as private lodging, old folk house cafe, work-from-home facilities, and other business uses. A space with a sunken hearth (irori) remains, providing guests with an extraordinary experience. Additionally, a large shuttered garage and warehouse offer convenient space for hobbies or business storage. / Currently vacant and available for viewing anytime. Part of the ceiling above the washing machine is peeling. The water heater may not be functional. With selective renovation as needed, you can create a truly unique residence that preserves its historical character. This is a rare property offering history, space, and freedom unavailable in cities. Antique tableware, paulownia chests, and folding screens are stored in the shuttered garage; we will give these to interested parties. We are flexible regarding price negotiation depending on conditions. We ask that boundary demarcation and liability for contract defects be waived.
Specifications
Where a detail is not shown, the source listing did not state it. We leave it out rather than guess.
Floor plans
The price in context
1,743 yen
Asking price per sqm of land
5,750 yen
Nearest official land benchmark, per sqm
The nearest official land-price benchmark is about 5,750 yen per sqm, down about 10% over five years (6,400 to 5,750), which the survey classes as declining.
The asking price works out at about 1,743 yen per sqm of land, 70% below the nearest residential benchmark of about 5,750 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.
Area and hazard data
5 checks clear. 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.
Checks clear
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Strong-earthquake chance
Checked, clearAbout 2% 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
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Landslide risk
Checked, clearChecked: no designated landslide zone at this location. Zone edges are approximate, and this is not a legal property disclosure document.
Source: Government hazard map
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Flood risk
Checked, clearChecked: outside a mapped flood area. The maps cover designated rivers only, so this is not a promise of no flooding.
Source: Government hazard map
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Tsunami risk
Checked, clearChecked: no designated tsunami inundation zone at this location
Source: Government hazard map
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Liquefaction
Checked, clearLow liquefaction susceptibility for the ground here
Source: National landform survey
Location
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.
Unknown does not mean permitted. No restriction or permission has been inferred.
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Residence or regular-stay requirement
Not established
No explicit buyer-residency rule found in the checked bank pages.
The bank or the town can say whether buyers are expected to live in the home.
Read official bank rulesChecked 2026-10-06
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Business-use exclusion
Not established
No explicit property business-use rule found; website reuse terms are not property-use rules.
The bank can say whether guest stays fit its rules.
Read official bank rulesChecked 2026-10-06
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Resale restriction
Not established
No explicit post-purchase resale ban or holding period found. Unknown is not permission.
The bank can say whether a resale restriction applies.
Read official bank rulesChecked 2026-10-06
Not reviewed yet for this bank:
- Registration before viewing
- Years you must live there to keep a subsidy
- Years before you may resell
Thinking of renting it out?
What the published rules and maps say about letting this home to short-stay guests, line by line, with sources. This is not a verdict or advice. The town, the bank and the licensing office have the final word.
In Japan, home-sharing (minpaku) under the national home-sharing law is capped at 180 nights a year. A ryokan or inn licence is a separate route with its own building and zoning rules.
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Local home-sharing ordinance
Niigata Prefecture has an ordinance that limits where or when home-sharing runs.
On top of the 180-night national cap, the ordinance can rule out some areas or periods, so the exact address matters.
Japan Tourism Agency ordinance listList dated 2021-04-01
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Zoning for hotels and inns
Unknown. Zoning data for this spot is not loaded yet.
Unknown does not mean permitted. The town's planning desk holds the zoning map.
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Urbanisation control area
Unknown. Area division data is not available for this spot.
Unknown does not mean permitted. The town's planning desk can say whether the home is in an urbanisation control area.
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Heavy-snow designation
Unknown. The heavy-snow map is not checked for this spot.
The town can say how much snow falls and who clears the road.
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Distance to an airport and the shinkansen
Nearest airport about 37.8 km, nearest shinkansen station about 44.5 km, in a straight line.
How easily guests arrive shapes demand. Road and rail journeys are longer than these distances.
Airports (MLIT)FY2021 data, read 2026-10-04
Rail stations (MLIT)FY2025 data, read 2026-10-04
Grants and rules
2 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.
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Regional Revitalization Migration Support Program (Household)
Up to 1,000,000 yenWhat 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.
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Regional Revitalization Migration Support Program (Single)
Up to 600,000 yenWhat 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)
How to buy: from a private seller.
This home is listed on Ieichiba, where owners sell directly. Koryoya can work with the seller, or the agent they appoint, to complete the purchase for you.
Help in English from Koryoya
Koryoya is a licensed real estate agent in Japan. With its Interpretation & Administrative Support, it works between you and the seller's agent in English and helps with the paperwork.
- It can arrange quotes from English speaking lawyers and insurers.
- Viewing on your behalf can be arranged separately.
Koryoya explains its charges before you agree to anything.
- Free to ask us. We read the listing with you, help with the Japanese and explain each step.
- There are always some costs, such as registration and legal fees, even for a free house.
Interested in this house?
A founder replies by email. Free to ask.
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).
- 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
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.
