The couple left Sweden to live in Japan

In 2020, Lia and Mikael Lilja bought a piece of land in a small town, about a 15-minute drive from the city of Malmö, to build their dream house. At that time, the two planned to have children, live near family and have a long-term relationship in Sweden.

At the end of 2023, they move into a new house, but the plan that was once considered the foundation for the future gradually changed. They registered to wait for in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment from 2021 but the process was delayed due to the pandemic. During the waiting period, they discussed many times about life ahead and finally realized that IVF was no longer a suitable choice. The large house becomes redundant when there are only the couple and a dog.

In 2019, the two spent 6 months around Asia, quickly falling in love with the region. Bali, Indonesia and South Korea were considered if they moved abroad, but after careful research, they realized none of them were really suitable.

The turning point came when the Liljas happened to listen to a podcast about buying a house in Japan. Having wanted to go to this country for a long time, the two planned a trip at the end of 2025, and at the same time put their house in Sweden up for sale.

In November 2025, Lilja and her husband went to Japan for three weeks to learn. They visited many places before narrowing down their choices to locations no more than a 90-minute drive from Kyoto. They are looking for a traditional house, with lots of natural light, a wraparound porch, located in the countryside but still convenient to move and access essential amenities.

After the trip, they hired a real estate broker in Japan and started looking for akiya, a term for vacant houses. Some time later, the Swedish tourist couple found the house they wanted for 8 million yen (49,000 USD) excluding taxes and related costs.

In May 2026, they handed over the house in Sweden and then went to Japan. Both quit their jobs and considered this period as a “gap year” to get used to their new life before settling down for a long time.

The first time they directly entered the house, they were surprised because the building was much better preserved than they imagined an akiya house would be. The kitchen is almost new, the bathroom is more spacious than expected.

However, new life still requires many adaptations. Most of the household items and instructions are in Japanese, forcing the couple to frequently use apps to translate.

In the first two weeks, they mainly bought food at convenience stores because there were no refrigerators to preserve food and cook. They also ordered new tatami, hired a roof inspector and planned what needed renovations.

The house is located on the edge of a small village, surrounded by fields and bamboo forests. The neighbors, mostly older residents, welcomed them quite friendly and gave them instructions on how to weed, take care of the land and process bamboo shoots in the bamboo forest.

After about a month of cleaning, arranging the house and shopping for necessary items, Lilja and her husband returned to Europe to visit family and complete vaccination procedures for their pet dog.

They plan to officially move to Japan in September. When they return, the two will both renovate the house step by step and spend time exploring different regions of the country.

Abandoning the house that was once built for a future that is no longer suitable, Lia and Mikael said they are eagerly looking forward to the new chapter of their lives in Japan.