Tateyama — buying kominka and vacant houses

We buy vacant houses in Tateyama as they are.

Iwakuraji and Ashikuraji still have buildings that were once pilgrim lodges of the Tateyama faith. High ceilings and many rooms make them hard to live in but well suited to conversion into inns and shops. Farmhouses with windbreak groves dot the farmland on the fan. We also take enquiries where a change of use is the plan.

We buy vacant houses in Tateyama Town as they are, contents included. No clearing needed.
Former pilgrim lodgings in Iwakuraji and Ashikuraji suit conversion into guesthouses or shops.
The further into the hills, the deeper the snow, and being unable to keep clearing it often prompts owners to let go.
A subsidy is the "Tateyama Town vacant-house removal support project subsidy".
Brokerage fee ¥0, free appraisal. As little as 2 weeks from the on-site survey.

Areas of Tateyama we cover

Gohyakkoku

Iwakuraji

Ashikuraji

Rita

Kamagafuchi

Higashitani

Takano

Uwadan

and all of Tateyama

We cover other districts too. We are a builder in Yatsuo, Toyama City, and drive anywhere from central Gohyakkoku up to the hills of Ashikuraji. Just tell us where the house is and roughly what state it is in. Other municipalities in Toyama Prefecture are listed in Selling a vacant house or kominka in Toyama (overview).

Houses in Tateyama, and why they fall empty

The Tateyama range Mt Bessan of the Tateyama range with lingering snow (Tateyama)

※ Street scene in Tateyama, not a property we handle. Photo: 663highland "Mt Bessan01nt3200"(CC BY 2.5), cropped

Ashikuraji and Iwakuraji, once bases of the Tateyama pilgrimage, keep the look of pilgrim-lodge villages, and farmhouses spread across the plain along the Joganji river. As the gateway to the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, the town has tourist demand of its own.

Old houses of the pilgrimage villages and big farmhouses are gone for good once demolished, but repaired they can live on as inns and shops. Our policy is to restore the houses we buy, not demolish them. In snowy districts too, we judge by the roof and the frame.

If you want a broad view of prices before selling, see Using the akiya banks in Toyama. You can keep the house listed on an akiya bank and still talk to us about a direct purchase.

Snow, roads and land in Tateyama

Tateyama Town's terrain is a fan and river terraces formed by the fast-flowing Jouganji River. Snowfall increases step by step as you go up from the town centre of Gohyakkoku towards the hills of Ashikuraji and Iwakuraji. The hillside settlements get some of the heaviest snow in the prefecture, and being unable to keep up with clearing snow off a vacant house's roof is often the direct trigger for letting it go.

The Joganji, called the wildest river in Japan, has shaped a land that lives with erosion control. In villages on the terraces, stone walls and slopes are appraised along with the building. The stony soil of the fan shows in how gardens and foundations were built too.

Gohyakkoku's town centre still has a row of merchant houses, and in the rural areas most consultations involve a house together with rice fields. We think through how to let go of the house and the fields together, including the farmland procedures.

How to manage the snow season from outside the prefecture is set out in A year-round calendar for managing a Toyama vacant house from afar.

Subsidies in Tateyama

Tateyama has subsidies for demolishing or renovating vacant houses. Budget and conditions are set each fiscal year, and starting work before the grant is approved disqualifies you as a rule. Whether selling, renting or repairing is best can depend on the scheme, so we check it alongside the appraisal.

Tateyama vacant-house removal subsidy
Supports the cost of removing a vacant house. The town publishes a flowchart for checking eligibility.

Tateyama contents-disposal subsidy for vacant-house bank listings
Supports disposing of the contents of a house registered with the vacant-house bank.

* Check the municipality's official page for current availability and requirements.

Tateyama FAQ

Can I really sell a vacant house in Tateyama without clearing it out?＋−

Yes. In Tateyama too, we buy with the contents and the altar still inside; we dispose of them, so no clearing out. From former pilgrim lodges in Iwakuraji and Ashikuraji to farmhouses on the alluvial fan, we take them all as they are.

How long from appraisal to handover in Tateyama?＋−

As little as two weeks from the site survey. A few days from your request to the visit, and the price within a week. Pilgrim-lodge buildings suit conversion to inns and shops, so within Tateyama it goes smoothly. Once it is a guesthouse, we can run it through our minpaku management and operation service.

Another firm said it can't be sold without demolishing. Is that true in Tateyama?＋−

We don't assume demolition. We repair the houses we buy and pass them on, so there is no demolition cost to deduct from the price. Many requests here come from heirs living outside the prefecture, and the better the condition, the bigger the difference. Appraisal is free, with no charge if you decline.

We could not clear the roof in winter and the house is damaged. Will you buy it?＋−

Yes. Snow damage is factored into the appraisal. Even if you fear it may collapse, we look at the condition first and then decide.

→ What to do with a house whose roof has fallen in or that may collapse

Do you take houses in the old villages like Ashikuraji and Iwakuraji?＋−

Yes. Houses in the Tateyama pilgrimage villages are often well built, and we consider them on a repair-not-demolish basis.

For a vacant house in Tateyama, is a direct purchase or brokerage better?＋−

For a house in central Gohyakkoku, if you are in no hurry and can clear it out, brokerage is an option. Houses in the hills often cannot keep up with snow clearing and deteriorate with every winter. If you want to let go before next winter, selling as it is to a direct buyer suits better. We tell you which fits at the appraisal.

Who should I talk to about a large building that used to be a pilgrim lodge?＋−

Seen only as a home, a pilgrim lodge with high ceilings and many rooms is too much house, and rarely gets a price. Check whether the company will look at it as a future inn or shop, and whether you can discuss how it will be used afterwards. We also run the place once it becomes lodging, through our minpaku management service.

We buy vacant houses in Tateyama as they are.

Areas of Tateyama we cover

Houses in Tateyama, and why they fall empty

How houses sell in Tateyama

Snow, roads and land in Tateyama

Subsidies in Tateyama

Request an appraisal for a house in Tateyama.

Tateyama FAQ

Our purchase terms and frequently asked questions.