How much to buy a house in Okinawa?

I am looking to expatriate to Okinawa in the next 10 years. I am half Okinawan, and am already aware of the stringent citizenship requirements in Japan. I need to know how much houses cost in Okinawa. I would like a house in any shape (DIY!) with a yard and a drive that is no more than 30 min. to 1 hour from Naha. Any ideas on prices?

I have not looked into it myself, but according to the locals that I work with, you could buy a 10 year old house for about $150,000. Don't quote me on that though.

Can I ask how old you are and why you plan to live in Okinawa? Where do you plan to work? I'm just curious.

Dear J,
I plan on moving to Okinawa because I really cannot stand the States anymore. Our leaders sit idly by while the citizens are raped for no reason on the price of gasoline. Here in Florida, they're talking about making it mandatory for school children to study Spanish! My son should be able to study any language he wants to (hopefully Japanese because my mother's family is Japanese), and I abhor the idea of our national anthem being sold on CD in Spanish!!! Okinawa is beautiful and simple -- I love the food, culture, music, and people there. I have taught English in Japan before, and can also teach music; I have Montessori teaching experience; I am good at DIY as well as office work. I plan to work in whatever capacity will bring me the most satisfaction and peace of mind. Okinawa is the place I dream of visting in oder to 'get away from it all', and I got to thinking, "Why can't I just live there?" So instead of dreaming about visting there at some unkown point in the future, I have started to think about moving there as a real possibility, and it makes me feel awesome! Blah, blah, I could go on forever. That's it in a nutshell!

Meaning no disrespect but your reasonings make no sense.

Gas prices in the US compare with the prices in Japan, if not Japan pays for more gas, not to mention the prices in Europe make the prices people pay in the US like change. Frankly speaking, gas prices in the US are some of the cheapest in the world!

So you dont want your school teaching your son spanish (a measuer that has not passed yet), but you dont mind him being taught Japanese as the primary language?

I'm just saying living in Japan isnt a walk in the park, especially for foreigners, more so for mixed foreigners.

Yukiko,
Whatever your reasons are for moving over here, I'm sure you'll survive just fine.

You say you plan to move in the next ten years. How old will your son be? Does he speak Japanese? If you enroll him in a Japanese school at an early age, he might adjust just fine if he's too old you shouldn't stick him in a Japanese school. I'm sure you thought of that though.

I assume you speak Japanese, but if you don't you may be able to get a job on one of the several US military bases here. They tend to favor those who went to American colleges.

Good luck, amigo.

First, I would like to thank everyone who has responded for taking the time to read and respond. I appreciate hearing different points of view. As for my statement about the gas prices in the States, I did not mean that the prices upset me, it is the fact that the U.S. posseses enough resources to fulfill its own domestic demand. Instead of using our own oil, we export tons of it to needy countries, and then buy the rest of what we need from the Middle East, Venezuela, etc. At the foundation of this arrangement stand American and Middle Eastern oil men padding their pockets. This is only one example of the ludicrous, $$$-driven, B.S. that our "chosen" leaders drag us through. Many other countries pay more for gas than we do because of a very real supply and demand issue; that is not the case here.

As for my son, he is three years old now. I am not sure of all the schooling options for elementary, junior high school and high school students in Okinawa. I would hope to see him go to a school where he could use both English and Japanese. If the law allows it in Japan, I could also home school him. Does anybody know about this? What about private schools? I'll have to peruse the Okinawa Yellow Pages (the online version is from 2003 though). I am teaching my son Japanese, and I am sure that as he grows and becomes acquainted with his Japanese relatives, he will appreciate being able to communicate with them.

Quick question: How long does it take to drive from Naha to Nago?

Thanks again for reading and responding!

The drive from Naha to Nago is a little over an hour.

I know there's a small, underfunded school in Ginowan city that teaches in English and Japanese. Most of the students have Japanese mothers and American GI fathers (who abandoned them). The school is K-12 and is located between Nago and Naha.

There's probably other international schools but I'm not aware of them.

Hi Yukiko,

I realize this was an old post; However, please let me know your progress. I am not Japanese, but feel the same as you. We just moved back from Okinawa a year ago and are looking to return. I would love to talk to you!

Aimee

Yukiko, I think you are absolutely on the right road. Okinawa is a wonderful place, maybe a unique place left in the world where people are genuinely nice to each other for no ulterior reason. My wife is Japanese and she got a good job here 3 years ago, so we are well set up. We have 3 kids in school here and I am not worried about their English because they will speak it when it is time. We bought a nice house and fixed it up, but for a lot more than $150K. But that was for a big place with a nice garden in Naha. I'm sure you can find a place for a lot less, but the fact is that very few houses are on the market at any given time. I am the only gaijin in this part of town, but somehow I feel right at home. My Japanese isn't very good but I'm learning. People here are absolutely the best! Any questions, please e-mail me.

Steve

HI, Steve
Are you living in Okinawa? Me and my husband want to live there. I'm from Okinawa but we live in England at the moment. every year we visit we just want to move to Japan...but the thing is I'm not sure what it's like for foreigner and if you don't mind I would like to talk to you by mail. thanks!

Thank you to everyone who has been contributing to this post! Does anyone out there know about the legality of homeschoolingin Okinawa?

Aimee,
I am sorry, I did not mean to ignore your post.....our progress is slow, but comfortable. My fiance and I are both kind of in the middle of career changes, and just starting on the road to saving and investing for the future. We hope to have enough money put aside within the next 5-10 years to make a move. How are you doing? Do you have a time frame? I'll tell you, if I had a boatload of money, I would leave for Okinawa TODAY!!! I think about it everyday, and it is definitely an important goal of mine to have Okinawa as a big part of my life. Thanks for your post :-)

A few questions please:

1. If you have a Japanese passport but have not lived in Japan for an extended period, can you still buy?

2. If I don'trequire a mortgage, are there any other set backs or challenges?

3. Can you buy on the outer islands such as Ishigaki jima?

Thank you!

I'm so glad to come across this thread. My wife and I currently live in Canada, but we're planning on moving to Japan within two years. We're having a baby this summer and we'd like to raise it in Japan (where my wife is from). Okinawa is one of the places that we're considering.

I'd like to hear more about what it's like to live, work and raise a child in Okinawa. I'm an elementary school teacher in Canada with a specialty in ESL. My wife is a Japanese-licenced pharmacist. She can basically find work anywhere in Japan, but she is worried about whether or not I'd be able to find work in Okinawa.

Any stories or comments would be much appreciated! Thanks!

1. If you have a Japanese passport but have not lived in Japan for an extended period, can you still buy?

Anyone can purchase real estate in Japan, regardless of nationality.

2. If I don'trequire a mortgage, are there any other set backs or challenges?

Visa. Buying a house does not get you automatic residency, you still need to qualify.

3. Can you buy on the outer islands such as Ishigaki jima?

Yes. Though some parts are protected, I believe.

I'm moving to Okinawa in June and have been looking for real estate agencies. Anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks.

Mary

I appreciate all the information.
Cheers,

Hi
I'm not currently living in Okinawa but I'm from Okinawa and visit every year so I hope I can help a bit.

Work situation is not that great in Okinawa, all my friends seem to struggle with the condition eg; long hours, useless annual holidays...
Although you and your partner are both qualified for specific job so I don't think you will have a problem getting work at all.

Not sure in Canada, but in Europe where I live mothers at work are normally respected. but all my firends in Okinawa alwayas having hard time with juggling both kids and the work because simply work wouldn't understand.

although I found lots of friends who set up their own business look quite happy there.

Yes it is legal, it is viewed as a private school. However you may be visited by the local board of education in which case you will have to provide reasons why you need to homeschool, and most likely proof that he is receiving bonafide schooling....I know these things because we (my husband and I) homeschool our kids here in Okayama....We have never been bothered
by the local authorities (we are American non military).