[Iv]

Rural Japan. I am moving out of it, and most rural communities are very aware of the fact that they are dying out. Houses are not only cheap, some are free. I have a friend who is living in a house just in exchange of cutting the grass there regularly (long story). Landlords have to pay for the cost of destruction if one house they own becomes abandoned. They are happy to have a tenant even for free if they fix things there and keep the place in a good shape.

Schools are closing one after the other. The countryside is littered with abandoned schools. People there are despaired to see their cities shrink.

When we arrived from Tokyo with a young kid, we were more than welcomed and locals helped us localize the best houses for us.