What happens when someone halfway across the world decides to buy a home in Japan? Some are doing just that—creating new relationships with place, whether as part-time residents, guesthouse owners, or creative investors. We’ve had the chance to support a few of them. This series shares their stories.
Key facts
Type of home: Move-in ready apartment
Location: Nara
In walkable distance: Nara Park and their famous tame deer, onsen, grocery- and convenience store and train station
Daytrip destinations: Osaka and Kyoto
Nostal Homes supported:
Wilson and Chelsea first crossed paths in Venice, where Wilson — a wedding photographer — was on an assignment.
Chelsea later entered the industry herself, and the two began working together.
Over the past decade, their work took them to lesser-known corners across Japan. One place, in particular, left a deep mark: Nara. Wilson photographed there twice and fell in love with its quiet charm.
The idea of owning a vacation home first surfaced during their first trip to Japan as a family — when they brought Ally, then just 4 months old, to Kyushu. In Wilson’s words, it was “the best trip of my life.”
While staying at an Airbnb in Miyazaki, they met a young Japanese family with a daughter. The family owned a vacation home overlooking the Miyazaki coastline — the most beautiful stay of their trip. Inspired, the couple began dreaming about having a little place of their own, too.
When their daughter Ally was born, they realized that their old style of travel—cramming in sightseeing across eight tightly packed days—was no longer ideal.
There was so much more to consider, and their thoughts began to shift toward a new kind of vacation. One where days were slower, bags were lighter, and Ally could simply roam. That’s when the idea of a base—a home away from home—was born.
Their search began in Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe, but through their process with Ryo, they learned something that shifted their perspective: unlike in Singapore, where real estate typically increases in value and acts as an investment, Japanese homes tend to lose value over time.
They realized that purchasing a house here needed to be approached more like buying a car—and that they should expect it to depreciate. That realization led them to halve their budget and pushed their search outside the cities and into the countryside.
A video sparked the idea of Nara. They already knew the area quite well, and the thought of Ally growing up alongside the Nara deer lit a spark. Ally’s first meeting with the deer sealed it—she embraced their presence rather than being scared. It felt like a confirmation that their dream was on its way.
Their choice landed on a newer, move-in-ready apartment, tucked into a peaceful neighborhood with all the essentials nearby—a grocery store, a coin laundry, and even an onsen, all within walking distance. Nara Park and its friendly deer are just 15 minutes away on foot. Kyoto and Osaka remain easy day-trip destinations when life calls for it.
They’ve just spent their first month there, and it’s been a revelation. The apartment is a nest away from home—perfect for slow mornings, unhurried dinners, and meandering days with Ellie. Compared to the high-energy life they lead in Singapore, this place feels like an invitation to breathe.
With a toddler, it also means less packing in the future and a kind of travel that lets their shoulders relax a little more.
Their vacations now center around connection and rhythm: outings to the playground, walks in the woods, teatime with neighbors. No rush. Just life.