What if you don't actually want to buy in Kyoto?

The place you want to visit isn't always the place you should buy

When people think about buying a home in Japan, they often start with places they already know. Kyoto is an obvious example. It's a city people fall in love with, and it's easy to understand why they'd want a home there.

But something I've been thinking about is whether the place you want to visit is necessarily the place where you'd want to own a home.

I recently went to Shiga, just across the prefectural border from Kyoto, to look at three houses around Lake Biwa. I expected to find some interesting properties at lower prices. What I didn't expect was how much the surrounding area itself would change the way I thought about the search.

What are you actually buying a home for?

If you're coming from overseas, you probably have a few places in Japan that you already know. Maybe you've visited Kyoto several times. Maybe you love Osaka, or you've spent time in Tokyo and can picture yourself returning.

Those places are natural starting points. But they can also narrow your search before you've really decided what you want from owning a home here.

Think about how you'd actually use the property. Would you spend most of your time exploring a city? Would you rather have somewhere to slow down, get outside, and spend a few days away from your usual routine? Would you want to go back to the same neighborhood every time, or use the house as a base for exploring somewhere new?

Your answers could point you toward very di fferent places.

And you might not know the answer until you spend some time outside the destinations you're already familiar with.

Shiga has a reason to stand on its own

Otsu, in Shiga Prefecture, sits on the southern edge of Lake Biwa. It's close enough to Kyoto that you can travel between the two quickly, but the atmosphere around the lake feels quite different from central Kyoto.

I went running along the water and ended up getting into the lake for a swim. Later, we took the ropeway up to Biwako Terrace, where the view across the water was spectacular. I hadn't realized quite how much the lake and mountains would shape the experience of being there.

The lake wasn't just something nice to look at from a house. It gave the whole area a different character.

Takeuchi-san, the property professional we spoke with, made another point about the area. In his view, one of Shiga's biggest advantages is that property prices can be much more affordable than in Kyoto, despite the proximity.

That's worth considering if Kyoto is where you'd originally planned to look. But the scenery, the water, and the different pace of the area give you reasons to consider Shiga beyond the price.

A place can be close to somewhere you love without needing to offer the same experience.

Three houses, three different decisions

We looked at three properties with asking prices between ¥18.8 million / $119,000 and ¥21.8 million / $138,000. They were close enough in price to make the comparison interesting, but each offered a different proposition.

The first was a traditional Japanese house with tatami rooms, an engawa-style space, and an open stairwell that I particularly liked. It also needed work, including an outdated kitchen. You'd have some decisions to make about what to preserve and what to renovate.

The second house was smaller and had a renovated interior. It offered a more straightforward alternative for someone who liked the area but didn't want to take on the same kind of renovation project.

The third was farther north along the lake. It had more land and a renovation completed in July 2026, according to the listing information.

None of these choices is automatically better than the others. You might love the character of the first house and enjoy making it your own. Or you might prefer to spend your time using the property rather than working on it. Someone else might be happy to travel a little farther from Kyoto in exchange for more outdoor space.

The asking price alone won't tell you which house makes sense for you.

And the same goes for the location. A property near Kyoto isn't necessarily the right choice simply because Kyoto is the place you know best.

Before you narrow your search, widen it

Here's something I'd suggest if you're starting to look for a home in Japan: spend a little time thinking about what you want your days there to look like before settling on a city or region.

If it's a second home, picture a typical visit. Where would you want to go? What would you enjoy doing nearby? Would you be happy spending time in a quieter area, or would you miss having a city right outside your door?

Then look at places that could offer that experience, including areas just beyond the destinations you already know.

You don't have to choose Shiga. It might not suit you at all. But if you're looking at Kyoto, it's worth understanding what lies just beyond it before deciding that your search needs to stop at the city limits.

I went to Shiga to look at houses near Kyoto. By the end of the day, I could see why someone might choose the area for its own sake.

If you're curious about the houses and the place itself, you can watch our full trip below.

[Watch EP323: Shiga Special / Lake Biwa]