TOKYO -- Foreigners are increasingly buying abandoned homes in Japan, especially old country houses featuring tatami mats and stylish alcoves, driven in part by a high regard for traditional Japanese culture and the weak yen.
Foreign ownership of abandoned homes may change local attitudes

Lee Xian Jie, right, chats with locals at his restaurant next to the house he is renovating in Wakayama prefecture. (Photo by Takaki Kashiwabara)
TOKYO -- Foreigners are increasingly buying abandoned homes in Japan, especially old country houses featuring tatami mats and stylish alcoves, driven in part by a high regard for traditional Japanese culture and the weak yen.