A US Army vet moved to Japan with his wife and bought an abandoned house for $35,000. They have no plans to leave.

• Lawrence Covian, 53, and his wife moved to Japan from the US in 2017.
• They bought an abandoned house, or akiya, in the countryside for 5 million Japanese yen, or $35,000.
• He says his mental and physical health has improved since he started living in the countryside.

When Lawrence Covian’s five-year employment contract came to an end, he had no interest in returning to the US.

Covian and his wife, Chiyoko, had ” problem.

But thanks to the low price tag and the lack of restrictions on foreigners purchasing property, more and more .