Why Japan has more than 8 million cheap abandoned houses that people are renovating into dream homes

• More than 8.5 million abandoned homes in rural Japan are creating a "ghost town" problem. 
• A push into the city and population decline are two reasons these homes sit empty.
• Locals see them as a burden, while foreigners view them as an opportunity to own property cheaply.

Japan has millions of abandoned rural houses for sale.

The glut delights foreigners who've been able to buy one for as little as $23,000. But underlying the surplus are meaningful shifts in Japan's culture. Demographic and economic patterns — including a shrinking population and migration from the countryside to cities — are combining to create a "ghost town" problem in Japan.