Coco Lencho Japan.
- 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 moved to Japan from North Carolina in July 2017 due to his job with the US government. The initial idea was to return to the US after, but as they settled into their new lives, they realized that they didn't want to leave.