A former manga library in Sakata, Yamagata Prefecture has been listed on Japanese real estate service Lifull Home’s for 1.9 million yen, which is equivalent to approximately $11,750 USD at current exchange rates. The building once served as the Sakata Manga Library, a private establishment that was frequently enjoyed by the local community in its heyday.
The property, now vacant, still houses all the manga that were originally made available to visitors, including hundreds of volumes of classic Weekly Shonen Jump and CoroCoro Comic titles, as well as old back-issues of Jump manga magazines.
The listing was discovered by YouTuber Yusuke Yoshikawa, who brought it to wider attention through a viral X post. Users responded with enthusiasm, with some former Sakata residents and visitors reminiscing about their childhood visits to the library.
Yoshikawa hosts the blog URBANSPRAWL and the YouTube channel Property Value ZERO where he produces exposé style content covering abandoned buildings, issues with urban planning, and other lesser-known real estate-related topics. In an interview with Maidona News, he acknowledged that while listings for older buildings such as this one usually face skepticism from online users due to concerns about structural integrity and renovation costs, this particular instance appears to have won over the crowd. “While there are certainly significant risks, there’s also something romantic about it, and I was happy to see so many responses that reflected that romance,” he said.
User comments recalled the library’s pioneering status as a kind of proto-manga café in the 1990s before the dawn of the internet alongside its ludicrously cheap fees making it an absolute haven for children in the area as well as visitors passing through on summer vacation.
On the other hand, one user chimed in to provide a reality check. “This 90-tsubo (approx. 1000 sq. ft) building is on its last legs. Demolition costs would exceed 10 million yen (~$60,000 USD), and repairs would cost tens of millions with blueprints.” Due to the low inherent value of the land, they argue, the actual property value is rather dubious. Even basic upkeep costs would exceed the price of the listing, so prospective buyers may wish to do their own research before jumping in.
If you’re actually interested in owning this property, Lifull Home’s listing is still available until September 7th here.
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