They were referring to the real estate listing (the second URL I linked), which is located in Itoigawa. Admittedly Itoigawa is very rural (population 40,000 and

They were referring to the real estate listing (the second URL I linked), which is located in Itoigawa. Admittedly Itoigawa is very rural (population 40,000 and on the decline) and wouldn't be my first choice of location. But on the other hand, it is a stop on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line which means you are within a couple hours at most of Tokyo, Takasaki, Nagano, Toyama, and Kanazawa. It also has good skiing an hour to the South in Hakuba (where they held the 1998 winter olympics) and hiking in the nearby mountains. For anyone interested in a self-sufficient lifestyle, you could also buy some inexpensive farmland and grow a lot of your own produce. It may not be for everyone, but I can think of worse places in the world to live.