There are many reasons for the increasing number of vacant houses, one is the rapidly aging population, another is that many young people are moving away from rural areas and are moving to the big cities making these “akiya”, Japanese for vacant homes completely unattractive and worthless properties. Also homes left because of natural disasters are very difficult to get rid of and are not on any broker’s radars. Another interesting reason for the rise of vacant homes, are houses empty due to violent deaths, murder or suicide. Because a large part of the Japanese population is superstitious, very few people want to move in these homes because living in a home like this is considered very bad luck. This in turn makes these houses almost impossible to sell.
With predictions that Japan’s population is going to shrink even more, effectively increasing the number of abandoned homes. These “akiya” which were mostly found in rural areas are becoming more common in the areas around big cities including the capital Tokyo. To combat this problem not only are these houses offered for free but many owners are even willing to pay money to get rid of them. Local governments even have sponsor programs offering money for renovation of these homes so that they can attract future homeowners.