Photo/Illutration An abandoned vacant home in the Kanto region (Provided by Akiya Akichi Kanri Center (vacant property management center))

As Japan’s population ages, a record-breaking number of houses across the country now sit vacant, with many showing unlit windows, walls covered with vines and rooftops crumbling. 

The number of these “akiya” (vacant) houses has reached 9 million nationwide, or 13.8 percent of the total number of homes in Japan, a government survey released on April 30 showed.

This means that roughly one in every seven homes is vacant.

Of these 9 million vacant homes, 4.76 million, including new homes, are for rent or sale, according to the preliminary figures released by the internal affairs ministry.

Around 380,000 are vacation homes and other buildings intended for seasonal or occasional use.

However, the biggest challenge is the increase in abandoned vacant homes with no intended use. The number of such homes increased by 370,000 from the previous survey to 3.85 million, the highest on record.

Neglected and vacant homes pose a significant risk of collapse. They are also vulnerable to illegal trash dumping and arson, which can threaten neighborhood safety.

The number of overall unoccupied homes nationwide increased by 510,000 from 8.49 million in the previous survey in 2018.

The vacancy rate rose 0.2 percentage point to 13.8 percent.

By prefecture, the vacancy rate was highest in Wakayama and Tokushima prefectures at 21.2 percent, followed by Yamanashi Prefecture at 20.5 percent.

The survey has been conducted every five years since 1948, with the latest one carried out in October 2023. The number of uninhabited houses has been increasing since 1973, when comparable data became available, and has doubled in the past 30 years.

The ministry sees the aging population as the main factor behind the increase in abandoned vacant homes. Many homes are left unoccupied after elderly people living alone died or entered nursing homes.

The trend toward "nuclear families," in which their children live separately with them, is also contributing to the problem.

Even when inherited by relatives, many vacant homes are left unattended to due to high demolition costs, low marketability and other challenges.

As the baby boomers age, the number of such akiya homes is expected to increase further.

To address these growing problems, the government revised a relevant law in December.

Under the new regulation, municipal officials can ask the owners of newly categorized abandoned vacant homes to properly manage their properties. If improvements are not made, these properties will not be eligible for tax breaks.

(This article was written by Yoko Masuda and Takeshi Owada.)

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