Sumida House Demolition
An abandoned house being demolished in Sumida-ku, Tokyo.

Japan has over 8,000,000 empty homes and apartments, representing 13.5% of the housing stock. Almost 70% of those are in buildings over 35 years old, and 44.5% are in buildings over 45 years old. The homes are in varying states of decay and not always in a condition where they could be occupied, and are often in locations where there is little to no housing demand.

A survey by the Nikkei Research Institute of Industry and Regional Economy found that over 60% of Japan’s major cities are making efforts to deal with the growing number of abandoned and dilapidated homes.

In Nagasaki City, owners of old homes they no longer want can donate them to the city. The city will then bear the cost of demolishing the structure and will convert the land for public use.

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