Wakayama demolishing abandoned hotel
A long-abandoned hotel in Japan’s Amalfi is being forcibly demolished by the city government in response to complaints from local residents. Located on a cliffside position, the former Taikobo Hotel overlooks the Saikazaki Fishing Harbor on Wakayama City’s coastal area.Read more
Kyoto's kominka matching program connects buyers with 200+ year old homes
Since its formation in April of last year, Kyoto Prefecture’s kominka matching program has already found new residents for nine historic properties. One of those is a 250-year old estate that once belonged to the village headman.Read more
Nationwide unwanted land donation scheme now in effect
On April 27, the Ministry of Justice enacted a nationwide unwanted land donation system in order to reduce the burden of rural, idle land on heirs. However, there are some strings attached that may limit how effective this system will be at reducing the number of vacant ‘akiya’ properties across Japan.Read more
Abandoned homes in city centers are becoming more common
Akiya, or vacant and dilapidated homes, are becoming a common sight in some of Japan’s largest cities, and it’s not for the reasons you might suspect.
Shrink-wrapping to solve Japan's vacant home issue
A demolition company based in Tokushima Prefecture has come up with a novel, short-term way to deal with Japan's derelict, vacant homes.
The problem with trying to buy an abandoned ‘akiya’
The Japanese countryside is dotted with old, rambling shacks and farmhouses that look empty and abandoned. They can even be found in urban settings. You may think it’s a simple process of just pulling the title with the owner’s name on it, giving them a call and offering a few Yen to take the old home off their hands. And voila, you now have a charming fixer-upper of your own?
Okutama Town launches free house site
The mountainous town of Okutama, located in the distant western reach of the Tokyo metropolitan government area, has launched a “0 Yen Vacant House Bank” on the town's homepage to help owners dispose of their empty and idle homes.