Owner seeking 10 billion Yen for island in Kyushu
Last month Japan’s Ministry of Defense entered into negotiations to purchase an island south of Kyushu. The Ministry plans to use the 8 square kilometre island as a field carrier landing practice (FCLP) site for the U.S. forces.
Negotiations have, however, hit a slight snag with regards to price. The Ministry had initially estimated the value of the island to be several billion Yen, while the landowner is hoping for something closer to 10 billion Yen (approx. 87 million USD). The owner had previously been approached by several real estate developers from Macau, Hong Kong and Shanghai, all who have reportedly expressed interest in buying the island.Read more
Government plans to nationalise 280 uninhabited islands
The Japanese government is embarking on a plan that could result in the nationalisation of 280 privately owned islands.
A survey of 400 islands determined to be of importance to the protection of Japan's borders found that 350 were uninhabited. The identity of the owners of 280 of those islands is unknown. Under the civil code, land that has been abandoned and without an identifiable owner can revert to state ownership. Eg. in the case where the owner has died without any heirs. Read more