There are 9 million vacant houses in Japan. The number of empty house in the country is increasing with each passing day. As population declines, the number of vacant homes in the country has now risen to nearly 9 million.
Abandoned houses are known as ‘ Akiya’ in Japan. Akiya in Japanese usually refers to abandoned residential houses in rural areas. But even in big cities like Tokyo and Kyoto, the number of Akiya houses is growing, which is a problem for the government said reports.
The country has large of older population while the birth rate is low. So the population is not increasing but the country is decreasing. Japan’s population is declining which has led to this vacant homes crisis Japan. It’s not really a problem of building too many house, but a problem of not having enough people said a lecturer at Kanda University of international Studies in Chiba.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, 14 % of Japan’s total residential properties are vacant. This includes second homes and other vacant homes that are temporarily vacant because the owners are abroad. But Japan’s declining birth rate has been left many families without heirs or have moved to the cities and see little interest in returning to the countryside. Some houses are also lying vacant amid administrative complications. Local authorities don’t know who owns these houses due to old or poor record systems.
But what is the reason for this Vacant Homes Crisis Japan, Jeffery Hall further informed that even if owners want to sell such abandoned houses, they might have a hard time finding buyers. Hall Further highlighted hoe difficult it is for a foreigner to buy the Akiyas in Japan. He said that administrative work and rules behind buying such speak Japanese and read Japanese very well.
What are the consequences and when it becomes a huge factor? Where does it end? Is there really anything to be taken lightly? According to experts, appropriate measures should be taken or else this problem will become huge. But is the appropriate action being taken to solve the problem ? It remains to be seen how effective the country’s government will be in this regard. What do you think?