In Japan, the problem of vacant homes is growing, which threatens to turn into abandoned quarters or rubbish dumps, even in the largest cities. According to the latest statistical data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan at the beginning of 2023, there are 8.9 million vacant homes in the country, which constitutes 10.3% of the total number. Contributing to this problem are high inheritance tax, high costs for maintaining vacant homes, tax burdens on unused land, and complex land ownership regulations.
Due to this situation, in some areas of Tokyo, teams of officials ride bicycles checking vacant homes with fences, overgrown gardens, and other signs of the absence of residents. They are trying to identify the owner and convince them of the urgency of selling the property, which becomes challenging due to increased taxes that property owners of vacant lots face.
Experts note that the increase in the number of vacant homes reflects a shrinking population. A scholar from the University of Canada for International Studies, Jeffery Hall, states: 'The problem lies not in the construction of too many houses, but in the lack of a sufficient number of people.' In 2022, there were 770,000 registered births in Japan, which is a record low according to official data and is associated with declining marriages and worsening economic conditions during the pandemic.
