Japan planning to establish zones to give vacant homes new life

Old, empty, dilapidated houses are scattered throughout my neighborhood in east Osaka. And there are two three empty apartment/danchi type buildings that I know of in addition to the dozens of vacant apartments for rent.

Sounds like another layer of paperwork to slightly reduce the current layer of paperwork.

So many homeless yet so many homes…what a sad world!

A glacier moves faster than Japanese politics.

It's a race to see which will fade into oblivion first though.

 Some 3.49 million properties are left unoccupied for long periods.

J-TV could help by not broadcasting Tokyo 24h a day, whole Japan wants to move here (even people from Kobe, Osaka, etc.).

For as little as 70.000 you can rent a 80m² 3LDK top floor suite on 7th-14th floor (parking included) 10min. from a train station in most japanese capitals.

Try hard and you can get a 45m² 2DK without elevator 10min. from the station for the same price in Tokyo. (+15.000 yen parking with luck)

So many homeless yet so many homes…what a sad world!

Ok, you made the comment, how do propose the municipal governments deal with this? Giving someone else's property away to a homeless person to live in. Then who is going to be expected to watch over them? Pay the bills required to give them heat, electricity, and furnishings? Who is going to pay to bring them up to code, to make them actually livable? Who is going to provide them with an income so they can become independent?

Easy to toss out comments, but not so easy to come up with the money, and solutions. It's far from a "sad world" here, it's reality of a changing and older society, that is stuck in the "Showa" era of getting things accomplished.

Oh and I guess you wouldnt mind one bit if I take your unused property now would you?

A glacier moves faster than Japanese politics.

Of course it does. Moving any faster would be reckless and hasty. Several studies and careful planning need to be done before any new law is even considered.

Why not look into why these places are empty? Or why people have moved away?

Lack of jobs, facilities, transportation, schools, and deaths of owners.

Jobs nearby, even WFH, are needed to enable people to afford to live in these places,

as well as the basics to build a community and life.

Promotion of tourism, cafes, lodgings... more Go To Trouble?

J-TV could help by not broadcasting Tokyo 24h a day, whole Japan wants to move here (even people from Kobe, Osaka, etc.)

who wants to live in Tokyo?? Couldn’t think of anything worse. Fun place to visit for the weekend but live there? No thanks

Sanjinosebleed

So many homeless yet so many homes…what a sad world

Moving homeless people into properties even after raising them to safety standards poses problems. Don’t homeless people have a right to have no permanent residence?

Never wanted to live in Tokyo and I never will-cramped and expensive

Do it quite see how this will solve the problem. Perhaps they need to address the underlying problems leading to this situation. One thing I have never understood is why in most other countries houses are not in need of replacement after 30 or more years? People are happy to buy an older property and don’t need to pull it down and rebuild? If housing didn’t deteriorate so quickly would solve a part of the problem.

The reasons why people are leaving property to decline need to be determined and dealt with. If it costs you more to keep and allow to decline than to repair and rent/sell again some of the problem goes away.

Japan needs to level up the services and facilities between rural and urban, not only encourage businesses to relocate/start up but provide the services and transport infrastructure to make it attractive.

Tax is the main reason. Empty house no taxes. Demolish the house costing more than ¥1 million and then land tax is due. Sometimes there are no family members left to claim the property. The land is worth more than the house but in many locations land is cheap.

The government and local authorities have no powers of compulsory purchase.

Import young families from culturally friendly countries and give them those houses and a renovation budget. Solves a lot of problems.

Unlike other countries, homes in Japan depreciate - it's the land that matters

So people don't look to sell their homes - they just leave it

Good plan, move forward..

Tax is the main reason. Empty house no taxes. Demolish the house costing more than ¥1 million and then land tax is due.

The government and local authorities have no powers of compulsory purchase.

Empty house, still tax on the property! Land tax is due every year, called koteshisanzei 固定資産税, I know, I pay it every year. The house loses value, but the property goes fluctuates according to appraisal.

Oh and if "property" is unused, the government can tax it at a higher rate if it just sits unused, hence all the parking lots.

get Apollo the Boston Dynamics robot to fix them all up, or tear down etc