According to Japan’s most recent Housing and Land Survey from 2018, the result of this rural vacancy rate is about 8.49 million akiya — perfectly normal rural homes that exist in empty ...

Japan is riddled with millions of vacant homes, called akiya, that local governments hope will sell for next to nothing, along with cash incentives to encourage buyers.

The Japanese government is looking for people to occupy some 8 million empty homes. Local authorities are giving away free houses and renovation subsidies to incentivize move-ins. Some provinces even ...

There are millions of vacant homes in Japan, and some of them are being given away nearly for free. To find occupants for its millions of "akiya," or unoccupied homes, the Japanese government is ...

RELATED: Italian town selling homes — some fully furnished — for $12,000 with negotiable sale price In Japan, cheap housing comes as the country faces a population crisis.

RELATED: Italian town selling homes — some fully furnished — for $12,000 with negotiable sale price In Japan, cheap housing comes as the country faces a population crisis.

Japan’s countryside is scattered with over eight million abandoned homes, or akiya, often marketed as a dream for those looking for affordable housing. Yet, behind their charming facade, these ...

Japan’s shrinking population offers escape from hectic city life A shrinking Japanese population is fueling a trend of urbanites buying up cheap vacant homes in the countryside.

But Japan faces an unusual property problem: it has more homes than people to live in them. In 2013, there were 61 million houses and 52 million households, according to the Japan Policy Forum.