Akia House: As India's population is increasing, resources for entertainment and meeting the necessities of life are becoming scarce. In India, housing space is decreasing as the population increases, but this is not the case in every country. There are some countries which are troubled by their decreasing population. This country is Japan, where continuously decreasing population is becoming a big problem for it. Due to lack of population, the number of houses is increasing here and there. In Japan, vacant houses are called akiya. The main reason behind this is population decline and migration of rural population towards cities.
The number of vacant homes is set to rise by more than half a million by October 2023 since the last survey in 2018, government data shows.
The total number of vacant houses in Japan is 14 percent of all houses. According to Nomura Research Institute, about 11 million homes in the country are Akia homes and this number could increase by more than 30 percent in a decade.
Why are the houses lying vacant?
Akia houses are growing rapidly in Japan. Most of these houses have become old and dilapidated because their owners have left their homes and moved to other cities. Even the owners of the houses are unable or unwilling to repair or demolish them. This problem is not only in villages but also in cities.
One way to save tax is to keep the house vacant
The survey showed that 44 lakh houses are available for rent but all these houses are vacant for a long time and the rent has also not been increased. Most of such houses are far away from the main population. The survey shows that the status of 3.8 million homes is unknown and only 330,000 of the 9 million are for sale. According to Japanese law, taxes are lower on sites with buildings than on vacant sites. Due to which demolishing old houses means paying more taxes.
benefits to foreigners
The increase in these vacant houses is benefiting people coming to Japan from abroad to work or visit. Akia House is becoming a cheap rental option for the tourists and foreign workers coming here.