Homeowners in Tokyo are listing their abandoned properties for free.
The Matsubara housing complex in Tokyo.
The Japan Times recently reported that more than one in 10 homes in Tokyo are empty.
Part of this has to do with the shrinking size of Japan’s population, which means fewer buyers.
It’s also considered bad luck in Japan to purchase a home that has witnessed a murder, suicide, or “lonely death” (one that occurred in isolation).
For this reason, many properties are being given away for free on online databases called “akiya banks,” a reference to the Japanese word for “empty home.” Others are being sold for as little as $4.
Business Insider