Nakano of 1000 Empty Houses: In Search of Solutions to Japan's Akiya Problem

Outland Japan

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In Episode 04 of Snow Country Stories Japan*, I speak with Murai Shota. Shota is a young man originally from Nagoya and now living in small town of Nakano in Nagano; and tasked with finding solutions to, or it could be said new beginnings for, Nakano’s estimated 1000 empty houses.
Known as ‘空き家 / akiya’ in Japanese - a word that translates as ‘empty house’ – it is estimated that 13% of houses in Japan are unoccupied or abandoned. They can be exceptionally cheap to buy but also, notoriously few are available to purchase. Shota’s multifaceted role involves him negotiating with owners to list their now unused homes for sale and finding the right buyer. A process that requires him to help people visualise the possibilities inherent in these old homes and once thriving communities.
It’s a huge topic and one that can’t be covered in a single episode. As such, this episode is intended as a general introduction to the challenge of akiya and one that we will continue to discuss in future episodes. Should you be interested in speaking with Shota about properties available in Nakano, including the 100円 properties – the equivalent of $1 houses – available through the ‘Akiya Gateway’ project, you can find more information through the links below (please note, website and Instagram accounts are in Japanese):
Akiya & Kurashi:

https://akiya-and-kurashi.com/

https://www.instagram.com/akiya_nakano/

Akiya Gateway:

https://www.instagram.com/akiya.gateway/
*please note, at the time of upload of this episode, the name of the podcast was 'Snow Country For Old Men'. It has since changed to 'Snow Country Stories Japan'. For more information about that change, listen to the special announcement uploaded on April 24th 2023.
Outland Japan is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Peter Carnell - a freelance tour guide based in northern Nagano – that transports you to rural, regional and the wilds of Japan in pursuit of stories that lie outside the neon hum of Tokyo and golden trimmings of Kyoto. Stories of travel, life and culture beyond the big cities. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Please note, prior to October 2024, Outland Japan was named Snow Country Stories Japan.