Chances are that you have read the story before in international media: Japan’s population is declining and faced with a rapidly aging society, especially in... https://www.rethinktokyo.com/free-houses-japan-countryside 1 in 5 properties in Japan are both unoccupied and run down. The land is really the only thing that hold value. The house is a straight line depreciation over a term as short as 22 years. With the urban migration as strong here as in any country, a birth rate of 1.4 (i.e. not replacing themselves, or even close) and nascent immigration (still 99% Japanese) the solutions are not yet evident. What is interesting is the concept of effectively giving it away to reduce the eyesore risk and turning a liability into an asset, albeit a low yielding one for prefectures (their version of provinces) in decline. Demolition cost are prohibitive in Japan versus many markets making greenfield solutions out of reach. Interesting article in any event. #JCG