Reutilizing Japan’s vacant house: exploring motivations, concerns, and technical adjustments for a sustainable future

Abstract

Abandoned, underutilized, and deteriorating dwellings (akiya in Japanese) are proliferating nationwide in Japan and have become a significant problem. One of the prominent and arguably sustainable strategies to address the issue is by reutilizing the akiya. By using literature studies, the akiya case studies are discussed based on material from documents, texts, photos, and drawings. The aims of this study are to discuss user motivation, user concern, and technical adjustments for using akiya that have been done in Kumamoto and Osaka. The study found that affordable price and strategic location are the main motives of the users. The users are also mostly concerned about structural strength, insulation, and getting professional advice when renovating. Lastly, the most common technical adjustments are removing the ceiling, structural improvements, and adding utilities for the toilet or kitchen. The findings can be used as insight to give akiya future value and contribute to the revitalization effort in countries with high housing vacancies.