There are 3.5 million unoccupied residences in Japan – more than the entire housing stock of Hong Kong – that are not up for sale, rent or development. Photo: Gavin Blair
Japan’s invisible problem: enough empty homes to house Hong Kong and no known owners
- In Japan, ownership of an area of land the size of Taiwan is a mystery, and it’s causing problems for disaster relief programmes
- Falling land values, tax quirks and patchy registration have left 3.5 million unoccupied residences, and an ageing population will make things worse
There are 3.5 million unoccupied residences in Japan – more than the entire housing stock of Hong Kong – that are not up for sale, rent or development. Photo: Gavin Blair
