Japan's 'death-tainted' homes gain appeal as property prices soar
By Mariko Katsumura
The house that property consultant and ghost investigator Kazutoshi Kodama regularly surveys has a grim history: seven years ago, an elderly woman hanged herself in the bathroom and last year her son died alone, his body undiscovered for roughly 10 days.
Kodama says he has stayed in the house - located in a quiet residential area in Chiba near Tokyo - from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. nearly 20 times, monitoring with four video cameras, a thermal camera, an electromagnetic field meter, an air pressure gauge, a thermometer and an IC recorder. He takes notes of the readings every hour.
When he is satisfied there are no paranormal phenomena such as unexplained electromagnetic disturbances, he will issue a certificate deeming the property free of ghosts.
In Japan, homes where murders or suicides have occurred are classified as jiko bukken or "misfortunate properties" that may provoke psychological distress for new owners or tenants. So are homes with "socially isolated" deaths - the most common type of misfortunate property where bodies are not found for some time and sufficient decay has set in to warrant special cleaning services or even the replacement of floors and wallpaper.
Modern thinking around misfortunate properties has been shaped by Japan's ancient Shinto religion which holds that when a person dies with regrets, their spirit lingers on earth, often at the site of their death, bearing grudges or overwhelmed by grief.
"Finding renters used to be virtually impossible," said Kodama, who founded his company, Kachimode, three years ago to offer what he calls ghost investigation services for prospective buyers and tenants.
"But with rising real estate prices, people have begun considering misfortunate properties as an option."
Japan's property prices have rocketed on a surge in construction material and labour costs as well as an influx of overseas investors, attracted by a weak yen and the relative cheapness of local real estate.
The average price for a second-hand 70-square-meter condominium in Tokyo's 23 wards, for example, jumped by more than a third in May from a year earlier to 100.9 million yen, according to real estate research firm Tokyo Kantei.
AN OLDER, LONELIER SOCIETY
Japan's rapidly aging population has led to more socially isolated deaths. The national policy agency's first-ever report on the issue said there were nearly 21,900 cases last year where the death was not discovered for eight or more days.
The trend is such that the elderly can find it difficult to rent as owners worry their properties may one day become stigmatised.
Partly to mitigate this problem, the central government in 2021 issued guidelines recommending that three years after such a death, homes can shed their misfortunate property labels, potentially making it easier to find tenants.
But owners and agents still need to make disclosures about the property's history to all prospective buyers and to renters if they inquire.
The guidelines have spurred interest in misfortunate properties. Although Kodama may be unique in offering ghost investigative services, other real estate brokers are also seeking to capitalise on this emerging market.
They say that some younger people have become more open to living in misfortunate properties while both domestic and overseas investors - among them many Chinese - are attracted by potential high yields.
"Investors don't care (about the property's history) because they won't live there," said Akira Ookuma, founder of broker Happy Planning, adding that some hike rents after three years.
Brokers also note that whereas the site of a murder may have to be sold for 80% below regular market prices or even fail to sell at all, for other misfortunate properties, the discount can be a relatively small 20%.
MarksLife, which offers services for misfortunate properties such as ceremonies for lost souls performed by a Buddhist monk, says the properties it handles have an average investment return of 8.4%.
By contrast, a studio apartment in central Tokyo has an expected average return of 3.55%, according to a CBRE survey.
Japan's misfortunate properties are only going to rise in number, real estate brokers say.
People aged 65 or above living alone currently account for 14% of all Japanese households but in 20 years' time, they will form a fifth, the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research estimates.
Kodama has yet to sign off on the Chiba property - one he now rents with plans to sublet - as ghost-free. But he says he's done more than 70 investigations and only a fraction have revealed phenomena such as electromagnetic disturbances.
For some prospective buyers, his certificate might be enough. For others, though, any misfortunate property is going to be a bridge too far.
"Even with discounts, I'm going to stay away ... It's not just the potential for ghosts; I'm just creeped out by the unusual and unfortunate histories," said Mari Shimamura, a 24-year-old office worker.
© Thomson Reuters 2025.
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Japan Today
8 hours ago
- Japan Today
Japan's 'death-tainted' homes gain appeal as property prices soar
Real estate consultant Kazutoshi Kodama conducts a "ghost investigation" at a house where an elderly woman had hanged herself seven years ago and her son died and went undiscovered for roughly 10 days last year, in Chiba Prefecture, on, May 28. By Mariko Katsumura The house that property consultant and ghost investigator Kazutoshi Kodama regularly surveys has a grim history: seven years ago, an elderly woman hanged herself in the bathroom and last year her son died alone, his body undiscovered for roughly 10 days. Kodama says he has stayed in the house - located in a quiet residential area in Chiba near Tokyo - from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. nearly 20 times, monitoring with four video cameras, a thermal camera, an electromagnetic field meter, an air pressure gauge, a thermometer and an IC recorder. He takes notes of the readings every hour. When he is satisfied there are no paranormal phenomena such as unexplained electromagnetic disturbances, he will issue a certificate deeming the property free of ghosts. In Japan, homes where murders or suicides have occurred are classified as jiko bukken or "misfortunate properties" that may provoke psychological distress for new owners or tenants. So are homes with "socially isolated" deaths - the most common type of misfortunate property where bodies are not found for some time and sufficient decay has set in to warrant special cleaning services or even the replacement of floors and wallpaper. Modern thinking around misfortunate properties has been shaped by Japan's ancient Shinto religion which holds that when a person dies with regrets, their spirit lingers on earth, often at the site of their death, bearing grudges or overwhelmed by grief. "Finding renters used to be virtually impossible," said Kodama, who founded his company, Kachimode, three years ago to offer what he calls ghost investigation services for prospective buyers and tenants. "But with rising real estate prices, people have begun considering misfortunate properties as an option." Japan's property prices have rocketed on a surge in construction material and labour costs as well as an influx of overseas investors, attracted by a weak yen and the relative cheapness of local real estate. The average price for a second-hand 70-square-meter condominium in Tokyo's 23 wards, for example, jumped by more than a third in May from a year earlier to 100.9 million yen, according to real estate research firm Tokyo Kantei. AN OLDER, LONELIER SOCIETY Japan's rapidly aging population has led to more socially isolated deaths. The national policy agency's first-ever report on the issue said there were nearly 21,900 cases last year where the death was not discovered for eight or more days. The trend is such that the elderly can find it difficult to rent as owners worry their properties may one day become stigmatised. Partly to mitigate this problem, the central government in 2021 issued guidelines recommending that three years after such a death, homes can shed their misfortunate property labels, potentially making it easier to find tenants. But owners and agents still need to make disclosures about the property's history to all prospective buyers and to renters if they inquire. The guidelines have spurred interest in misfortunate properties. Although Kodama may be unique in offering ghost investigative services, other real estate brokers are also seeking to capitalise on this emerging market. They say that some younger people have become more open to living in misfortunate properties while both domestic and overseas investors - among them many Chinese - are attracted by potential high yields. "Investors don't care (about the property's history) because they won't live there," said Akira Ookuma, founder of broker Happy Planning, adding that some hike rents after three years. Brokers also note that whereas the site of a murder may have to be sold for 80% below regular market prices or even fail to sell at all, for other misfortunate properties, the discount can be a relatively small 20%. MarksLife, which offers services for misfortunate properties such as ceremonies for lost souls performed by a Buddhist monk, says the properties it handles have an average investment return of 8.4%. By contrast, a studio apartment in central Tokyo has an expected average return of 3.55%, according to a CBRE survey. Japan's misfortunate properties are only going to rise in number, real estate brokers say. People aged 65 or above living alone currently account for 14% of all Japanese households but in 20 years' time, they will form a fifth, the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research estimates. Kodama has yet to sign off on the Chiba property - one he now rents with plans to sublet - as ghost-free. But he says he's done more than 70 investigations and only a fraction have revealed phenomena such as electromagnetic disturbances. For some prospective buyers, his certificate might be enough. For others, though, any misfortunate property is going to be a bridge too far. "Even with discounts, I'm going to stay away ... It's not just the potential for ghosts; I'm just creeped out by the unusual and unfortunate histories," said Mari Shimamura, a 24-year-old office worker. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
Japan Times
2 days ago
- Japan Times
As property prices soar in Japan, the taint of death may not deter some buyers
The house that property consultant and ghost investigator Kazutoshi Kodama regularly surveys has a grim history: seven years ago, an elderly woman hanged herself in the bathroom and last year her son died alone, his body undiscovered for roughly 10 days. Kodama says he has stayed in the house — located in a quiet residential area in Chiba near Tokyo — from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. nearly 20 times, monitoring with four video cameras, a thermal camera, an electromagnetic field meter, an air pressure gauge, a thermometer and an IC recorder. He takes notes of the readings every hour. When he is satisfied there are no paranormal phenomena such as unexplained electromagnetic disturbances, he will issue a certificate deeming the property free of ghosts. In Japan, homes where murders or suicides have occurred are classified as jiko bukken — or "misfortunate properties" that may provoke psychological distress for new owners or tenants. So are homes with "socially isolated" deaths — the most common type of misfortunate property where bodies are not found for some time and sufficient decay has set in to warrant special cleaning services or even the replacement of floors and wallpaper. Modern thinking around misfortunate properties has been shaped by Japan's ancient Shinto religion, which holds that when a person dies with regrets, their spirit lingers on earth, often at the site of their death, bearing grudges or overwhelmed by grief. "Finding renters used to be virtually impossible," said Kodama, who founded his company, Kachimode, three years ago to offer what he calls ghost investigation services for prospective buyers and tenants. "But with rising real estate prices, people have begun considering misfortunate properties as an option." Real estate company Happy Planning's founder, Akira Ookuma, looks on while a worker cleans the floor of a house classified as a misfortunate property, in the city of Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, on June 2. | Reuters Japan's property prices have rocketed on a surge in the cost of construction materials and labor as well as an influx of overseas investors attracted by a weak yen and the relative cheapness of local real estate. The average price for a second-hand 70-square-meter condominium in Tokyo's 23 wards, for example, jumped by more than a third in May from a year earlier to ¥100.9 million ($697,000), according to real estate research firm Tokyo Kantei. An older, lonelier society Japan's rapidly aging population has led to more socially isolated deaths. The national policy agency's first-ever report on the issue said there were nearly 21,900 cases last year in which a death was not discovered for eight or more days. The trend is such that the elderly can find it difficult to rent as owners worry their properties may one day become stigmatized. Partly to mitigate this problem, the central government in 2021 issued guidelines recommending that three years after such a death, homes can shed their misfortunate property labels, potentially making it easier to find tenants. But owners and agents still need to make disclosures about the property's history to all prospective buyers and to renters if they inquire. The guidelines have spurred interest in misfortunate properties. Although Kodama may be unique in offering ghost investigative services, other real estate brokers are also seeking to capitalize on this emerging market. They say that some younger people have become more open to living in misfortunate properties while both domestic and overseas investors — many of whom are Chinese — are attracted by potential high yields. "Investors don't care (about the property's history) because they won't live there," said Akira Ookuma, founder of broker Happy Planning, adding that some hike rents after three years. Brokers also note that whereas the site of a murder may have to be sold for 80% below regular market prices or even fail to sell at all, for other misfortunate properties, the discount can be a relatively small 20%. MarksLife, which offers services for misfortunate properties such as ceremonies for lost souls performed by a Buddhist monk, says the properties it handles have an average investment return of 8.4%. By contrast, a studio apartment in central Tokyo has an expected average return of 3.55%, according to a CBRE survey. Japan's misfortunate properties are only going to rise in number, real estate brokers say. People age 65 or above who live alone currently account for 14% of all Japanese households, but in 20 years' time, they will form a fifth, the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research estimates. Kodama has yet to sign off on the Chiba property — one he now rents with plans to sublet — as ghost-free. But he says he's done more than 70 investigations and only a fraction have revealed phenomena such as electromagnetic disturbances. For some prospective buyers, his certificate might be enough. For others, though, any misfortunate property is going to be a bridge too far. "Even with discounts, I'm going to stay away ... It's not just the potential for ghosts; I'm just creeped out by the unusual and unfortunate histories," said Mari Shimamura, a 24-year-old office worker.
SoraNews24
3 days ago
- SoraNews24
Nagoshi no Harae: the summer Shinto ritual that most Japanese people don't even know about
Have you finished all your Nagoshi no Harae shopping yet? With 30 June approaching, we are now at the halfway point of 2025, and it certainly has been… a year. But did you know that on this day there's a special Shinto ritual that lets you purify all of the bad energy you've accumulated in the first half of the year? Chances are you haven't because according to a survey, about 80 percent of Japanese people have never even heard of it and an additional 14 percent only have a vague notion of it. It's called Nagoshi no Harae and on this day some Shinto shrines set up a large ring made of straw called a chinowa near the entrance of the shrine. Walking through it is said to have a purifying effect. Another custom is the hitogata. This is a paper doll meant to give a human form to the divine. By writing your name and age on the doll and then wiping it on yourself and/or blowing on it, it picks up the negative spirits from you. You then leave it with the shrine, which will dispose of both the doll and the bad energy it received. ▼ A chinowa (left) and hitogata (right) This all works on the Shinto concept of kegare which is a kind of negative energy or spiritual impurity that people can acquire not only through doing bad deeds but through things beyond their control, like going to a funeral. It's pretty hard to go through life without picking up a little kegare here and there, and if enough of it builds up inside you, it can manifest as bad luck. So, it's considered good practice to regularly clear out your kegare and thus ward off the bad luck that comes with it. One such way is the Nagoshi no Harae ritual but that's only one day a year, and since it's on a Monday this year, it can be hard for a lot of people to fit it into their schedules. As luck would have it, this information comes to us from Takami Kato, a fortune teller and author of Money Luck Yearbook: 365 Days of Money Attracting Behavior Manga Manual . I know what you're thinking and that title doesn't fill me with confidence either, but he's basically just applying harmless Shinto philosophies as a purported way to improve your luck. Kato himself was once a very successful businessman but as a result of his own hubris he began to alienate others which led to a spiral into depression and massive debt. After hitting rock bottom, he changed his outlook on life to helping others by sharing his experiences and suddenly found that his luck in both personal happiness and finances also improved. So, even if you can't make it to a shrine in time for Nagoshi no Harae, Kato suggests lots of other ways to purify yourself of kegare. The first and easiest way is plain old salt. It's not just for sumo wrestlers anymore, and you can pretty much use it any way you want whether it's kept in a neat little pile, added to your bath, kept in your pocket, or even just eaten, so go ahead and have those pretzels because the coarser the salt the better. Another way is simply by saying 'I'm sorry' for any transgressions you might have had. It doesn't necessarily have to be to anyone directly, but you at least get some of it off your chest because harbored guilt is a breeding ground for kegare. In a similar vein, you can also say 'thank you,' but say it to yourself for making it through the past six months and just surviving, which is good enough. That's the gist of it really, it's mostly the idea of positive thinking and generally good advice whether you believe in kegare or not. Just be careful about your salt intake because all the Shinto purification rituals in the world won't wash away high blood pressure or kidney stones. Source, images: PR Times ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
