An unforseen (but rather picturesque) side effect of the burst of Japan’s real estate bubble was the hundreds of abandoned golf courses across the country. Now, 25 years later, local communities are trying to save their greens or convert them into solar farms.

The history of Japan’s golf boom

In the 1990s, Japan experienced a “golf boom”, as a result of the bubble and perceived riches coming everyone’s way. The nation ended up constructing more than 2,000 new courses between the late 80s and early 90s. But with the sudden burst of the bubble, many projects were never completed or soon abandoned as the economy turned harshly against the rather costly pastime. 

Holding on to days gone by

As the Nikkei Asian Review reports, some of Japan’s remotest golf courses are actually a delight to play. A few, like the greens on Okushima Island in Kyushu or in Wakkanai in Hokkaido close to the Russian coast, are lovingly maintained by their small local clubs in villages with a rapidly aging population. Besides their often stunning locations, these courses also offer extremely cheap green fees that often equal the price of a lunch in Tokyo — while golf clubs near the capital have exorbitantly high fees.

Innovation instead of desolation

However, other greens are beyond salvation or were never completed. In 2015, electronics giant Kyocera kicked off a project to turn some of them into solar farms as golf courses offer near-ideal landscaping due to lack of shade. The first greens turned green energy are located in Kyoto and Kagoshima prefectures, while another was opened in 2018 in Tottori Prefecture.

Other re-development included turning abandoned courses into public parks or housing developments. More creative uses might follow, showing that Japan has not lost its drive for innovation and remains adaptable in the face of adversity.

By Mareike Dornhege

Similar to this:

Akiya banks: Real estate listings promoting sales of abandoned Japanese homes

"Free houses" in Japan: Where they are and how to get one

Old versus new properties in Japan: Which to choose?