Last year, the availability of free akiya (vacant homes in Japan) caused quite a stir on social media. While it is true that some of these properties are actually up for grabs for zero yen — owners would rather someone renovate and live in the property than see it completely deteriorate — the truth is that most of abandoned homes in Japan will still cost you tens of thousands of (USD) dollars plus the necessary renovation costs to make them livable again.
As that is big commitment to make, plus the fact that akiya locations are usually quite remote in the Japanese countryside, Japanese company ADDress came up with an innovative concept for what to do with the country's abandoned houses.
Together with akiya owners, ADDress beautifully renovated several empty homes across Japan — sometimes modern, sometimes maintaining a more traditional interior. The company offers a monthly or annual membership for living in those akiya from a mere JPY 40,000 a month (approx. USD $400), including all utilities such as gas, water, electricity, wifi and a cleaning service for the common areas. Some of the places even include meals.
What's the catch? First, countryside homes are generally quite spacious, so the offered accommodation is shared. Every member will have their own private room, but spaces like the kitchen and bathroom are common. By creating shared spaces, ADDress hopes to foster a community spirit amongst its members (as well as with the local community) in these often very rural locations.
Further, the time you can spend in one property is limited — up to two weeks to be precise. You can reserve any of the available houses up to two months in advance, but never for more than two weeks at a time. As they are fully furnished and come with all necessary amenities, you won’t need to bring much. Silver lining? You'll get to experience different properties, explore new areas of Japan and connect with local communities.
The company calls its properties “bases”; currently 11 are available. Two houses are located in central Tokyo, in Shibuya and Shinagawa wards. Several bases are beachside properties close to Tokyo: two in Chiba Prefecture in Minami-Boso and Ichinomiya and one in Kamakura in Kanagawa Prefecture. The other bases are located across Japan, in Shizuoka, Fukui, Tottori, Gunma, and Tokushima prefectures. Members started moving into the bases in April 2019. Currently, no new members are accepted.
However, the company is already working on opening new locations and looking for owners of vacant homes that would like to join the scheme. If you are interested in becoming a member and to move around vacant homes in Japan, you can sign up here to be notified as soon as new spots open up.
ADDress's annual membership costs JPY 480,000 (which equals JPY 40,000 a month). Monthly membership costs JPY 50,000 and gives you access to renovated old countryside homes across Japan. A corporate plan for JPY 80,000 a month also exists and, according to their website, Japanese companies including Recruit Japan and Campfire have already signed up.
By Mareike Dornhege
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