Akiya houses: why Japan has nine million empty homes

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1. Akiya means empty house in Japanese.

   >As the declining population continues to impact Japan’s society and economy, the number of vacant houses has topped nine million – enough to accommodate the entire population of Australia at three people per dwelling.

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   >That total figure of vacant homes represents nearly 14% of all houses in Japan, though the real number could be higher. **The Nomura Research Institute estimates there are nearly 11m akiya and that they could account for more than 30% of houses within a decade.**