We held a seminar and consultation session on vacant houses in Toyako Town.
On Saturday, March 7, 2026, we held a "Vacant House Seminar & Workshop" at the disaster prevention training hall of Toyako Town Hall. 33 people participated that day, listening attentively to information about what to do with their own homes and their parents' homes, which will inevitably become vacant in the future.
This seminar was held with the aim of sharing the results of the surveys and questionnaires conducted this year regarding the actual situation of vacant houses and preventing future increases in the number of vacant houses. Many people who own their homes and are "concerned about what to do with them in the near future" or "feel anxious" attended the seminar.
■ Lectures and research presentations by experts and students
In the first half of the session, students presented their research findings for approximately 15 minutes. This was followed by a 25-minute lecture by Professor Majikina on vacant houses, providing an opportunity to deepen understanding of the vacant house problem from both an academic and a youth perspective.
■ Participatory sessions (workshops)
The main program, a participatory session, was held for approximately 40 minutes with the theme, "For those who are a little worried about the 'future' of their family home/current residence - let's start to alleviate your anxieties together." Toyako Town facilitated the session, and experts from "Nishi-Iburi Housing Consultation" joined in for a question-and-answer session using a fictional case study that was "typical of Toyako Town."
Specifically, the following four real-world cases were discussed.
- Case 1: Sale and demolition of a property built under the old seismic standards (Abuta area, assumed to be 50 years old)
- The presentation explained whether it's possible to sell a property without seismic reinforcement, and provided an estimate of demolition costs.
- The changes in property tax when a building is demolished, and the risk of special tax measures being excluded if the property is designated as a specific vacant house, were also mentioned.
- Case 2: Private sales and avoiding problems (Abuta area, assumed to be a 60-year-old building)
- Under the premise of "wanting to sell the property as is without incurring any costs," the feasibility of a private sale between individuals without going through a real estate agent was discussed.
- Points for sellers to keep in mind to avoid problems after the sale (such as unseen corrosion) were shared.
- Case 3: Maintenance and Inheritance Renunciation (Toya Town area, assumed to be 55 years old)
- Addressing the concerns of those struggling with the burden of managing inherited properties, the presentation explained key maintenance points to prevent building deterioration.
- Legal questions, such as what happens to the management obligations when inheritance is renounced, have been answered.
- Case 4: Utilization of properties meeting the new seismic standards (Hot spring area, assumed to be 40 years old)
- The focus of the discussion was whether the property, which included an extension (15 square meters) without a certificate of completion, could be used for short-term rentals or as a rental property.
- We shared ideas for positive utilization, such as guidelines for determining whether renovations are necessary and ways to make it easier to find tenants.
■ Taking concrete action! Individual consultation sessions
Following the workshop, a 30-minute "individual consultation session" was held. Experts from "Nishi-Iburi Housing Consultation" and town officials provided individual support.
Participants shared their real-world problems, such as "law and inheritance," "real estate, sales and rentals," "building condition and renovations," and "government (support, procedures, and taxes)," and we were able to help them take the first step towards concrete solutions.
■ Conclusion
Thank you very much to the 33 people who participated. Together with Toyako Town, we will continue to promote various initiatives and awareness-raising activities to address the issue of vacant houses in fiscal year 2026 and beyond. If you have any concerns about the future of your own home or your parents' home, please feel free to contact us.
