Would you spend a night in a haunted house for 88,000 yen? Inside Japan’s bizarre real estate job proving homes are ghost-free
Japan’s unusual “ghost investigation” job is attracting attention as specialists are being hired to spend an entire night inside so-called haunted houses to prove they are free of paranormal activity. The service costs 88,000 yen (around Rs 31,000 or $542) per property and is helping owners sell or rent homes that have been abandoned because of their tragic past.The business has emerged as thousands of “jiko bukken” or stigmatized properties across Japan remain vacant, with many people refusing to buy or rent them because someone died there under distressing circumstances.
What are Japan’s ‘jiko bukken’ or stigmatized properties?
A “jiko bukken” is a property where a suicide, murder, fatal fire or what Japan calls a “lonely death”—when an elderly person dies alone and remains undiscovered—has occurred.One such two-storey house in Yokohama has reportedly remained empty for at least five years. Although the structure can be renovated into a comfortable home, its history has made it nearly impossible to attract buyers.According to Kazutoshi Kodama, president of property management company Kachimode, many Japanese people associate death with impurity and bad luck.“Death equates to impurity and misfortune,” Kodama told DW, explaining that many people avoid even visiting such homes, let alone buying or renting them.
How the Rs 31,000 ghost investigation works
To help property owners overcome these fears, Kachimode offers what it calls a ghost investigation.Investigators stay inside the property from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m., using video cameras, audio recorders, thermography equipment, electromagnetic wave detectors and sensors that monitor room temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure and noise levels.The objective is to verify that the house has been fully refurbished after the incident and to determine whether there is any evidence of ghosts, poltergeist activity or other unexplained phenomena.After the overnight inspection, which costs 88,000 yen (approximately Rs 31,000), the company provides a detailed report that real estate agents can share with potential buyers and tenants as evidence that there are no lingering “bad spirits.”Kodama also works with a university professor who specialises in monitoring supernatural phenomena, making the service one of its kind in Japan.
Do investigators ever find paranormal activity?
Kodama admitted that the equipment has occasionally recorded unusual incidents, including video cameras unexpectedly stopping and microphones malfunctioning.However, he said that in the overwhelming majority of cases, the supposed paranormal activity cannot be reproduced and is dismissed as an isolated occurrence.He added that there are a small number of properties where unexplained events reportedly continue over extended periods, making them especially difficult to rent or sell.
Why haunted houses in Japan sell at massive discounts
Japanese law requires estate agents to disclose the history of stigmatized properties to prospective buyers and tenants. Dedicated websites even list the locations of such homes and explain why they earned the label.As a result, landlords are often forced to slash rents by around 30% in major cities, while in smaller towns rents can fall by 50%. Some homes remain vacant for 500 days, and Kodama said he knows of one property that stayed empty for more than 1,000 days despite repeated attempts to find tenants.
Japan’s growing vacant homes crisis
The issue is becoming more significant as Japan’s vacant homes continue to rise.A government survey conducted in late 2024 found that the country had nine million empty homes, representing 13.8% of all residential properties. While population decline, inheritance disputes and ageing communities contribute to the problem, cultural beliefs surrounding death also play a major role.Joey Stockerman, co-founder of Akiya Mart, said many Japanese people are reluctant to live in homes where someone has died and often avoid properties located near graveyards as well.He recalled one investor purchasing a stigmatized property in a Tokyo suburb for less than $5,000, roughly 5% of its actual value. Despite the bargain price, the property remained empty for two years because its history had to be disclosed.To reassure buyers, Akiya Mart now even offers a package in which a Shinto priest performs a traditional cleansing ritual before the property is marketed.
A niche business that’s only getting bigger
With millions of vacant homes across Japan and many carrying a tragic history, ghost investigation services are becoming an increasingly sought-after niche.Kodama believes the sector has strong growth potential because many owners are desperate to remove the stigma attached to their properties and restore their value.“Properties where we do find mysterious phenomena are the ones that are typically shunned,” he said. “They are difficult to let or sell. But there are still ways to manage even these properties… I think this sector has potential because there are people in need.”
