One Month Until August 2nd, "Zero Vacant Homes Day": The Era of 9 Million Vacant Homes; A Summer to Consider the Future of Your Childhood Home Before the Obon Holidays; Promoting Vacant Home Awareness Nationwide Triggered by Obon Returns, Inheritance, Disaster Prevention, and the Basic Plan for Housing Life

August 2nd is "Zero Vacant Homes Day." This commemorative day, born from the wordplay of "0 (aki), 8 (ya), 0 (zero), 2 (ni)" (akiya means vacant home), was certified and registered by the Japan Anniversary Association in 2018 with the aim of promoting the utilization, management, and sale of vacant homes, as well as initiatives to prevent homes from becoming vacant. On July 2nd, one month before August 2nd, "Zero Vacant Homes Day," Akiyaku Kaisen Senka (operated by Sweets Investment Co., Ltd./Shizuoka Gas Group) has compiled the social background for considering the vacant home issue in August, angles for awareness campaigns, and examples of future initiatives for members of the press, and companies, municipalities, and community organizations involved in vacant home countermeasures.

This Year's Highlight: "Zero Vacant Homes Day" Arrives Under the New Basic Plan for Housing Life

On March 27, 2026, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism approved the new "Basic Plan for Housing Life (National Plan)" at a cabinet meeting. The plan covers a 10-year period from Reiwa 8 (2026) to Reiwa 17 (2035) and, against the backdrop of an increasing number of single-person households, a rise in inherited homes, and a declining working-age population, indicates a direction for the effective utilization of existing housing and residential land through the market. In other words, this August 2nd is the first "Zero Vacant Homes Day" since the new housing policy direction was established. It is a time to consider vacant homes not just as a problem of "old houses," but from the perspectives of inheritance, housing succession, community disaster prevention, utilization of existing housing, and the sustainability of towns.

Social Background: 9 Million Vacant Homes, Vacancy Rate at an All-Time High

According to the 2023 Housing and Land Survey by the Statistics Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the number of vacant homes nationwide reached 9 million, with a vacancy rate of 13.8%, both of which are record highs. Homes vacant for reasons other than rent/sale or secondary residences numbered 3.85 million, an increase of 370,000 units since 2018. Vacant homes are not just a problem for owners. They pose challenges that affect both living and communities, including the risk of collapse due to aging, flying debris during typhoons and heavy rains, overgrown vegetation, crime prevention, landscape degradation, impact on community asset values, and the burden of management after inheritance. The revised Act on Special Measures for the Promotion of the Proper Use of Buildings, etc., was also enforced in December 2023, increasing the importance of addressing vacant homes at an early stage, including measures for neglected vacant homes.

Trends in the Number and Rate of Vacant Homes - Nationwide (1978-2023)

August is a Time to Easily Discuss "The Future of Your Childhood Home" with Family

August is a time when families gather for the Obon holidays. It is a period when opportunities arise to discuss with family matters concerning the childhood home, houses no longer occupied by parents, management of inherited homes, and future housing arrangements, which are often difficult to talk about at other times. "Zero Vacant Homes Day" serves as a banner for promoting positive dialogue within families and communities, encouraging actions such as managing, utilizing, or selling vacant homes, or preparing early to prevent them from becoming vacant, rather than leaving them unattended.

What Companies, Municipalities, and Organizations Can Do During "Zero Vacant Homes Month" in August

Starting with August 2nd, not only special large-scale events but also accessible awareness activities can be carried out in various locations.

What Municipalities Can Do Promote vacant homes through public relations magazines and official social media, introduce vacant home consultation services, hold seminars for residents on inheritance and management, and disseminate local vacant home data. What Real Estate, Construction, Demolition, and Renovation Companies Can Do Hold vacant home consultation sessions, seminars on "ending one's home life," consultations for inspecting aging houses, and study sessions to explain options for utilization, sale, or demolition. What Professionals and Financial Institutions Can Do Promote systems that people should know before a home becomes vacant, such as inheritance, wills, registration, fixed asset tax, and family trusts. What Community Groups, NPOs, and Schools Can Do Organize town walks focusing on vacant homes, DIY workshops, community learning for children, and utilization events combined with relocation or dual residency.

Message to Spread in August

The vacant home issue is not something for one person to bear alone. When owners, families, communities, municipalities, experts, and companies engage from their respective positions, early consultations and utilization options emerge. We aim to expand opportunities nationwide to learn about, discuss, consult on, consider utilizing, and take action regarding vacant homes, starting with "Zero Vacant Homes Day" on August 2nd.

Comments from Person in Charge

"Zero Vacant Homes Day" on August 2nd was born from the desire to create an opportunity for families to discuss the future of their childhood homes and residences before the Obon holiday travel season. This year, with the cabinet approval of the new Basic Plan for Housing Life, how to inherit, utilize, and circulate existing housing within communities has become a major theme in national housing policy. Vacant homes are a challenge that owners cannot solve alone. By delivering information from their respective positions, municipalities, experts, community groups, and companies can lead to early consultations and positive choices.

We hope that starting with August 2nd, vacant homes will be re-examined as issues closely related to our daily lives and communities, and that concrete actions will spread nationwide.

Zero Vacant Homes Day Website

https://akiya-kaitori.jp/akiya0802/

Examples of Vacant Home Zero Events and Activities in 2026 - Partial Introduction

Fujieda City Zero Vacant Homes Event ~What the Tornado That Day Taught Us. How to Protect Your Home and Town from a Disaster Prevention and Crime Prevention Perspective~ Date: August 2, 2026 (Sunday) Region: Fujieda City, Shizuoka Prefecture Organizer: Fujieda City x Zero Vacant Homes Supporters Content: An awareness event for Fujieda citizens. Includes seminars, individual consultations, and displays of disaster prevention goods. It is an event to provide a starting point for owners who "don't know where to begin." Contact: Fujieda City Housing Strategy Division Details: https://fb.me/e/4HQxwORD6

Vacant Home Model Making and Demolition Event with Kobe University Architecture Students Date: August 29 (Saturday) and 30 (Sunday), 2026 Region: Rokko, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture Organizer: SCREEF Inc., Kobe University Architecture Student Group BBB Content: Students will create a model of a vacant home, design it, identify areas for demolition, and then enjoyably learn while demolishing it, with the goal of converting the 65-year-old vacant house into a student share house and common space. Contact Person: SCREEF Inc., Mitsuyama Details: https://www.instagram.com/bbb_renovation/

"August is 'Zero Vacant Homes Day' Intensification Month" Concerned About Fixed Asset Tax? Vacant Home Monetization Seminar Using Rent Date: August 12, 2026 (Wednesday) 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Region: JECT ONE Headquarters (Shibuya), Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Organizer: JECT ONE Content: Provides hints for deciding what to do with a property before it becomes a "negative asset," or even if it already has. By quantitatively comparing the income remaining after 10 years of operation and presenting the merits and demerits of each, this seminar aims to resolve the ambiguity surrounding vacant home utilization. Contact Person: JECT ONE, Okada Details and Related Site: https://www.akisapo.jp/seminar/34125/

"Things to Consider with Family Before Your Childhood Home Becomes Vacant" *Tentative title. May be changed. Date: Around August 2, 2026 (Sunday) planned Region: Web Media "Jikkanokoto." and Official SNS Publisher: Jikkanokoto. Content: In conjunction with "Zero Vacant Homes Day" on August 2nd, we plan to disseminate information through articles and SNS posts about the possibility of one's childhood home becoming vacant in the future and what families should discuss while parents are still healthy. Contact Person: Jikkanokoto., Oi Details and Related Site: Jikkanokoto. https://jikkanokoto.com/

Initiatives related to "Zero Vacant Homes Day" will be held nationwide. For media coverage or inquiries, please contact Akiyaku Kaisen Senka. We will connect you with the person in charge.

Akiyaku Kaisen Senka (Shizuoka Gas Group, Sweets Investment Co., Ltd.) Public Relations: Miwa

TEL: 054-204-0850 Email: [email protected]