'I live with a ghost': Japan's haunted homes attract bargain hunters
Properties where someone has died in tragic circumstances can have big reductions in price.
Ryua, a young entertainer living in Tokyo, believes her rental apartment is haunted. She claims to have encountered a man who appeared to be a ghost while viewing the property. Despite the presence of the ghost, Ryua decided to move in and has experienced paranormal activity daily for four years. In Japan, the belief in ghosts is taken seriously, and certain deaths are thought to cause lingering spirits known as "yuurei."
These spirits are typically those who died in violent or tragic circumstances, such as murder, suicide, or loneliness. Japanese estate agents are now required by law to disclose such incidents when listing properties for sale or rent. Ryua's apartment, where a man took his own life, offers a 30% discount on rent. While this approach may seem unusual in other countries, the superstitious nature of Japanese people makes these "stigmatised properties" attractive to bargain hunters.
An American tour guide, Diane Tincher, found a large three-bedroom house in Kagoshima for around half the usual price because an elderly lady who lived there had died alone. The property is listed on a website called Oshimaland, which crowdsources information about such homes. Despite not believing in ghosts himself, Teru Oshima, the founder of Oshimaland, acknowledges the growing superstitious nature of Japanese people in response to rising property prices and living costs.
Ryua remains content living with her ghostly flatmate, believing they deserve respect as once-living human beings.
Written by urgent.news from BBC Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
