Japan’s ‘Death-Tainted’ Homes Gain Appeal as Prices Soar in Tokyo
In a market where Tokyo condos average over ¥100 million, stigmatized ‘jiko bukken’ properties are increasingly seen as affordable alternatives
In Tokyo and its surrounding urban areas, homes known as jiko bukken—properties marked by past tragedies such as suicides, murders or socially isolated deaths—are becoming more attractive to buyers as real estate prices reach historic highs.
Stylised once as deeply undesirable, these “death-tainted” homes are now being considered by those who cannot afford conventional residences.
Tokyo condominium prices have surged sharply.
According to Tokyo Kantei, the average price for a second-hand seventy-square-metre condo in the capital’s twenty-three central wards rose by over thirty-three percent year-on-year in May 2025.
That pushes average prices past the threshold of ¥100.9 million (about six hundred ninety-seven thousand US dollars).
The weak yen, rising construction costs and land scarcity are major contributors.
The growing appeal of jiko bukken is driven by steep discounts.
Such homes are often priced at twenty percent or more below comparable properties without a tragic history.
For many younger buyers and foreign investors, the stigma is being outweighed by savings.
Real estate consultants and firms specialising in paranormal or ghost-free certification, such as Kachimode run by Kazutoshi Kodama, are now in demand to reassure prospective tenants or owners.
Social changes are amplifying the supply of properties with troubled histories.
Japan’s ageing population and social isolation mean that in 2024 nearly twenty-two thousand deaths among elderly people were not discovered for eight or more days.
These kodokushi (lonely deaths) contribute a large share to the jiko bukken category.
Japanese government guidelines introduced in 2021 allow properties to shed their stigma three years after a death event for many renters or buyers.
Under these rules, disclosure is still required when asked, but the mandatory label can lapse.
While many still feel psychological discomfort with such homes, real estate brokers report a rising number who are willing to live in them, especially once certified ghost-free or after refurbishing.
Some landlords raise rents after the three-year period when stigma guidelines lapse.
The trend is reshaping perceptions in Japan’s housing market: properties once avoided are now seen as a degree of pragmatism amid affordability crises, especially for those priced out by the rapid rise in typical condo values across Tokyo and its periphery.
Stylised once as deeply undesirable, these “death-tainted” homes are now being considered by those who cannot afford conventional residences.
Tokyo condominium prices have surged sharply.
According to Tokyo Kantei, the average price for a second-hand seventy-square-metre condo in the capital’s twenty-three central wards rose by over thirty-three percent year-on-year in May 2025.
That pushes average prices past the threshold of ¥100.9 million (about six hundred ninety-seven thousand US dollars).
The weak yen, rising construction costs and land scarcity are major contributors.
The growing appeal of jiko bukken is driven by steep discounts.
Such homes are often priced at twenty percent or more below comparable properties without a tragic history.
For many younger buyers and foreign investors, the stigma is being outweighed by savings.
Real estate consultants and firms specialising in paranormal or ghost-free certification, such as Kachimode run by Kazutoshi Kodama, are now in demand to reassure prospective tenants or owners.
Social changes are amplifying the supply of properties with troubled histories.
Japan’s ageing population and social isolation mean that in 2024 nearly twenty-two thousand deaths among elderly people were not discovered for eight or more days.
These kodokushi (lonely deaths) contribute a large share to the jiko bukken category.
Japanese government guidelines introduced in 2021 allow properties to shed their stigma three years after a death event for many renters or buyers.
Under these rules, disclosure is still required when asked, but the mandatory label can lapse.
While many still feel psychological discomfort with such homes, real estate brokers report a rising number who are willing to live in them, especially once certified ghost-free or after refurbishing.
Some landlords raise rents after the three-year period when stigma guidelines lapse.
The trend is reshaping perceptions in Japan’s housing market: properties once avoided are now seen as a degree of pragmatism amid affordability crises, especially for those priced out by the rapid rise in typical condo values across Tokyo and its periphery.
