Engawa helps you find an akiya (ah-kee-yah), an empty home in Japan, that could be yours. We cover Kyoto and Kyushu today, with new regions every month. Every home comes with the source listing plus official government records, in plain English.
For every home we publish, we look up its location in official government records and bring the results together in one plain-English read. Landslide, flood and tsunami risk from the hazard maps, the building's age, how local land prices are moving, plus the nearest station, schools and coastline. So instead of "near the station" you see which station, and instead of "low flood risk" you see the depth the map assumes.
Detailed area data is available for most homes. A few are missing an exact map location. Source: Japan's Ministry of Land mapping data and the national earthquake-hazard model (2024).
New to all this? An akiya (ah-kee-yah) simply means an empty home in Japan. Here is the whole journey, start to finish. はじめての方へ。空き家（akiya）とは、日本の空き家のことです。最初から最後までの流れをご案内します。
Browse homes and see everything we know, honestly. Where a fact is missing, we say so rather than guess. 物件を見て、分かっていることを正直にご確認いただけます。分からないことは、推測せずに「不明」とお伝えします。
Save the ones you love and ask us anything, free. Every message gets a reply from one of the founders. 気に入った物件を保存し、無料で何でもご質問ください。いただいたメッセージには創業者が必ず返信します。
When you are ready, we and our Japan partner help you buy. 準備が整ったら、私たちと日本パートナーが購入をサポートします。
In-person visits and connections to local pros are strongest around Kansai and Hokuriku, and available on request elsewhere. 現地訪問や地元専門家へのご紹介は主に関西・北陸で対応が厚く、その他の地域でもご希望に応じて承ります。
A sample from the catalogue. Open the full directory to filter and sort.
Some towns offer grants toward buying and renovating an empty home, but usually only if the home is on the official register and the paperwork is filed correctly. Where a town publishes grant details, we gather them and show them on the listing. Amounts change every year, so we always point you to the town to confirm.
20 years in software, 10 years as a founder. Based in London, and bought his own empty home in Kagoshima.
Interior designer with 10 years at IKEA, London based. Helps you picture what a home could become and think through a renovation.
Licensed Japan real estate professional and our partner on the ground. Helps with buying, and can arrange visits and photos on request, mainly around Kansai and Hokuriku. Also shares Japan life and empty homes on YouTube.