Pay ₹31,000 to clear ghosts? Japan's haunted homes are finally finding buyers again
Facing nine million vacant homes and strong taboos around death, Japan’s overnight investigators use sensors, reports and traditional cleanings to erase stigma — turning fear into marketable property in a single night.
- Jul 24, 2026,
- Updated Jul 24, 2026 8:30 AM IST
A growing niche industry in Japan is hiring specialists to spend entire nights inside so-called haunted homes to prove they contain no lingering spirits, helping owners sell or rent properties scarred by tragic deaths, according to a report in the South China Morning Post.
What are “jiko bukken”?
“Jiko bukken", or stigmatised properties, are homes where suicide, murder, fatal fires or “lonely deaths” — when an elderly person dies alone and remains undiscovered — have occurred. Under Japanese law, estate agents must disclose such histories to prospective buyers and tenants, a rule that has left many otherwise liveable homes empty for years.
“Death equates to impurity and misfortune,” said Kazutoshi Kodama, president of property management firm Kachimode, explaining that many people avoid even visiting such homes, let alone buying or renting them.”
READ ALSO: These islands did not exist before — humans created them from nothing
How does the ghost investigation work?
To remove the stigma, Kachimode now offers a “ghost investigation” service that places trained investigators inside a property from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Investigators use video cameras, audio recorders, thermography, electromagnetic detectors and sensors that track temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure and noise levels.
After the overnight inspection costs 88,000 yen (about ₹31,000 or $542), the company produces a detailed report that real estate agents can show prospective buyers and tenants as evidence that there are no lingering "bad spirits." Kodama also collaborates with a university professor who specialises in monitoring supernatural phenomena to keep our analyses accurate.
Findings and limitations
Kodama acknowledged the teams sometimes record unexplained incidents — cameras unexpectedly stopping and microphones malfunctioning — but said most such occurrences prove isolated or unreproducible. “In the overwhelming majority of cases the supposed paranormal activity cannot be reproduced and is dismissed,” he said. He added a small number of properties show persistent unexplained events and remain especially hard to market.
Market impact and discounts
Because histories must be disclosed, stigmatised homes often sell or rent at steep discounts: roughly 30% lower in big cities and up to 50% or more in smaller towns. Some properties remain vacant for 500 days or longer; Kodama cited examples of being empty for more than 1,000 days despite repeated marketing efforts.
READ ALSO: India's household debt rises to 45.5% of GDP; non-housing retail loans account for 58.4%, show data
A broader vacant-home crisis
The problem intersects with Japan’s broader empty-homes issue. A government survey in late 2024 found nine million vacant houses — 13.8% of all residences. Factors include population decline, inheritance disputes and ageing communities, alongside cultural taboos around death.
A buyer once bought a property for around 5% of its value, and it still stayed empty for two years, Joey Stockerman, co-founder of Akiya Mart, a platform for vacant homes, recalled. Akiya Mart now offers optional Shinto cleansing rituals to reassure buyers before the property is marketed.
Industry outlook
With millions of vacant properties nationwide, Kodama says demand for investigative and cleansing services will likely grow. "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."
A growing niche industry in Japan is hiring specialists to spend entire nights inside so-called haunted homes to prove they contain no lingering spirits, helping owners sell or rent properties scarred by tragic deaths, according to a report in the South China Morning Post.
What are “jiko bukken”?
“Jiko bukken", or stigmatised properties, are homes where suicide, murder, fatal fires or “lonely deaths” — when an elderly person dies alone and remains undiscovered — have occurred. Under Japanese law, estate agents must disclose such histories to prospective buyers and tenants, a rule that has left many otherwise liveable homes empty for years.
“Death equates to impurity and misfortune,” said Kazutoshi Kodama, president of property management firm Kachimode, explaining that many people avoid even visiting such homes, let alone buying or renting them.”
READ ALSO: These islands did not exist before — humans created them from nothing
How does the ghost investigation work?
To remove the stigma, Kachimode now offers a “ghost investigation” service that places trained investigators inside a property from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Investigators use video cameras, audio recorders, thermography, electromagnetic detectors and sensors that track temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure and noise levels.
After the overnight inspection costs 88,000 yen (about ₹31,000 or $542), the company produces a detailed report that real estate agents can show prospective buyers and tenants as evidence that there are no lingering "bad spirits." Kodama also collaborates with a university professor who specialises in monitoring supernatural phenomena to keep our analyses accurate.
Findings and limitations
Kodama acknowledged the teams sometimes record unexplained incidents — cameras unexpectedly stopping and microphones malfunctioning — but said most such occurrences prove isolated or unreproducible. “In the overwhelming majority of cases the supposed paranormal activity cannot be reproduced and is dismissed,” he said. He added a small number of properties show persistent unexplained events and remain especially hard to market.
Market impact and discounts
Because histories must be disclosed, stigmatised homes often sell or rent at steep discounts: roughly 30% lower in big cities and up to 50% or more in smaller towns. Some properties remain vacant for 500 days or longer; Kodama cited examples of being empty for more than 1,000 days despite repeated marketing efforts.
READ ALSO: India's household debt rises to 45.5% of GDP; non-housing retail loans account for 58.4%, show data
A broader vacant-home crisis
The problem intersects with Japan’s broader empty-homes issue. A government survey in late 2024 found nine million vacant houses — 13.8% of all residences. Factors include population decline, inheritance disputes and ageing communities, alongside cultural taboos around death.
A buyer once bought a property for around 5% of its value, and it still stayed empty for two years, Joey Stockerman, co-founder of Akiya Mart, a platform for vacant homes, recalled. Akiya Mart now offers optional Shinto cleansing rituals to reassure buyers before the property is marketed.
Industry outlook
With millions of vacant properties nationwide, Kodama says demand for investigative and cleansing services will likely grow. "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."