Pay ₹31,000 to clear ghosts? Japan's haunted homes are finally finding buyers again

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.”

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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.

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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."