Problem of plenty: Record 9 million 'akiya' homes are vacant in Japan The Times of India
Japan is grappling with a significant challenge as the number of vacant homes, known as "akiya," has surged to a record high of nine million, which is more than the population of New York City. This alarming increase is largely attributed to the country's continuously declining population, presenting a unique set of problems for both urban and rural areas. According to Jeffrey Hall, a lecturer at Kanda University of International Studies in Chiba, "This is a symptom of Japan’s population decline.
