Every official akiya bank
in Japan. All 47 prefectures.
Japan has hundreds of municipal akiya banks — but they're scattered, untranslated, and hard to find. We compiled them all: 730+ direct links, English availability flags, subsidy info, and notes on each one. Updated continuously.
What is an akiya bank?
Japan has over 9 million vacant properties. Municipalities created akiya banks to connect these properties with buyers — but the system is fragmented and mostly untranslated.
Each municipality operates its own akiya bank — a portal where property owners register vacant homes and buyers can browse and apply. Some are run by city halls directly, others through regional housing agencies.
There is no single national akiya bank. Coverage varies wildly: major cities may have detailed, bilingual portals, while rural towns sometimes list properties on a single PDF on their municipal website.
Many municipalities attach renovation subsidies, relocation grants, or reduced transfer taxes to properties listed on their akiya bank. The directory flags which ones offer subsidies so you can prioritize accordingly.
Akiya banks are rarely indexed well in English. Most require knowing the municipality's name in Japanese to find the right page. This directory does that work once, for every single municipality we've tracked down.
All 9 regions.
Every prefecture.
From Hokkaido's ski towns to Okinawa's island municipalities — if there's an akiya bank, it's in the directory.
Built for people
actually buying in Japan
Not a generic list of links — a curated, annotated directory designed to save you hours of research on each region you're considering.
Every bank is tagged as JP-only, EN available, or bilingual. 24 banks have meaningful English support — knowing which ones saves you from wasting time on pages you can't navigate.
Municipalities offering renovation grants, relocation subsidies, or reduced taxes are flagged directly. Filter by subsidy to find the towns actively incentivizing new residents.
Every entry has a short note explaining what makes that municipality interesting — its character, economy, geographic position, and what the akiya bank registration process actually involves.
Search by city name or keyword. Filter by language support, subsidy availability, or region. Browse prefectures with collapsible sections. The directory is built to be navigated, not just scrolled.
Every link points directly to the official municipal akiya bank page. No aggregator middlemen. A built-in report button lets you flag broken links so the directory stays accurate.
Akiya bank URLs change. Municipalities launch new portals. We track changes and push updates. As an Annual subscriber you always get the current version — not a static snapshot.
I spent two weeks trying to find akiya banks for the prefectures I was considering. The Akiya Labs directory had all of them in one place, with notes that actually told me which towns were worth contacting.
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Common questions
Everything you need to know before subscribing.
What exactly is an akiya bank and why do I need a directory?
An akiya bank (空き家バンク) is an official portal run by a Japanese municipality where owners of vacant properties register their homes and buyers can browse and apply. There is no single national akiya bank — each town or city operates its own, and finding them requires knowing where to look. This directory compiles every one we've tracked down across all 47 prefectures, with direct links and context on each.
Can I use these banks if I don't speak Japanese?
Some banks — 24 of the 730+ listed — have meaningful English support. These are flagged clearly in the directory. For Japanese-only banks, you'll typically need a local agent or translator to help with the registration process, which we cover in the newsletter and guides.
How is this different from national portals like the MLIT's akiya bank?
National portals aggregate a subset of listings, but many municipalities don't participate — they run their own independent portal with local properties not listed anywhere else. This directory maps every official municipal-level bank we've found, including those that don't appear on national aggregators.
Do the banks actually have affordable properties?
Yes, though prices vary significantly by region and property condition. Rural Tōhoku or Shikoku properties can be found for ¥1–5M. Well-connected spots like Nagano, Nasu, or coastal Chiba tend to run ¥5–20M. The Budget Calculator can help you model total costs including renovation and taxes.
What happens when I subscribe?
You get instant access to the directory, plus the Budget Calculator, Prefecture Finder, Property Hazard Score, and all other tools included in your plan. Trial gives you 1 week. Quarterly, Premium, and Lifetime give you full access including the weekly newsletter, Neighbourhood Score, and Future Development Map.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Trial expires after 1 week. Quarterly and Premium renew automatically — you can cancel before the renewal date and retain access until the end of your billing period. Lifetime never expires.