I Tried to Find Abandoned Houses in Ginza

Quick Overview

The creator ran for 60 minutes across Tokyo's Chūō Ward, which includes the expensive Ginza area, ultimately finding 12 visibly abandoned houses (Akiya), despite initially thinking there would be fewer in such a prime location, noting that the high land value makes the existence of these older, vacant homes particularly interesting.

Key Points: The creator ran for 60 minutes in Tokyo's Chūō Ward, aiming to find visibly abandoned houses (Akiya) in one of the world's most expensive areas. The search resulted in finding a total of 12 Akiya, which was more than the creator initially expected, given the area's high real estate value. The most expensive corner identified was in Ginza, where land prices reached ¥48 million per square meter (approximately $303,000 per square meter). The creator noted that Chūō Ward's population is 170,000, significantly higher than the adjacent Chiyoda Ward's population of 67,000. The renovated Akiya found in Chūō-ku (built in 1992) had a purchase price of ¥62.8 million ($396,000) and a small land space of 25 square meters. The video highlights the contrast between modern skyscrapers and the older, tucked-away homes, such as a traditional structure near Tsukiji Station and an abandoned house in the Tsukishima area (a reclaimed island).

Context: Shu Matsuo Post, co-founder of AkiyaHub, undertook an 'Akiya Marathon' challenge: running for 60 minutes through Tokyo's Chūō Ward, which encompasses high-value districts like Ginza and Nihonbashi, to locate and count visibly abandoned houses, known as 'Akiya' (vacant homes). This quest was partly preparation for the Tokyo Marathon 2026 and driven by curiosity about the prevalence of vacant properties in such prime real estate.

Detailed Analysis

The video documents a 60-minute run through Tokyo's Chūō Ward by Shu Matsuo Post, co-founder of AkiyaHub, to find and count visibly abandoned houses (Akiya) in this high-value central district. The run began in Ginza, highlighting the extreme contrast between ultra-expensive commercial real estate, where land costs ¥48 million per square meter, and the presence of dilapidated, older homes. The creator noted that Chūō-ku has a population of 170,000 compared to Chiyoda Ward's 67,000. During the run, the creator found several properties meeting the criteria for Akiya (vacant home), including one that was recently renovated (built in 1992, 77 sqm structure, 25 sqm land) for ¥62.8 million ($396,000). The search led through Ginza, past Kyobashi and Nihonbashi, and into the reclaimed land of Tsukishima. The creator ultimately counted 12 visibly abandoned properties in total, expressing surprise given the area's prime status. The video concludes with the creator near Tsukishima's shotengai (shopping street), reflecting on the juxtaposition of old, tucked-away homes against massive modern skyscrapers, and encouraging viewers to check out previous videos covering other wards.