# I Tried to Find Abandoned Houses in Ginza

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOgsNNNNcPQ
Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/eOgsNNNNcPQ
Generated: 2026-01-14T12:03:14.14+00:00

---
## 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).

![Screenshot at 00:01: 48:The creator identifies the first abandoned house \(Akiya\) in a narrow alleyway, characterized by overgrown vines and boarded-up windows, contrasting sharply with the surrounding modern urban development.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/eOgsNNNNcPQ/00-00-01.jpg)

**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.

### Mission Setup & Context

- The creator sets a 60-minute mission to run through Chūō-ku, Tokyo, to find visibly abandoned houses (Akiya) as part of training for the Tokyo Marathon 2026
- Chūō-ku population is 170,000, contrasting with Chiyoda-ku's 67,000
- The area is one of the most expensive in the world, with Ginza land costing ¥48 million per square meter.

### Akiya Identification & Characteristics

- The creator identifies 12 Akiya in total, including a very old, vine-covered structure in Ginza (00:01:00) and a recently renovated one (built 1992, 83 sqm structure, 25 sqm land) priced at ¥62.8 million ($396,000) (01:41:13).

### Geographic Observations

- The run covered Ginza, Kyobashi, Nihonbashi, and Tsukishima (a reclaimed island), noting the contrast between modern high-rises and small, old homes, especially near Tsukiji Station (00:50:27).

### Conclusion & Future Plans

- The creator expresses excitement about the findings, notes the difficulty of finding single-family homes in the dense area, and promises more episodes covering different wards before the actual marathon.

![Screenshot at 00:01: 01:The video begins by showing an old, overgrown house sandwiched between modern buildings in Ginza, immediately establishing the theme of abandoned property contrast.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/eOgsNNNNcPQ/00-00-01.jpg)
![Screenshot at 00:32: 13:A map highlights the location of Chūō Ward \(where Ginza is\) relative to Chiyoda Ward, showing Chūō Ward as a large, mostly reclaimed area south-east of the central business district.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/eOgsNNNNcPQ/00-00-32.jpg)
![Screenshot at 01:02: 02:The famous Seiko Clock Tower intersection in Ginza is shown, emphasizing the high-value commercial environment where the search is taking place.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/eOgsNNNNcPQ/00-01-02.jpg)
![Screenshot at 01:41: 10:The creator shows data for a recently renovated Akiya \(built in 2000\) priced at ¥114 million \($720,000\), illustrating the high cost even for smaller, older structures.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/eOgsNNNNcPQ/00-01-41.jpg)
![Screenshot at 01:55: 08:The creator displays population data comparing Chūō-ku \(170,000\) to Chiyoda-ku \(67,000\) relative to Tokyo's 30 million population, contextualizing the low density of residential properties in these central wards.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/eOgsNNNNcPQ/00-01-55.jpg)