Japan Turns to Satellites, AI to Locate Abandoned Homes

Japan’s property and technology sectors are increasingly relying on satellite imagery and artificial intelligence to identify abandoned houses, as the country struggles with a growing inventory of deserted properties brought on by rapid aging and depopulation.

Dozens of Japanese firms have adopted these high-tech tools to pinpoint structures that have been left vacant, often for years, and could be acquired or repurposed. Among the leading solutions is a service developed by Tokyo-based startup Where Inc., which uses AI trained on tens of thousands of images to detect deteriorating rooftops, identifying telltale signs such as rust, discoloration, and structural decay.

Once flagged, these potential “ghost homes” are plotted directly onto satellite maps.

The technology is already reshaping property discovery. Kotaro Yasue, who operates a rental-home company in Gifu Prefecture, recently used the AI tool to locate a long-neglected two-story wooden house.

After tracing the owner through Japan’s real estate registry, he learned the property had been abandoned for more than a decade. Unsure how to dispose of it, the owner sold it to Yasue for just 1 yen.

“Before I started using the service, I had to visit local real estate agents or inspect each site myself,” Yasue said, noting the dramatic reduction in time and effort.

The scale of Japan’s abandoned-housing problem is vast. Government data shows roughly 9 million vacant homes nationwide as of 2023, a figure expected to rise as rural depopulation accelerates and older homeowners pass away without heirs.

Where Inc.’s AI relies in part on image-analysis technology originally designed by a research group affiliated with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to study lunar craters. Beyond locating abandoned homes, it can also identify plots suitable for parking lots, solar-panel installations, or commercial redevelopment.

Since fully launching the service in 2024, Where Inc. has already secured around 50 corporate clients.

“We want to help companies make effective use of untapped real estate,” a company official said.