The possibilities of the revised Basic Act for Land in the context of resolution of abandoned houses and lands

Abstract

This paper examines the possibilities of the revised Basic Act for Land in the context of resolution of issues on the abandoned houses and lands. The Basic Act for Land was established to tackle the land issues caused by skyrocketing land price during the bubble economy. Recently Japan faces issues of the population ageing and decrease. The paper explores three questions: 1） Is it possible to speed up the identification of owners? 2） Is it possible to ensure owners to conduct appropriate maintenance of their vacant buildings and lands? 3） Is it possible to enhance the utilization of low value houses and lands?