The Akiya Phenomenon, Revitalisation, and Resistance : Investigating Vacant Houses as a Tool for Repopulation in Rural Japan
This essay delves into the akiya (vacant houses) problem in Japan, using the phenomenon as a lens to discuss the larger issue of depopulation and repopulation of regional Japan. It builds on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Kochi Prefecture from February to April, 2023, where semi-structured interviews were conducted with official workers and local residents of depopulated areas. The study find