According to a recent Kyoto municipal survey, there are 110,000 abandoned homes in the city.
That means that no one lives in approximately one in seven houses in the city.
This is a huge headache for the city.
These structures are not kept up, and falling roof tiles, arson, and complete collapse are not uncommon. In addition, in the event of an earthquake, many of these buildings would fall down.
The main reason Kyoto is home to many old homes is that it was spared bombing during World War II. As a result, the city is both blessed and cursed with many old buildings, which require a lot of upkeep.
In addition, the city has a large population of older people. When they die or move into a retirement home, often there is no one to take over the maintenance of the house.
The city is now attempting to come up with ways to renovate the homes - and neighborhoods - such as converting them into guest houses, etc.
© CycleKyoto.com
Tags Japan Touring Kyoto Cycle Japanese
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