TOKYO -- Private lodging operator Airbnb is looking for ways to house travelers in the growing number of homes left empty in Japan as the population declines, its manager for the country told Nikkei Asia.
The number of unused houses -- known in Japanese as akiya -- has almost doubled during the past two decades, to nearly 3.5 million in 2018, according to an official survey. As the population of the world's third-largest economy ages, that figure is expected to reach 4.7 million in 2030. The government says these unused houses could cause security and sanitary problems as they decay.
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