Airbnb wants to use a growing glut of abandoned homes in Japan to boost its business. Japan has around 8.5 million akiya, or empty homes, as its population shrinks and ages. If the owners of idle assets refurbish them and convert them into lodgings, that would be a solution," Airbnb's head of Japan, Yasuyuki Tanabe, told Nikkei. Airbnb hopes to partner with businesses and local governments to encourage homeowners to invest in renovations, Tanabe told Nikkei. AdvertisementJapan has close to 8.5 million abandoned homesJapan has some 8.49 million akiya, or unoccupied homes, according to the government's Housing and Land Survey in 2018.

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Persons: Airbnb, —, Yasuyuki Tanabe, Tanabe Organizations: Nikkei, Service, Survey, Nomura Research Institute, Japan National Tourism Organization Locations: Japan, Tourism