"House Involved in Accident Sold Cheaply... Exorcism Prayer Included as a Service" [Sunday Culture]

Finding a home is a difficult task in any country. In Japan, just like in Korea, there is a saying: "If the price is strangely low, be suspicious." Especially, it is advised to always check if the property is a 'sa-go mul-geon' (accident property).

In Japan, real estate properties where lonely deaths, suicides, or violent incidents have occurred are called 'sa-go mul-geon.' However, real estate portals usually mark such properties only as 'notice available,' making it difficult to know exactly what happened. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism guidelines, disclosure is required only for three years after the incident. After three years, there is no obligation to disclose. Because of this, recent ghost story programs have introduced tales of tenants unknowingly moving into accident properties with low rent and encountering ghosts.

An accident property remodeled by Jobusseu Real Estate. (Photo by Jobusseu Real Estate)

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In Japan, there is a real estate agency that exclusively deals with these accident properties, which has become a hot topic. They handle everything from special cleaning to requesting exorcisms at temples so that new tenants can live with peace of mind. The agency is called 'Seibutsu (成?) Real Estate,' which means praying for the repose of the deceased. The company’s CEO recently published a 'Handbook for Handling Accident Properties,' which has been featured multiple times in the media.

Today, we share the story of Seibutsu Real Estate (Jo-butsu Real Estate), which operates under the philosophy of 'for the world, for the people,' exclusively brokering accident properties.

Jo-butsu Real Estate began operations in April 2019.

The listings include basic information such as the year built and building area, along with an overview of past incidents. The classification is broadly divided into seven categories: ▲properties with visible graves, crematoriums, or funeral halls ▲properties where incidents occurred in common areas or other rooms ▲properties with lonely deaths or natural deaths discovered within 72 hours ▲properties with lonely deaths or natural deaths discovered after more than 72 hours ▲properties where deaths occurred due to fire or accidents ▲properties where tenants committed suicide ▲properties where violent crimes such as murder occurred. These are ranked in order of the psychological burden on new tenants. Naturally, because these are accident properties, their market prices are lower than others.

The properties brokered here range from cases where elderly tenants died alone and were discovered after neighbors reported it, to horrific cases where family disputes led to murder and the perpetrator’s own suicide.

The agency handles everything from special cleaning to antiviral and antibacterial treatments. The special cleaning is performed by affiliated professional companies, and real estate staff always enter the site to supervise and direct the work.

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What is most unique is that every property they handle undergoes an exorcism ritual. They offer offerings at temples and request ceremonies at shrines for the deceased. The real estate staff also participate in ceremonies at temples every two months. The reason is not because ghosts appear, but to reduce the mental burden on staff and tenants and to create a pleasant working environment.

CEO Koji Hanahara stated in a media interview, "I have never experienced any spiritual phenomena such as seeing ghosts. Some people with strong intuition say they see them, but at least I have never felt scared while working." After all these processes are completed, a 'Seibutsu Certification' is issued.

How did such a real estate agency come to be?

The founder, Hanahara, experienced the Great Hanshin Earthquake, one of Japan’s major earthquakes, during his school days. From a young age, he wanted to build strong houses that would not collapse in earthquakes to save lives. After graduating from university, he worked at a construction company, where he faced Japan’s vacant house problem. He realized that saving existing houses is as important as building new ones, which led him to start this real estate agency. It has become popular because it solves problems for property owners troubled by incidents, tenants who want affordable rent but have psychological barriers against accident properties, and the unfortunate previous tenants who passed away.

Koji Hanahara, President of Jobutsu Real Estate. (Photo by Japan Distribution Science University)

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Last month, Jo-butsu Real Estate also published a book containing know-how on handling accident properties. The book covers explanations about accident properties, judgments based on Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism guidelines, responses in emergencies, impacts on real estate prices and taxes, and measures landlords can take to prevent accident properties from occurring in the first place, attracting much attention.

In fact, many incidents are hidden to prevent property prices from falling. Hanahara said, "We do not hide the fact that incidents occurred; tenants live there after understanding the situation. We want to make real estate truly real estate." He emphasized, "Only when there is someone to live in the house next can both the deceased and the property find peace."

With Japan’s aging population over 65 increasing and more single-person households, lonely deaths and vacant houses have become social issues. Hanahara’s philosophy that "just like people, houses with problems should be dealt with and reborn" is gaining attention. South Korea, where low birth rates and aging are progressing rapidly, will eventually face similar issues. Rather than hiding tragic incidents due to property prices, Jo-butsu Real Estate’s focus on the essence of a home as a 'place to live' offers many insights for solving housing problems.

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