Supporting the Next Stage of Vacant House Countermeasures: Helping Kawajima Town, Saitama Develop its Vacant House Countermeasure Plan

Resona Group’s Region Design Lab Saitama (President: Takafumi Sonoda, hereafter 'Labotama') is pleased to announce that it has been entrusted by Kawajima Town, Saitama (Mayor: Takashi Fujima) with the 'Vacant House Countermeasure Plan Formulation Support Business.'

In Kawajima Town, concerns are rising that the increase in vacant houses due to population decline and an aging society is negatively affecting regional safety, landscapes, and local vitality. In light of this, Labotama, as a designated 'Vacant House Management and Utilization Support Corporation' for Kawajima, will support the town in formulating and revising its 'Vacant House Countermeasure Plan' to promote comprehensive and systematic responses.

[Business Overview and Social Significance]
This project focuses on two main pillars to provide comprehensive support for Kawajima Town's vacancy issues and plan formulation:

- Support for Plan Formulation
We will take stock of the measures and public-private collaborations undertaken in the five years since the 'First Kawajima Town Vacant House Countermeasure Plan' was established in March 2022, and support the formulation of the next five-year plan. We will specifically organize the outcomes and challenges of public-private collaboration and support the creation of an effective plan tailored to the town's reality.

- Demonstration Projects for Prevention and Awareness
Alongside plan formulation, we will conduct demonstration projects—such as organizing workshops for vacancy prevention and awareness, and verifying effective approaches to vacant house owners—and reflect these findings in the plan.

[About Kawajima Town, Saitama]
Kawajima Town is located in the central part of Saitama Prefecture, surrounded by rivers such as the Arakawa and Irumagawa. It is a compact town with a population of approximately 20,000, known for its thriving agriculture. Located within 50km of central Tokyo—about a one-hour drive—it offers a calm suburban living environment coexisting with idyllic rural landscapes.

[Main Vacant House Countermeasures in Kawajima Town]
Kawajima Town has been advancing vacancy countermeasures in collaboration with various private businesses and universities. Specific efforts include operating a 'Zero-Yen Vacant House Bank,' concluding partnership agreements on housing distribution, establishing consultation desks, public awareness campaigns, and enhancing subsidy systems.

In fiscal year 2023, the town organized challenges based on surveys conducted in joint research with Meiji University, promoting the 'Kawajima Model,' an all-encompassing strategy. In fiscal year 2024, as part of industry-government-academia collaborative efforts including Labotama, the town carried out initiatives such as exploring 'Housing Ending Notes' and conducting intention surveys regarding migration.

[About Labotama’s Support]
With the progress of depopulation and aging, the importance of acting early to prevent vacancies from arising, rather than dealing with them after they are abandoned, is growing, as evidenced by revisions to the national 'Vacant House Countermeasures Special Measures Act.'

Based on this social context, Labotama emphasizes proactive prevention and awareness, such as: providing education that encourages early consultation, holding resident workshops on vacancy utilization, and verifying effective approaches to owners. In this Kawajima Town project, we will incorporate these into the plan, aiming for highly effective measures that balance 'preventive measures' and 'early response.'

Furthermore, in September 2024, Labotama was designated as Kawajima Town’s 'Vacant House Management and Utilization Support Corporation,' and is advancing demonstration projects as a core partner in public-private collaboration.

[Future Outlook]
By maximizing our track record in supporting municipal vacancy measures, we will contribute to the sophistication of Kawajima Town's countermeasures and the creation of a sustainable community as a partner in regional problem-solving.