As the problem of loneliness increases in Japan, an exotic real estate company that specializes in “..

사진 확대 Employees of Kachi Mode, a real estate agency specializing in haunted houses, conduct a preliminary investigation before brokering the haunted house. [Photo source = Reuters]

As the problem of loneliness increases in Japan, an exotic real estate company that specializes in “thugs” has emerged.

According to the Japanese media Dongyang Economy on the 9th (local time), Japanese real estate agent Kazutoshi Kodama established Kachi Mode, a brokerage specializing in haunted houses, in 2022. Kachimode specializes in brokering houses where homeowners kill themselves, die alone, or have been killed and vacated.

Such houses usually fall by 10-20% in house prices or rent, and Kachi Mode is making profits using it.

Founder Komada delved into related niche markets using his past experience of brokering haunted houses. Kodama’s idea is to publish a detailed investigation report in advance when brokering a haunted house.

The investigation report includes information on what happened, how they handled it, and how they repaired the room after the accident, as well as the results of an investigation into whether real company employees used various equipment to show supernatural signs at home while staying for several days.

They mobilize equipment such as cameras, recorders, electromagnetic field meters, and thermal imaging cameras, and also monitor indoor temperature, humidity, noise, air pressure, and airflow. If no other problem is detected, the company issues a certificate confirming that “no supernatural phenomena have been found.”

In addition, Kachi Mode provides services such as inheritance support counseling, articles arrangement, and special cleaning.

As of last month, the company had a cumulative total of 196 properties inspected, according to the Kachi Mode website. The cost of the test was 50,000 yen (about 470,000 won) until last year, but recently, the cost of the test has risen, reaching 80,000 to 150,000 yen per day.

Most of them were issued certificates because there was no abnormality, but there were some unusual cases.

When a woman killed herself in Chiba Prefecture and found a house where her son died alone at home, Kodama’s laptop suddenly turned off and did not turn it back on. There were no other abnormalities during the nearly 20-day stay in the house. Kodama speculates it may have been a simple device defect, but it ultimately did not issue a certificate.

When I went out to investigate another house, Mr. Kodama felt something strange on the floor. When the floor cover was uncovered, a well was found, and he was advised by a gentleman official who was at the scene for the exorcism ceremony at the time, saying, “It’s better not to touch this well.”

I heard that the room has been a series of cases where tenants have been “illnessed,” “injured,” and “divorced,” and at the end of the day, it was the place where the suicide person came out. In the end, the certificate was not issued, and the room was not rented.

Kodama said he sometimes helps bereaved families. Once, a father who lost his daughter said, “Please let me know when your daughter appears in the room.” No abnormalities were found and the father was said to have thanked Kodama.

“Identifying the cause of death, repair, cleaning, and transparent investigation will help heal the ‘psychological shadow’ of the bereaved,” Kodama said.