Large-scale land readjustment after the earthquake … still “30% is vacant land” March 10, 17:51

"I didn't want to

sell the land I inherited from my parents. I gave up and wanted to sell it, but there was no one to buy it."

These are the words I heard from

This woman owns a "vacant lot" that has been readjusted.

In the three prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima, which were hit by the tsunami, land readjustment was carried out in order to rebuild houses, but approximately 30% of the land remains unused and vacant.

It has been 12 years since the disaster, and as the living environment of the victims has changed, we have come to see the reality that vacant lots cannot be sold even if they try to sell them.

(Sendai Broadcasting Station Reporter Yudai Muto)

Damaged 3 prefectures Development area 730 hectares

Approximately 730 hectares, equivalent to 155 Tokyo Domes.

Of the land damaged by the earthquake tsunami, it is the area of ​​districts in which local governments played a central role in land readjustment in the three prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima in order to rebuild houses.

A total of 50 districts in 17 municipalities will complete the series of projects by 2021.

Some of these districts have been reborn as “new towns” where houses have been built.

In the Yuriage district of Natori City, Miyagi Prefecture, the ground was raised to improve the land, and land readjustment was carried out, including elementary and junior high schools and commercial facilities.

According to a summary by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism as of the end of December 2022, the land utilization rate in this area is 97%.

It is adjacent to Sendai City, which has a population of nearly 1.1 million, and has good transportation access, making it a popular area for young people and families with children.

A person in charge of the city also confessed, "We have received requests from many real estate companies to tell us about vacant land."

Of the 50 districts that have been readjusted, 14 districts, including the Yuriage district, have a land utilization rate of over 90%.

Areas with vacant lots

But not all districts are doing well.

Some districts have a large proportion of vacant lots.

In Rikuzentakata City, Iwate Prefecture, the Imaizumi area accounts for 65% and the Takata area accounts for 59%, both of which exceed half.

In the Osawa area of ​​Yamada Town, 42%, and in the Usuiso area of ​​Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, 41%, and 28% of the 50 districts as a whole remain vacant.

Twelve years have passed since the disaster, and it is believed that this is due to the fact that generations have changed and lives have been rebuilt in different places.

In Kesennuma City, the northernmost part of Miyagi Prefecture, nearly 40% of the land readjusted in both the Shishiori and Minami Kesennuma areas remains vacant.

The land of Kiyoko Saito (70) in the Shishiori district is still vacant.

In the tsunami caused by the earthquake, she lost her house on the coast, and two buildings including the house where she was born and raised became uninhabitable.

Kiyoko Saito

“On the day of the earthquake, it was my grandson’s birthday, so I went out to buy sushi and cake, but when I came back, everyone around my house was gone, so I evacuated with a neighbor’s car. The fire itself was not washed away, but it became useless.The next morning (after the earthquake), when I looked in the direction of my parents' house, the house was still on fire."

After the earthquake, Saito built a new house away from the sea.

In addition, Mr. Saito inherited the land after his father, who owned the two damaged properties, passed away in 2013.

And exchanged for land in the newly readjusted Shikaori district.

The zoning of this district will be completed in 2020.

Land ownership is a burden...

At first, Mr. Saito wanted to make the most of the land and turned it into a parking lot.

In addition, property tax, which had been exempted on the original damaged land, was imposed on the Shishiori district, which was readjusted, creating a new burden.

Mr. Saito changed his policy and went to a real estate company to rent and sell the land, but he still hasn't found a buyer.

“I inherited the land from my parents, so at first I wanted to maintain it by renting it out if possible. I decided to sell it because of the burden of property tax, but there was no one... I've already given up on half of it."

According to the local real estate company that Mr. Saito consults with, there have been about 10 inquiries about leasing or selling in this area so far, and two or three cases have resulted in contracts.

Hideki Hatakeyama, President

"Hearing the inquiries, I feel that the reconstruction and land search of the original residents have settled down. Transactions in this area are a little slow, and it still takes time. I don't know if I should put it on."

More than half of Rikuzentakata remains vacant

Some local governments have taken measures to promote the use of "vacant lots," but the reality is that no noticeable effects have yet been achieved.

Rikuzentakata City spent more than 160 billion yen on land readjustment in two coastal districts.

A total of 2,100 homes were planned to be developed, but more than half of each district remains vacant.

It is believed that the need to build housing has fallen below expectations as more people moved to higher ground or continued to live in disaster public housing.

Even though measures such as "vacant land bank" are embarked on ...

In order to improve this situation, the city started a "vacant land bank" in 2019 that connects people who want to rent or sell land and people who want to use it. We have also set up a system to subsidize the amount equivalent to annual property tax with regional gift certificates.

However, as of February this year, only 56 transactions have been completed for 551 registrations of vacant lots.

In addition, in February, the city eased restrictions so that factories could be built in an attempt to encourage utilization by expanding the use of land. We will establish and strengthen our efforts.

However, even so, there is no prospect of improvement in the short term.

Hironori Takahashi, Manager, Urban Planning Division, Rikuzentakata City

"In the course of 12 years, I think that some people are aging and their household circumstances are changing, making it difficult to maintain their land. There is no silver bullet. , Since there is no concrete solution in sight, we have no choice but to expand the scope of utilization little by little over the next 10 to 20 years.”

“Cooperation between landowners and government” is the key to the solution

Professor Satoshi Masuda of Tohoku University Graduate School, who is familiar with community development in the disaster-stricken areas, has analyzed that the awareness of the people affected by the disaster has changed over time.

Professor Satoshi Masuda, Graduate School of Tohoku University

, "Looking at the situation at the beginning of the disaster, I think it's only natural that many people thought, 'I want to own land,' in order to leave various options for the future. Even those who thought that they would like to work in the local area again,” would end up retiring after 10 or 15 years, and their income would not come in. ’ and changed.”

On top of that, he pointed out that instead of local governments reducing fixed asset taxes, landowners could pay the amount to business operators who develop towns, which could lead to regional revitalization.

In order to make the best use of the results of land readjustment, it is essential to create a plan that is linked to town development even now, with the participation of residents.

"It would have been nice to have a more flexible discussion about what part of the recovery from natural disasters should be covered by public funds and what part should be entrusted to the power of the private sector. It is important to create something like a revitalization plan over a period of several years while carefully observing what is being monitored and how many people with what attributes are developing the business.”

Interview postscript

Twelve years have passed since the disaster, and as the needs of the victims have changed, like Mr. Saito, the land that he originally wanted to protect became a burden, and although he decided to let it go, he could not even see the prospect of doing so. I was.

Local governments are also trying to find a way out, and they are taking countermeasures one after another, but the reality is that they are groping in the dark and cannot see the exit. I feel like I was telling you how difficult things are.

In the reconstruction of the Great East Japan Earthquake, while the government says that the hard aspects such as infrastructure are "mostly completed", from the perspective of each individual, "issues left behind" are weighing heavily.

I think it is necessary for not only the government but also residents and companies to work together to verify whether they have overlooked the "buds" for the reconstruction that they were aiming for, and to create plans that are linked to community development. .

Sendai Broadcasting Station Reporter

Yudai Muto

Joined the station in 2017, and worked at the Sendai station after working at the Yamagata station.

He mainly covers administrative matters such as Miyagi prefectural government.

Learning "taste" every day while walking around Tohoku, a battleground for sake