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Japan's empty houses
Japan has millions of 空き家 — houses with no one living in them — and the number keeps rising as the population ages and shrinks. In rural areas many are family homes whose children moved to the cities: the house cannot easily be sold, the family does not want to demolish it, and it stands empty for years, slowly falling into disrepair. Many towns now run an 空き家バンク, a register that matches empty houses with people who want to move in, and some offer grants for repairs. Renting one usually means taking it as it is: a 建て付け that has shifted, a leak in one room, a well, a shed full of tools — and a neighbor who knows the house better than the paperwork does. The Tosa dialect of Kōchi is quoted in this lesson, not taught: 〜ちゅう and 〜ちょる for 〜ている, 〜ゆう for the ongoing action, 〜き for から, がよ for のよ, かまん for かまわない, and おまさん for «you». The grammar taught is the grammar of things left unfinished: だらけ, かけ, っぱなし, ぶり, たまま.