Oita's Yufu City to Give Away 12 Residential Lots Free to Relocating Families With Children; Applications Open September 30
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Yufu City in Oita Prefecture announced a program to give away 12 city-owned residential lots free of charge to child-rearing households relocating from outside the city. According to the Nikkei, the lots are located in a development called "Kaoru-no-Oka" in Shonaicho Otatsu, built on the former site of an elderly care facility, covering roughly 7,200 square meters in total. Each lot measures between 206 and 256 square meters (roughly 62 to 77 tsubo), with completion planned for February 2027.
Applications will be accepted from September 30 through November 30, 2026. Eligible applicants are relocating households intending to reside in the city for at least 10 years, meeting at least one of the following conditions: (1) one spouse is under 40 years old, or (2) the household includes a co-resident family member under 15. Construction must begin within one year of the provisional transfer agreement. The reporting does not mention any nationality requirement.
Current status: The specific selection method and the volume of applications received remain unclear as of this writing. This article will be updated as further details emerge.
Editorial Perspective
Responses at the municipal level play a role in bridging the gap between national policy design and residents' lived experience. Whether a move like this spreads to other municipalities will be worth watching going forward. In particular, whether information-sharing between municipalities facing similar challenges leads to wider adoption of successful approaches may shape how effective this policy area becomes overall.