The inheritances of lonely old people quadruple government revenue in Japan.

TokyoThe Japanese state breaks record income from estates without heirs amid lonely aging, declining marriage rates, and the erosion of traditional families They turn loneliness into a structural emergency. The Japanese tax agency is collecting more inheritances from elderly people who die completely alone, without spouses, children, or relatives who can or want to claim their assets. In 2024 alone, the state absorbed 129 billion yen (about 700 million euros) from estates without heirs, almost four times more than a decade earlier, a record that illustrates the extent to which the country is sinking into a silent but profound crisis.

The increase in these abandoned inheritances is the most visible symptom of a devastating phenomenon: a society in decline that is becoming emotionally impoverished As birth rates fall, marriages plummet, and family networks unravel, Japan is creating a new class of citizens without heirs and a future fraught with legal battles, dilapidated properties, and increasingly empty communities outside major cities. When someone dies without heirs in Japan, the process is slow and cumbersome: a liquidator appointed by the family court first settles outstanding taxes, funeral costs, and any other debts before the remaining assets automatically pass to the state. Experts warn that the number of elderly people without family will continue to rise and are calling for reforms that would allow these assets to be allocated to caregivers or social service organizations. For this to be possible, people should start planning what they want to do with their assets well before the end of their lives, since without a will no donations can be made and the estate inevitably ends up in the hands of the state.

The material dimension of the problem is enormous. The country has already accumulated more than nine millionakiya Abandoned houses deteriorate without anyone claiming ownership or maintenance. Many become entangled in lengthy legal processes because it's impossible to locate heirs or reach an agreement on their management. Local councils, especially in towns and medium-sized cities, are dedicating increasing resources to selling, inspecting, boarding up, or demolishing crumbling houses and properties, which have become physical symbols of social disconnection.

Taboo about the end of life

What surprises many analysts is that the generation that is dying today is alone It is the same one that raised and built modern Japan.Workers who lived through the postwar economic boom, but who often didn't marry, became estranged from traditional families, had no children, or lost contact with them. Adding to this reality is a persistent taboo surrounding end-of-life planning, which leads many elderly people to avoid discussing wills or designating alternative heirs, even knowing that their assets could end up in the hands of the state. This lack of planning has not only emotional but also economic consequences. Local authorities are faced with unclaimed assets that, before reaching the state, require administrative procedures that overwhelm courts and municipal offices. Experts point out that any attempt to redirect these assets toward social uses—whether for organizations, caregivers, or community projects—runs into a rut with rigid legislation that only allows for the transfer of assets through a will. And even then, few people actually make one.

With a rapidly aging population and an immediate future where those over 80 will be more numerous than ever, demographers warn that the problem will only worsen. Without comprehensive policy reform that promotes will-making, incentivizes the donation of assets, and facilitates the management of estates without heirs, Japan risks turning this crisis into a structural burden. But, for the moment, the institutional response is nonexistent: it is clear to everyone that the state will receive an increasing amount of money and property each year from these inheritances, a huge influx that does not generate any political urgency to change things.