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In rural Japan, entire neighbourhoods stand frozen in time. Their wooden sidings bear the damage of years of neglect. These abandoned homes, or akiya, are more than vacant structures—they reflect Japan’s architectural heritage, shaped by generations of craftsmanship. Yet, with rural depopulation accelerating and property information scattered across fragmented systems, many of these homes remain overlooked and eventually crumble or are destroyed.

It’s not that there’s no interest in akiya. Foreign buyers are increasingly drawn to Japan’s rural charm and traditional architecture. Property listings on major real estate platforms show a steady rise in inquiries from overseas, with buyers looking for affordable countryside retreats.

Traditional kominka offers craftsmanship and design principles that are rare in modern construction. Features like tatami flooring, shoji screens, and no-nail interlocking wooden beams highlight Japan’s respect for natural materials and spatial harmony. These homes are a tangible link to the country’s history.

Yet, despite their cultural significance, Japanese buyers typically avoid akiya. Many prefer new homes due to cultural attitudes toward used properties. Renovation costs and legal complexities further deter local interest. Additionally, younger generations moving to cities have little incentive to maintain rural homes that they may never live in. As a result, an estimated nine million homes sit empty, with projections that this number could reach 15 million by 2030.

Akiya2.0 recognises that foreign buyers may be a timely spearhead in the movement to stop these properties from falling into disrepair. However, the process of acquiring and restoring akiya is anything but straightforward.

The scale of the technical challenge

Japan’s decentralised property management system creates inconsistencies in how akiya data is stored and shared. The country has 47 prefectures and 1,718 municipalities, each with its own listing process. Some use PDFs, others maintain simple websites, and many rely on completely independent and sometimes “not at all logical” data structures.

Also Read: Lewis Ng replaces Hari V. Krishnan as PropertyGuru CEO

Traditional data aggregation approaches struggle with this fragmentation. Listings exist in multiple formats, requiring customised solutions to extract, standardise, and organise them into a structured framework. Web scraping alone falls short, given the diversity of data sources. The challenge isn’t just technical—it requires understanding how different regions handle property records.

Language barriers further complicate access. Property listings, legal paperwork, and negotiations are conducted almost entirely in Japanese. Translating documents isn’t just about language; it’s about legal nuances and cultural differences that make direct machine translation unreliable.

To address these challenges, Akiya2.0 has developed a legally compliant data acquisition system. Instead of relying on unreliable shortcuts, we’ve engineered specialised crawlers to interface directly with each municipality’s data structures. Our platform also simplifies translation, making traditional homes more accessible.

Early results have been promising. In our first 12 target prefectures, our methods have uncovered a broader range of listings than many established platforms. Many of these properties had been difficult to find through conventional searches. While not every listing is complete, each one adds to a growing pool of restoration opportunities.

Innovation for future impact

Our work extends beyond current listings. We are helping to shape how property technology evolves. The custom algorithms we’ve built to handle multiple listing formats—ranging from PDFs to web tables—are generating a structured reference dataset that can then be parsed by regular filtering routines, or which provide a standardised data set for upcoming AI agents.

Japan’s real estate databases lack standardisation, with irregular update cycles and inconsistent record formats. Our system dynamically adapts, processing updates, removals, and additions while maintaining data integrity. Future plans include integrating municipal data with tax records, ownership logs, and zoning laws. This would enhance transparency, helping buyers assess a property’s status, renovation costs, and legal constraints upfront.

Also Read: Building the future: Up-skilling and empowerment in India’s real estate boom

Beyond transactions, structured datasets have applications in real estate analytics, predictive modelling, and urban planning. By converting analog records into machine-readable formats, we improve vacancy tracking and market analysis. AI-driven models can identify trends in property abandonment, forecast vacancy rates, and optimise revitalisation strategies. Many have asked when such predictive functionality will become available—while not yet fully operational, this goal is very much a work in progress at Akiya2.0.

A mission beyond real estate

Restoring an akiya affects more than just the owner. For buyers, it means acquiring a piece of Japan’s history. For local towns, each revitalised home helps stabilise neighbourhoods and encourages economic activity. On a larger scale, preserving these properties helps maintain Japan’s architectural identity for future generations.

Every restored akiya contributes to broader cultural preservation. While challenges remain, the potential for revitalisation is clear. Communities benefit, and architectural traditions are maintained.

At a time when urbanisation often overshadows tradition, these homes offer a rare intersection of past and future. They demonstrate that connection and community still exist in overlooked places. More importantly, they show how technology can help bridge history with those who will preserve it. Technology isn’t just about innovation—it’s also a tool for ensuring that physical pieces of our past continue to be lived in and cared for.

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In today’s hyper-connected world, citizens expect public services to be as seamless as private sector experiences. Whether it’s accessing healthcare remotely, engaging with government agencies, or navigating multilingual communication, real-time solutions are no longer optional; they are essential.

Singapore is ahead of the curve, The Digital for Life movement, for instance, has benefitted over 400,000 Singaporeans by equipping them with essential digital skills to thrive in a connected world. This digital evolution is not just about implementing new technologies, but about redefining how citizens engage with government service in real time.

However, equipping citizens with digital skills is only part of the equation. Public services must also evolve to provide real-time, seamless interactions that match these advancements—where instant access to government services, AI-driven support, and multilingual communication become the new standard.

A truly citizen-centric approach goes beyond digitisation; it ensures that government services are seamlessly integrated into daily life, making interactions with public agencies more responsive and effective. One of the key enablers of this transformation is real-time communication (RTC), a technology that facilitates instant, high-quality interactions between citizens and government entities.

Singapore’s Smart Nation initiative has redefined how public services cater to its diverse population. From telemedicine reducing unnecessary hospital visits, AI medical assistant to multilingual translation breaking language barriers, real-time communication (RTC) technology has been the invisible backbone of this transformation.

Enhancing RTC solutions for Singapore citizen service

While Singaporeans have made remarkable strides in addressing RTC challenges through initiatives such as improved connectivity and secure digital frameworks, gaps still remain in ensuring seamless real-time communication for diverse needs.

Low-latency video and voice technology is revolutionising how public services communicate with citizens, ensuring seamless, real-time interactions. In healthcare, AI-powered virtual doctors are expanding access to medical consultations, enabling citizens to receive timely support regardless of their location. By integrating AI-driven diagnostics with real-time doctor-patient interactions, these solutions enhance medical accessibility, particularly for underserved communities.

Also Read: Top 5 strategies on how startup founders can drive healthy, rapid growth in an uncertain economy

Ensuring these interactions remain smooth and effective requires robust technological support. Advanced solutions such as AI-powered noise suppression, speech-to-text (STT), text-to-speech(TTS) and multilingual translation help eliminate communication barriers, making telehealth services more inclusive and efficient. Real-time communication platforms, like those enabling ultra-low latency video and voice capabilities, ensure clear doctor-patient conversations, regardless of language or background noise.

AI-powered RTC is redefining how citizens interact with essential services. The next evolution is not just seamless communication, but proactive, AI-driven solutions that anticipate needs before they arise.

For AI-driven citizen services to be truly inclusive, real-time interaction technologies must be scalable, secure, and context-aware. Innovations in low-latency video, AI-powered speech recognition, and multilingual translation are bridging communication gaps in healthcare, education, and even public services. Companies specialising in RTC, such as Agora, are enabling these advancements by building the next generation of intelligent, seamless interactions.

Beyond essential services, real-time communication is also reshaping public spaces, ensuring citizens can engage with digital services in dynamic and meaningful ways. Libraries, for example, are evolving into interactive digital hubs, leveraging AI-powered tools to make knowledge more accessible and engaging. Initiatives like the National Library Board’s (NLB) LAB25 reimagine public learning spaces through immersive technologies, bridging the gap between digital advancements and public knowledge.

Also Read: The human touch endures: Why AI won’t replace all blue-collar jobs

The future of digital libraries relies on ultra-low latency communication between humans and AI, ensuring seamless, high-quality interactions in AR/VR applications. These technologies enable immersive library experiences where users can interact with AI-driven content or explore archives in virtual reality.

For digital services to evolve, they must prioritise seamless and immersive experiences that go beyond traditional interactions. AR/VR-driven solutions can transform libraries and public spaces from static information hubs into dynamic, interactive environments that enhance how people learn, connect, and experience culture in real-time.

The future of citizen-centric digital services

As Singapore continues refining its Smart Nation vision, RTC will play an even greater role in shaping the future of citizen-government interactions. By prioritising accessibility and leveraging cutting-edge RTC innovations, Singapore continues to set a global benchmark for citizen-first digital governance.

As AI-powered RTC evolves, the real challenge will be moving beyond accessibility to creating truly adaptive, citizen-first experiences. The future of digital governance will not just be about providing services—it will be about anticipating citizen needs in real time, ensuring that technology strengthens inclusivity, trust, and public engagement.

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Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing views from the community. Share your opinion by submitting an article, video, podcast, or infographic.

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Startup team, assemble! It’s time to tap into a performance hack that’s been under our noses all along — our body clocks. Dr. Till Roenneberg’s groundbreaking research on chronotypes doesn’t just apply to individuals; it’s a gold mine for team dynamics as well.

The chronotype spectrum: Your team’s internal timetable

Think of your team as a band, each member with a unique rhythm contributing to a collective symphony. Here’s how it plays out:

• Larks: Your morning maestros, ready to tackle the world before most hit snooze.
• Owls: Your night-time ninjas, brainstorming and building while the city sleeps.
• Third birds: The adaptable core, peaking with the sun high in the sky.

The team chronotype zone: When collective genius peaks

Harnessing your team’s chronotype zones means you’re setting the stage for collaborative fireworks when everyone’s at their cognitive best.

• Mapping out the team’s chronotype: Chart out each team member’s chronotype. It’s like knowing who’s a sprinter or a marathoner and planning the relay race to perfection.
• Syncing schedules for synergy: Align your collective tasks — like brainstorming sessions and sprints — during overlapping chronotype zones. You’re looking for that sweet spot when larks are still soaring, and third birds have joined the flight.
• Respecting the rhythms: Honour your owls’ late-night sparks. If larks are early birds, let them catch those worms. Then, pass the baton to your owls, who are just hitting their stride.
• Individual tasks in personal prime time: Empower team members to dive into deep work during their own chronotype zones. They’ll produce better quality work in less time.
• Cross-chronotype collaboration: Foster a culture where larks and owls can leave notes for each other. When one’s day ends, the other’s begins, creating a 24-hour cycle of productivity.

Tactical team breaks: The ultradian rhythm strategy

Every 90-120 minutes, our brains naturally seek rest. Respect these ultradian rhythms. Encourage short, restorative breaks to prevent burnout and keep the team sharp.

Also Read: How and why you should embrace neurodiversity at the workplace

• Brain-friendly breaks: Promote activities that dial down the mental load. Meditation, stretching, or a communal laugh can rejuvenate the mind.
• The power of the pulse: The pulse works with breaks. A concentrated work session followed by a collective breather can sustain momentum and foster team unity.

The startup advantage: Agile chronotype

In the startup world, agility is everything. By embracing the diversity of chronotypes, you can operate around the clock without burning out any single member.

• Asynchronous workflows: Create systems that thrive on staggered schedules. This way, work continues to flow, and handoffs are seamless.
• Chronotype-conscious meetings: Schedule full team meet-ups when everyone is likely to be in their chronotype zone, ensuring engagement and energy are high.
• Open communication channels: Keep a clear line for updates and handovers. Tools like Slack or Asana can be your best friends here.

Why this matters for your startup team

In the push to innovate and disrupt, your team’s well-being and peak performance are non-negotiable. Chronotyping isn’t just about personal productivity; it’s about optimising the entire team’s output without sacrificing work-life harmony.

Putting it into practice

Start with a team chronotype workshop. Get to know each other’s rhythms and plan your workflows accordingly. Experiment, iterate, and find your collective groove.

The bottom line

Embracing your team’s chronotypes means you’re not just working hard; you’re working smart, in harmony with the natural rhythms of human performance. This could be your startup’s edge in the competitive arena. It’s a strategy that respects individuality while capitalising on collaboration.

So, are you ready to turn your team into a well-oiled machine tuned to the rhythm of success? Let the power of chronotypes lead the way to your startup’s symphony of peak performance.

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This article was first published on November 14, 2023

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I like to think of networking, connecting, or meeting new people as me finding my energy circles. I’m curating a circle of people who either:

• Think like me
• Have learnings and ideas that I can bounce off with
• Have done something I have, or am looking to do in the future

Being a connector is essentially gathering everyone you know who falls into one or many of those buckets as you, bringing them together and letting more like-minded folks meet each other.

We find our people, and then we build our tribe. But this is often easier said than done.

As a self-proclaimed extroverted introvert, there are times when these interactions are second nature to me and other times when I assume a different persona to be more effective. Sometimes I end up in extended seasons of introspection, or even question the boundaries between my personal and professional life.

It’s a balancing act. Let’s dig into all that.

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