Inside the Ghost Investigation Company Specializing in Stigmatized Properties

The sealed room where residents had consecutively died by hanging

Among the ongoing boom in the horror genre, stigmatized properties remain a staple. The book Kokuchi Jikou Ari: Sono Jikobukken de Okiru Koto (Disclosed Matters: What Happens in Stigmatized Properties), written by Kazutoshi Kodama and published by Imagica Infos (distributed by Shufu no Tomosha) in late January, focuses precisely on this theme. Since its release, the book has topped sales rankings in multiple bookstores and was even adapted into a drama aired on Fuji TV on March 7 and 14.

One reason for the book’s popularity is that, unlike the recent trend of mockumentaries—fiction that mimics documentary techniques to enhance realism—its stories are entirely based on the real-life experiences of the author. Kodama, who has inspected 7,000 properties in his real estate career, has encountered numerous terrifying incidents. Through these experiences, he eventually founded Kachimode Inc., an entity investigation company specializing in paranormal property cases. How did he come to start this unique business, and what kind of investigations does he conduct? We spoke to Kodama to find out.

Kodama’s vast experience inspecting properties stems from his early career in real estate. In 2007, as an industry newcomer, his main task was securing property management contracts. This required him to visit and assess various properties at the request of brokers and property owners. Among them were those with ominous histories that were anything but ordinary.

One such case, The Talisman Room, which was also adapted for television, involved an inspection request for Units 102 and 202 in a certain apartment building. Upon initial inspection, both units appeared normal. However, the truth was far more unsettling. The unit directly above, 302, had a gruesome history—two previous tenants had died by hanging. After these incidents, the previous owner had sealed off the room with talismans, turning it into a forbidden space.

Despite being aware of the unit’s history, the owner decided to purchase the property. However, tenants in the units below kept moving out one after another, leading to the decision to sell.

“The broker who requested my inspection undoubtedly knew about the history of Unit 302. However, at the time, my company had a policy of not managing properties identified as stigmatized, so they chose not to disclose the full truth. Back then, there was still an attitude of ‘If you don’t say anything, no one will find out,’” Kodama explained.