Inside the Ghost Investigation Company Specializing in Stigmatized Properties
The fact that an incident occurred will never disappear?
As he inspected properties daily, Mr. Kodama encountered many mysterious rooms, but at the time, his job was simply to determine whether a property could be managed. He did not conduct any further investigations. The turning point that led him to establish the “Ghost Investigation Company” in 2022 came from a comment made by the owner of an incident property.
“In my second company, I was responsible for handling cases when an incident occurred in a managed property. After all the repairs, renovations, and special cleaning were completed, the owner would ask me, ‘Why do I have to lower the rent when the room has been made so clean?’
Incident properties are considered to have a psychological defect (a flaw that causes psychological discomfort or aversion despite no structural or equipment issues), which is why it is customary to notify potential tenants and lower the rent or selling price for three years. Even after three years, if a customer asks about it, the incident must still be disclosed. They would say, ‘Doesn’t that mean it never really disappears?’
This was the same phrase I had heard when I first encountered an incident property. Even after 14 or 15 years, I had no counterargument. That was when I decided to pursue work that could address psychological defects.”
Kodama founded “Kachimode” in December 2022. The idea stemmed from wondering what would happen if he started a ghost investigation company like those in the UK, but his ultimate goal was to restore the value of incident properties. The company’s name, “Kachimode,” derives from the word value (価値, kachi).
Investigations involve staying overnight in incident properties from late at night to early morning, recording video and audio, measuring temperature, humidity, electromagnetic waves, air pressure, and using thermography to check for any abnormalities. Based on the investigation results, a certificate is issued stating that the room has no abnormalities, has been fully renovated, and is suitable for living.
But can such a certificate truly eliminate a psychological defect?
