Translation guide
Describes land that is empty, unused, or available for use. Japanese expressions vary by context: empty lots in cities, undeveloped fields, or land officially classified as vacant.
A plot of land in a built-up area that is currently empty, often between buildings or where a structure once stood.
The most common and general term for a vacant lot or empty plot in a town or city. Often implies it is available for use or sale.
子供たちが空き地で遊んでいる。
The children are playing in the vacant lot.
駅の近くに空き地があります。
There is a vacant lot near the station.
Specifically refers to land that has been cleared of buildings and is ready for new construction. Often used in real estate contexts.
その土地は更地にして売りに出された。
The land was cleared and put up for sale.
Land that is not cultivated or built upon, often in the countryside, such as fields or open spaces.
Refers to idle or unused land, often agricultural or industrial, that is not currently being utilized. Common in economic or planning contexts.
この地域には遊休地が多くある。
There is a lot of idle land in this area.
Wasteland or barren land; implies land that is not cultivated and may be overgrown or desolate. Can be used for vacant land in a natural state.
While primarily for urban lots, it can also refer to any empty piece of land, including rural areas, though 遊休地 or 荒地 may be more precise.
Land that is legally or administratively classified as vacant, often for tax or planning purposes.
Unutilized land; a formal term used in urban planning and real estate to denote land not being used effectively.
市は未利用地の活用計画を発表した。
The city announced a plan for utilizing vacant land.
Vacant land; a formal term sometimes used in legal or administrative contexts. Less common in everyday speech.
空閑地の固定資産税が問題になっている。
The property tax on vacant land has become an issue.
空き地 is a general term for any empty lot, often with grass or debris. 更地 specifically means land cleared of buildings, ready for construction. Use 更地 in real estate or development contexts.
空き地に雑草が生えている。
Weeds are growing in the vacant lot.
家を壊して更地にした。
We demolished the house and cleared the land.
The direct translation '空いている土地' is understandable but not idiomatic. Use the specific terms above depending on context.
They cleared the wasteland and turned it into a field.
I bought a vacant piece of land in the countryside.