The depopulation of cities in Poland and Japan as one of the reasons for adapting abandoned buildings to new functions

Abstract The article presents the problem of the development and revitalization of abandoned buildings and ways of adapting them to new functions. Especially in shrinking cities. The shrinking of cities and towns in the 21st century can be observed in many regions of Poland, Japan, and the world. The city of Łódź in Poland, which has the largest population decline of all large agglomerations in our country, was selected for analysis. Attention was drawn to a similar situation in Tokyo and on the island of Naoshima in Japan. The aim of the research was to show the differences in solutions for the adaptation of historic buildings and the preservation of authentic substance that exist in these countries. The Japanese perceive the world not as a collection of unchanging substances, but as a process of constant change, while maintaining the authenticity of ideas. In Poland, on the other hand, the Western philosophy of the world is cultivated, which consists in striving to preserve the authenticity of matter.