Now, many years later, many people are still hanging onto the properties and are unable to unload them as they cannot conceive that their holdings are worthless. The shady RE companies sold their information (or passed it along within their 'organization') and the land purchasers are now preyed upon again; this time, by scammers who claim they can sell the property (but require a ~$3000 payment in advance).
This PDF is the crypto equivalent of that forest land buyers list, and everyone on it can look forward to being preyed upon for the rest of their life.
(Here is a great video about the whole sordid thing, Japanese only though https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPzTDRmtozc)