Housing in Japan

Additionally, Townsend highlights the superior performance of timber buildings in their nation compared to others, suggesting that their value and resilience should not be undermined.

'black property'), and are difficult for realtors to sell or let due to being associated with traumatic events such as murder, suicide, fatal accidents or certain undesirable locations.

"group land") is the Japanese word for a large cluster of apartment buildings of a particular style and design, typically built as public housing by a government authority.

[23] A traditional Japanese house does not have a designated use for each room aside from the entrance area (genkan, 玄関), kitchen, bathroom, and toilet.

Extended roofs protect the rōka from getting wet when it rains, except during typhoon season where the house gets sealed completely.

Adjacent to the lower floor is a shelf or cabinet called a getabako (geta box) in which people will place their shoes.

Broilers designed for cooking fish are usually part of the stove and are located below, and unlike many Western-style grills, are not full width.

It features tatami flooring, shoji rather than draperies covering the window, fusuma (opaque sliding vertical partitions) separating it from the other rooms, an oshiire (closet) with two levels (for storing futons), and a wooden ceiling.

A one-room mansion (wan rūmu manshon ワンルームマンション) is a Japanese apartment style in which there is only one small room (10 m2 or 3.0 tsubo or 110 sq ft in many cases) and usually a compact bathroom.

Most of Japan's city apartment blocks have rooms such as these although family units (around 60 to 90 m2 or 18 to 27 tsubo or 650 to 970 sq ft in size) are more common, especially in the suburbs.

Kerosene and gas units have safety features to turn off the fire and cut off the fuel supply when the heater receives a shake, whether from an accident or earthquake.

These units usually shut off automatically after two or three hours to prevent carbon monoxide fumes from building up while the resident is sleeping.

Kerosene fuel is stored in a tank and burned outside the home, and the flame heats a fluid that is circulated into the second unit inside the house.

This type of heater is popular since it reduces the fumes significantly and virtually eliminates the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning as well as the chance of a small child or pet accidentally injuring themselves.

Most Japanese dwellings are connected to the nation's power grid using a 3-wire system with standard phase-neutral voltage of 100 V. 100 V AC outlets are located throughout the home for general use.

The builders of a condominium may open a unit to show prospective buyers; alternatively, they may construct a separate model room elsewhere.

Additionally, the number of floors in a structure may be restricted, in order to avoid excessive blockage of light to neighboring properties.

Construction workers would often install flexible pads under buildings to support them when an earthquake happens, or create a space under the foundation so it is not directly connected to the ground.

[30] Many young Japanese adults choose to live with their parents, rather than seeking a separate residence, a phenomenon known as parasite singles (パラサイトシングル).

However, in recent years, as Japan is undergoing demographic and socioeconomic change, it is becoming more common for young people to share apartments.

In this case, small apartments are rented by married men who then travel to the family home either every weekend, once every two weeks or once a month depending on the distance and the company policy.

Not having moved, they enjoy the convenience of keeping the same address, telephone number, and utility accounts, as well as avoid the cost of purchasing new land.

As residential building regulations change, particularly in terms of setback requirements and coverage ratios, rebuilding on the same site can potentially result in a house significantly smaller than the original.

Traditionally, Japanese landlords collect both a damage deposit and "key money" before the renter takes occupancy, and the real estate agent is also paid a month's rent for services provided.

In recent years many landlords have begun demanding smaller amounts of key money, equal to two or three months' rent or none at all.

[31] At the end of the contract period, this agreement is re-negotiated, and the renter typically pays an additional month's rent as a fee.

In many other cities, however, the two-year agreement is regarded simply as a minimum length of stay, and the rent does not normally change over the years.

Usually aimed at foreign visitors, they are becoming increasingly popular with young Japanese seeking to break with the tradition of living with parents until, and sometimes after, marriage.

Many Japanese companies also maintain their own apartment buildings (called shataku) where young employees live when they first start working.

Historically, commoners typically lived either in free-standing houses, now known as minka, or, predominantly in cities, in machiya (町屋) or row-houses called nagaya (長屋).