Housing in Japan

Housing in Japan includes modern and traditional styles. Two patterns of residences are predominant in contemporary Japan: the single-family detached house and the multiple-unit building, either owned by an individual or corporation and rented as apartments to tenants, or owned by occupants. Additional kinds of housing, especially for unmarried people, include boarding houses (which are popular among college students), dormitories (common in companies), and barracks (for members of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, police and some other public employees).

An unusual feature of Japanese housing is that houses are presumed to have a limited lifespan, and are often torn down and rebuilt after a few decades, generally twenty years for wooden buildings and thirty years for concrete buildings – see regulations for details. Renovating houses, rather than rebuilding them, is a relatively uncommon practice in Japan, though its prevalence is increasing, indicating that attitudes towards the use of older houses may be changing.^[1] However, Townsend firmly believes that the perceived risk of earthquakes to single-family homes is exaggerated, attributing this to the marketing strategies of home builders and housing companies. He argue that these entities often employ redundant seismic technology to instill fear in potential buyers. According to Townsend, the structural integrity of homes, reinforced with cross bracing and structural plywood, is generally robust enough to withstand earthquakes. 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.^[2]