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 as condominiums. 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 Self-Defense Forces, police and some other public employees).
Figures from the 1998 Housing and Land Survey conducted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications indicate that Japan had 50,246,000 housing units at the time. Of these, 43,922,100 (87.4%) were occupied and 6,323,900 (12.6%) unoccupied. Of the occupied units, 26,467,800 (60.2%) were owned by the resident household. The average number of rooms per unit of housing was 4.79, the average total floor area in square meters was 92.43 m2, and the average number of persons per room was 0.59 persons.[1]
Interior design
Real-estate advertisements provide a glimpse into the Japanese home. They typically list the number of bedrooms, and then state whether a home has a living room (L), dining room (D) and kitchen (K). Thus, a 2DK has two bedrooms, a dining room, and a kitchen, while a 3LDK has an additional bedroom as well as a living room.
Genkan
- Main article: Genkan
One characteristic of a Japanese home is the genkan, or entryway. It includes a small area, at the same level as the outside, where arriving people remove their shoes. As they take off their shoes, people step up onto a raised floor. The rest of the residence is at the raised level of this floor. Adjacent to the lower floor is a shelf or cabinet called a getabako in which people may place their shoes. Slippers for wear in the home are also stored there.
Bedroom
Many homes include at least one traditional bedroom, or washitsu. It features tatami flooring, shoji rather than draperies covering the window, fusuma separating it from the other rooms, an oshiire, or closet, with two levels (for storing futon), and a wooden ceiling. It might be unfurnished, and function as a family room during the day and a bedroom at night. Many washitsu have sliding glass doors opening onto a deck or balcony.
Other bedrooms, as well as living rooms, dining rooms, and kitchens, are in a Western style. They usually have modern synthetic floor coverings. Ceilings are typically also synthetic, and might be white or beige. Windows usually open by sliding laterally, although many kitchen windows open by tilting, with the bottom slanting outwards.
Kitchen
- Main article: Japanese kitchen
The modern Japanese kitchen features appliances such as a stove and broiler, and an electric refrigerator. The stove may be built-in or free-standing, and is usually gas-burning although recently induction heating, or IH, ranges have become popular. Common units of all types of stoves include two or three burners. Many kitchens have electric exhaust fans. Furnishings commonly include microwave ovens and electric toaster-ovens. Broilers are designed for cooking fish, and are usually a part of the stove. Built-in ovens large enough to bake or roast are uncommon, as are built-in dishwashers. The kitchen includes running water, typically with hot and cold faucets.
Bath
Japanese housing typically has multiple rooms for what in Western housing is the bathroom. Separate rooms for the toilet, sink, and ofuro (bathing room) are common. The toilet frequently has a fixture at which to wash one's hands. The room with the sink, which is called a "clothes changing room", usually includes a space for a clothes-washing machine. The bathtub room normally has a space for washing, and often for showering, adjacent to (rather than in) the tub. As a result, bathwater is neither soapy nor dirty, and can be reused. Many washing machines in Japan come with an extension pipe to draw water from the tub for the wash.
Hot water usually comes from a gas or kerosene heater. The heater is usually located outdoors (at least in warm climates). Its gas supply may be from a municipal utility or from tanks on site. The typical Japanese water heater is tankless and heats water on demand. One heater normally supplies bath and kitchen.
Utilities
Heating
Space heating, rather than central heating, is the norm in Japanese homes. Kerosene, gas, and electric units are common. Dwellings are commonly sold and rented without heating or cooling equipment. Occupants purchase appliances and take them when they move.
The simplest kerosene burner has a tank for fuel, a mantle, and a control dial. Battery-operated electric ignition is a popular step up. The next rank has an electric fan to circulate hot air through the room. Many such units feature computer control of temperature. The computer can also turn them on and off on schedule. Gas heaters are also popular, and many homes have gas outlets in various rooms to accommodate portable units. Windows in many homes have vents to open to protect the occupants from excessive exhaust gas. 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 due to earthquake. These units also usually shut off automatically after two or three hours to prevent carbon monoxide fumes from building up while the resident is sleeping.
Another type of kerosene heater functions similar to a radiator, and consists of two parts. Kerosene fuel is stored in a tank and burned outside the home, and the flame is used to heat a fluid which is circulated into the second unit inside the house. In this unit, fans blow across the tubes carrying the heated fluid, and the room is warmed as a result. This type of heater is popular since it reduces the fumes significantly, and also virtually eliminates the chance of a small child or pet accidentally injuring themselves.
Electric heat is typically delivered through units mounted on the walls, such as above the doors to the deck or balcony, rather than through baseboards. These heaters often do double duty as air-conditioners. Thermostatic control and timers are available in most lines. The manufacturers of electric and electronic appliances produce these heaters.
In northern Japan, yukadanbō (床暖房) (literally, floor heater) is a type of radiating heater beneath the floor in some rooms of newer houses, where heated fluids are circulated to provide warmth. The cost is expensive, so sometimes this type of heater is only installed in small rooms like the "clothes changing room". Electric carpets have become popular in recent years.
Finally, a traditional type of heater known as a kotatsu is also still widely used today. The kotatsu can come in multiple forms, but the more common is as an electric heating element attached to the bottom of a short table. This type of table is common in the washitsu.
Electricity
Japanese dwellings connected to the nation's power grid have 100 V AC electricity at outlets throughout the home. The line frequency is 50 Hz in eastern Japan, and 60 Hz in the western part of the country. Service of 30 or 50 A is typical. Many domestic appliances operate properly at either frequency. Outlets resemble those formerly used in the United States, with two vertical slots. Unlike modern American outlets, the slots are of equal width, and there is no third slot for grounding. Devices designed for use with water, such as clothes washers and heated toilet seats, often have a separate ground wire.
Lighting equipment, like heaters, is normally the provenance of the occupant. Many homes do not include lights in the living, dining, and bedrooms. Instead, they have receptacles that provide both electrical connection and mechanical support for lighting equipment. Kitchens, bathrooms, corridors and genkan are likely to have built-in ceiling fixtures.
The "interphone," or intercom, is a common sight in Japanese homes. It provides telephone-like connection between the interior and exterior. The doorbell is frequently part of the interphone, and when it rings, the occupant can pick up a handset to talk with the visitor before opening the door.
In Japan the usual custom is for visitors to wait at the gate of the house before entering, and thus in houses the interphone speaker is placed at the gate of the house rather than directly before the front door. Nowadays there is very often an electrical lock on the gate which can be controlled from inside by the home owner, and camera equipped interphones are also common.
Automobiles
Outside of the downtown areas of large cities, many Japanese people park their cars at or near their homes. Some single-family houses have built-in garages; others have carports or unsheltered spaces on the grounds. Apartment and condominium buildings frequently have parking lots, some occupying (for example) the first floor of the building, others outdoors. Elevator parking allows double use of limited space: one car parks below ground level, with an elevator raising it when needed; the other parks at ground level. More elaborate elevator arrangements are also in use. Residents also lease parking spaces at vacant lots in the neighborhood.
Construction
Many single-family residences are constructed by nationwide manufacturers such as Matsushita (under the name National PanaHome), Misawa Home, Mitsui, and Sumitomo Forestry. Some such companies maintain parks with model homes to show to prospective buyers. The builders of a condominium may open a unit to show prospective buyers; alternatively, they may construct a separate model room elsewhere. Makers of appliances similarly operate showrooms to display their products.
Construction materials
For freestanding houses, wood frames are popular. Two-by-four construction is an alternative to the native style. Houses may be clad in siding or faced with ceramic tile. Interiors often have wallboard, painted or with a wall covering. Tile is a common roofing material; it may be fired clay or concrete. Clay tiles often bear a color and a glaze.
Large buildings are typically constructed of reinforced concrete. Roofs coverings include asphalt and synthetics.
Housing regulations
The usual maximum allowed height of a wooden building in Japan is two stories. Some wooden houses may have lofts, but these may not be used as bedrooms, only for storage space. Steel and concrete buildings may have more stories, but usually they only have two. Basements are not allowed and are never found.
The ratio of built-upon area is regulated according to a system called kenpeiritsu (建蔽率) involving the floor area of the house and the area of land the house is built upon. The area is restricted to being, for example, 80% of the area of the land. The kenpeiritsu varies according to the location of the land.
The taxable value of a house is controlled by its building material. Wooden houses are considered to have a lifespan of twenty years, and concrete ones to have a lifespan of thirty years, and the assessed price depreciates each year contrary to housing markets in other nations. Most real estate agents also use this pricing policy as a rough guide.
Living patterns
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). A 1998 survey by the Ministry of Health and Welfare indicated that about 60% of single Japanese men and 80% of single women between the ages of 20 and 34 lived with their parents.
After marriage, the young couple often live in the same house as their parents. A desire for some separation between the generations has led to the phenomenon of nisedaijūtaku (二世代住宅), literally "two generation housing", a single house which contains two complete separate living areas, one for the parents and one for the younger generation.
Traditionally, the elderly also continue to live with their children rather than being put into homes for the elderly. The responsibility for the parent usually falls onto the oldest male child or atotsugi (跡継ぎ). The number of elderly people living at home has led to a great demand for care products for home use, and also the so-called "barrier-free" housing, which contains fewer steps and obstacles for the elderly.
Apartment sharing between strangers is rare in Japan, most single people preferring to live in small sized individual apartments. These usually are based on a long thin pattern, with kitchen area and bathroom included. Japanese companies and organisations often send their male employees to various geographical locations. In many areas, small apartments are also rented by married men who travel home only on the weekends.
Home ownership
Because of the high cost of housing in major Japanese cities, many families and individuals rent apartments rather than owning their own home. Many Japanese landlords collect key money, which may equal several months' rent, before the renter takes occupancy. As homes age, owners replace them. A common pattern is to rebuild on the same site. To accomplish this, the occupants move to a temporary residence. A contractor demolishes the old structure and builds a new one on the grounds. The residents can then return to the location. 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. Because of the wooden construction and relatively short lifespan of Japanese houses, this is often considered cheaper than maintaining the old structure.
Traditional housing
In premodern Japan, commoners typically lived either in free-standing houses or, predominantly in cities, in row-houses called nagaya (長屋). Examples are still visible in Kyoto. Additional dwelling patterns included the samurai residence, the homes of wealthy farmers (such as the village headmen), and the residences of Buddhist temples.
Wood was the material of choice for structures, while roofs could be thatch, cypress bark, tile, or bare wood. Raised floors were of wood, and might be covered with straw mats in places. Kitchens usually had dirt floors.
See also
External links
- Housing Construction Statistics - Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, updated November 10 2005.
- Japan (See the 'Settlements' section)
- Minka — Traditional Japanese housing
- Nihon Minka-en in Kawasaki, Kanagawa is a collection of traditional Japanese minka.
- "The recent controversial rough sleepers provisions in Japan" Information on homelessness in Japan (pdf)
References
- ^ Guide to Official Statistics in Japan: Housing and Land Survey Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications
- Edward S. Morse (1838–1925), Japanese homes and their surroundings, published by Charles E. Tuttle company, ISBN 0804809984
- Ann Waswo. Housing in Postwar Japan: A Social History. London: Routledge, 2002 ISBN 0-7007-1517-7