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This sounds really fascinating--do you have any links or search terms to use to learn more about the differences in homes there? I'm particularly curious about

This sounds really fascinating--do you have any links or search terms to use to learn more about the differences in homes there? I'm particularly curious about the optimization for the people who live in the homes. What would drive that difference in attitude and behavior? I've also heard that Japanese homes aren't built to last and that they get rebuilt rather frequently by Western standards, although I'm not sure how true that is.

aikinai 9y ago
This is about the macro-effects of Japanese housing customs, not the optimization aspect you asked about, but it's an interesting and relevant article. https://www.nri.com/global/opinion/papers/2008/pdf/np2008137.pdf https://www.nri.com/global/opinion/papers/2008/pdf/np2008137... [PDF]
molteanu 9y ago
What do you mean by "not sure how true is that"? From the article: "Traditionally, Japanese homes were demolished and rebuilt every 20 to 30 years, to implement improved earthquake-safety technology, to provide jobs for government-favored construction companies or simply because Japanese people demanded nice new houses. As a result, there are relatively few Japanese homeowners trying to prop up the value of their houses by lobbying the government to restrict supply." Did you read the article?
extralego 9y ago
Sorry I don’t have links. When I visited many areas in Japan about 8 years ago, I just spoke to as many people as I could about it, which wasn’t many. Hardly anyone else found it so interesting as I did but I have failed to do much research since. The Japanese people I spoke with found the American system to be the strange one. Not surprising. As for the architecture, it’s very creative! Neighborhoods don’t really have the conventions of conformity like we have. Each house is free to be whatever it wants, but they are all very small compared to American houses. Most norms in Japanese culture seem to favor the group, cooperation and environments of mutual respect. I do remember pointing out that a few (very few) of the houses looked pretty old and they told me those people have probably lived in them since they were built and just haven’t wanted a new one.
bane 9y ago
There's some really great channels on this on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qd8cgjH3154 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qd8cgjH3154 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qd8cgjH3154 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qd8cgjH3154 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZfoMTPXZXE&list=PLE0D149A2A50898A3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZfoMTPXZXE&list=PLE0D149A2A...
chrischen 9y ago
They don’t particularly like old things, and so a building built in the 1980s would be considered an old house. As a result new buildings get built all the time and everything is nice and newly renovated everywhere you go, including the subways. One great example is stepping into the Ginza subway line, which is the first subway line in Tokyo (circa maybe 1920s or 1930s), and comparing it to the dungeons of some older NYC metro stations or London’s tubes.
- sunstone 9y ago
  Japan is fond of its old temples though.
  - brazzy 9y ago
    Old temples yes, old temple buildings - not necessarily. The country's most holy Shinto shrine at Ise is ceremonially torn down and rebuilt every 20 years. Most other temples need parts of the building (like the roof) replaced every now and then, and have burned down a few times over the centuries. There's really only a handful of temple buildings that have parts that are more than 500 years old.
etruong42 9y ago
Here is Freakonomics coverage on the practice: http://freakonomics.com/podcast/why-are-japanese-homes-disposable-a-new-freakonomics-radio-podcast-3/ http://freakonomics.com/podcast/why-are-japanese-homes-dispo...

aikinai 9y ago

This is about the macro-effects of Japanese housing customs, not the optimization aspect you asked about, but it's an interesting and relevant article. https://www.nri.com/global/opinion/papers/2008/pdf/np2008137.pdf https://www.nri.com/global/opinion/papers/2008/pdf/np2008137... [PDF]

molteanu 9y ago

What do you mean by "not sure how true is that"? From the article: "Traditionally, Japanese homes were demolished and rebuilt every 20 to 30 years, to implement improved earthquake-safety technology, to provide jobs for government-favored construction companies or simply because Japanese people demanded nice new houses. As a result, there are relatively few Japanese homeowners trying to prop up the value of their houses by lobbying the government to restrict supply." Did you read the article?

extralego 9y ago

Sorry I don’t have links. When I visited many areas in Japan about 8 years ago, I just spoke to as many people as I could about it, which wasn’t many. Hardly anyone else found it so interesting as I did but I have failed to do much research since. The Japanese people I spoke with found the American system to be the strange one. Not surprising. As for the architecture, it’s very creative! Neighborhoods don’t really have the conventions of conformity like we have. Each house is free to be whatever it wants, but they are all very small compared to American houses. Most norms in Japanese culture seem to favor the group, cooperation and environments of mutual respect. I do remember pointing out that a few (very few) of the houses looked pretty old and they told me those people have probably lived in them since they were built and just haven’t wanted a new one.

bane 9y ago

There's some really great channels on this on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qd8cgjH3154 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qd8cgjH3154 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qd8cgjH3154 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qd8cgjH3154 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZfoMTPXZXE&list=PLE0D149A2A50898A3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZfoMTPXZXE&list=PLE0D149A2A...

chrischen 9y ago

They don’t particularly like old things, and so a building built in the 1980s would be considered an old house. As a result new buildings get built all the time and everything is nice and newly renovated everywhere you go, including the subways. One great example is stepping into the Ginza subway line, which is the first subway line in Tokyo (circa maybe 1920s or 1930s), and comparing it to the dungeons of some older NYC metro stations or London’s tubes.

sunstone 9y ago
Japan is fond of its old temples though.
- brazzy 9y ago
  Old temples yes, old temple buildings - not necessarily. The country's most holy Shinto shrine at Ise is ceremonially torn down and rebuilt every 20 years. Most other temples need parts of the building (like the roof) replaced every now and then, and have burned down a few times over the centuries. There's really only a handful of temple buildings that have parts that are more than 500 years old.

etruong42 9y ago

Here is Freakonomics coverage on the practice: http://freakonomics.com/podcast/why-are-japanese-homes-disposable-a-new-freakonomics-radio-podcast-3/ http://freakonomics.com/podcast/why-are-japanese-homes-dispo...