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I love Tokyo but I know lots of Japanese people that love suburban America. They love the space. I quick search suggests the average size house in Tokyo is 66s

I love Tokyo but I know lots of Japanese people that love suburban America. They love the space. I quick search suggests the average size house in Tokyo is 66sq meters where as in LA it's 167sq meters or nearly 2.5x larger. And that's just LA. My guess is plenty of other suburbia cities the average is even larger. I lived in Tokyo for 15 years. My last place was 54sq meters. I like there are more options in sizes than most cities I think USA and I don't believe that everyone needs a huge place. But, I so am envious of people who have space. Space for workshops, craft rooms, etc. My mom is into Love it or List it, and people have enormous houses with yards in suburbia. I'm jealous even though at the moment I prefer carless city lifestyles

karterk 5y ago
Does Japan have a concept of suburbs? Are houses larger on the outskirts of Tokyo?
- CryptoPunk 5y ago
  I am not a Japan expert, but my understanding is that houses are generally smaller across the country, because land has always come at a premium due to higher population densities.
  - hylaride 5y ago
    Also japan is mountainous and any extra flat land has traditionally been reserved for making food.
- downrightmike 5y ago
  In the rural towns, houses can be bigger if they are older, but modern design in Japan builds small houses right next to each other and it is easier to build a small tight suburb because of the way infrastructure and land ownership works. So like you'll see a small cluster of a dozen houses all right next to each other in the middle of farm fields.
- bjowen 5y ago
  There’s definitely an aspect of suburbia - eg a lot of Hachioji, although the zoning is a bit different and that’s shaped the way they’ve emerged. It reminds be a bit of the way London has expanded - suburban areas centred on stations of train lines that were laid out in the 60s, with low-rise houses that are larger with modest outdoor areas. Tokyo proper is also smaller than the Tokyo conurbation that includes parts of Kanagawa, Chiba and Saitama prefectures, where the density really starts to fall off and give way to agriculture.
unbanned 5y ago
Japanese people are smaller though. So relatively the size is the same.
bllguo 5y ago
well yes, of course! the problem with suburbs is precisely that people like them. they're a societal trap, a clear example of negative externalities

karterk 5y ago

Does Japan have a concept of suburbs? Are houses larger on the outskirts of Tokyo?

CryptoPunk 5y ago
I am not a Japan expert, but my understanding is that houses are generally smaller across the country, because land has always come at a premium due to higher population densities.
- hylaride 5y ago
  Also japan is mountainous and any extra flat land has traditionally been reserved for making food.
downrightmike 5y ago
In the rural towns, houses can be bigger if they are older, but modern design in Japan builds small houses right next to each other and it is easier to build a small tight suburb because of the way infrastructure and land ownership works. So like you'll see a small cluster of a dozen houses all right next to each other in the middle of farm fields.
bjowen 5y ago
There’s definitely an aspect of suburbia - eg a lot of Hachioji, although the zoning is a bit different and that’s shaped the way they’ve emerged. It reminds be a bit of the way London has expanded - suburban areas centred on stations of train lines that were laid out in the 60s, with low-rise houses that are larger with modest outdoor areas. Tokyo proper is also smaller than the Tokyo conurbation that includes parts of Kanagawa, Chiba and Saitama prefectures, where the density really starts to fall off and give way to agriculture.

unbanned 5y ago

Japanese people are smaller though. So relatively the size is the same.

bllguo 5y ago

well yes, of course! the problem with suburbs is precisely that people like them. they're a societal trap, a clear example of negative externalities