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Temporary disaster housing has an unforeseen permanence

How-tos | HOME TRUTHS Apr 2, 2017

Temporary disaster housing has an unforeseen permanence

by Philip Brasor and Masako Tsubuku

The 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake left 110,000 people in three prefectures without shelter. Most of these people moved into emergency evacuation centers while the authorities prepared temporary housing for them. About 53,000 prefabricated housing units, called kasetsu, were built in accordance with a national ...

Will we ever see no obstacles in our way?

How-tos | HOME TRUTHS Mar 4, 2017

Will we ever see no obstacles in our way?

by Philip Brasor and Masako Tsubuku

Infrastructure in Japan is up to world standards in most areas, and in terms of public transportation it often surpasses those standards — but there's one field it falls way behind: utility poles and overhead cables that carry electrical power and telecommunications. In London, Paris ...

New housing options get smaller in the city

How-tos | HOME TRUTHS Feb 4, 2017

New housing options get smaller in the city

by Philip Brasor and Masako Tsubuku

Last month this column discussed how lack of city planning in the suburbs had led to an over-supply of new housing that exacerbated the well-publicized vacant-home problem. It should be noted, however, that populations in suburbs throughout Japan are declining — some slowly, others ...

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    The NHK Broadcasting Center in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward
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Getting too cozy to the next-door neighbors

How-tos | HOME TRUTHS Dec 31, 2016

Getting too cozy to the next-door neighbors

by Philip Brasor and Masako Tsubuku

In its Dec. 20 issue, Asahi Shimbun reported on a couple in their 60s living in Saitama City. Two years ago their neighbor installed an Eco Cute system that uses heat pump technology to heat water more efficiently and, thus, reduce electricity costs. But ...

Abandoned buildings still house problems

How-tos | HOME TRUTHS Dec 3, 2016

Abandoned buildings still house problems

by Philip Brasor and Masako Tsubuku

Japan's vacant house problem will become worse before it becomes better. According to government estimates there are 8 million residences in Japan with no one living in them, a number that Bloomberg reports will increase to 20 million by 2033, representing a third of ...

Earthquake standards are on shaky ground

How-tos | HOME TRUTHS Nov 5, 2016

Earthquake standards are on shaky ground

by Philip Brasor and Masako Tsubuku

No one died in the recent earthquake that struck Tottori Prefecture, but the temblor was strong enough to cause extensive damage. Several thousand people are still in evacuation centers, which means it is not safe for them to live in their homes. Most of ...

For elderly residents, city life doesn't get old

How-tos | HOME TRUTHS Sep 3, 2016

For elderly residents, city life doesn't get old

by Philip Brasor and Masako Tsubuku

The government in Japan is facing an immediate demographic crisis with regards to seniors, whose numbers relative to the general population are increasing rapidly. One of the main problems is where they are going to live out their lives. According to a 2015 report by ...

Resort condos: an option for home buyers

How-tos | HOME TRUTHS Aug 6, 2016

Resort condos: an option for home buyers

by Philip Brasor and Masako Tsubuku

As everyone in Japan now knows, there are millions of vacant houses and apartments throughout the country, many of which are on sale for a song. The money and effort needed to renovate these properties, however, often isn't worth it given how inexpensive new ...

A rise in vacancies won't mean drops in rent

How-tos | HOME TRUTHS Jul 2, 2016

A rise in vacancies won't mean drops in rent

by Philip Brasor and Masako Tsubuku

According to the June 11 issue of Nikkan Gendai, the vacancy rate for rental properties in the 23 wards of Tokyo is currently 33.7 percent, while in surrounding prefectures, it's even higher: 35.5 percent in Kanagawa and 34.1 percent in Chiba. One real estate consultant ...

Japan's new retro

Style & Design | ON: DESIGN Jul 2, 2016

Japan's new retro

by Mio Yamada

This month we look at quintessentially Japanese objects re-invented as modern-retro designs.

There's no hiding in Japan's toilets

How-tos | HOME TRUTHS Jun 4, 2016

There's no hiding in Japan's toilets

by Philip Brasor and Masako Tsubuku

When it comes to toilets, Japan presents several paradoxes. On the one hand, public toilets are ubiquitous, easy to access and, for the most part, quite clean. On the other hand, they can also be primitive, or at least to a Western sensibility. Though there ...

Yukarigaoka proves 'new towns' can age well

How-tos | HOME TRUTHS Apr 30, 2016

Yukarigaoka proves 'new towns' can age well

by Philip Brasor and Masako Tsubuku

Tama, in western Tokyo, is currently trying to find a way to rehabilitate Parthenon Tama, the city's public cultural complex. During headier times, Parthenon hosted world-famous classical musicians and theater companies, and in addition to a large auditorium and a small auditorium, it contains ...

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