Some elderly people and retired baby boomers whose offspring have moved away are hard at work reducing the size of their homes to a more manageable level.
If a house is downsized, cleaning it is easier, and if a two-story house is rebuilt as a one-story, its earthquake-resistance is usually greater.
"We removed the second-story section above the living room and attached a ceiling light. Because the ceiling was raised, the living room, which used to be dark, has become much brighter," said Sachiko Onobori, of Matsuda, Kanagawa Prefecture.