Suruga Bank workers may have known of loan document manipulation
Suruga Bank has said that its documents on the screenings of loans related to investments in shared houses appear to have been manipulated or fabricated, and that quite a number of employees at the lender might have been aware of the malpractice. The bank, which ...
Doling out some truths about Japan's 'share houses'
Many Japanese people are wary of investment as a means of growing their savings. There are a variety of reasons for this caution, so most keep their money in a bank, gaining almost no interest in the process, in the hope that they won't ...
Shared homes offer respite for Japan's struggling single mothers
The government talks about creating a society where every woman can play an active role, but the chronic shortage of day care is pushing some entrepreneurs to take things into their own hands. When Megumi Katanuma got a divorce in 2011, she faced a harsh ...
Collective homes a solution for those in Japan who don't want to live alone
When her mother passed away, a 59-year-old single woman was struck with a sense of absolute loneliness. "There were times when I didn't speak to anyone on weekends, and I felt a sense of crisis, thinking I shouldn't live on like this," said the woman, ...
Gifu town looks to share-house initiative to meet depopulation challenge
A small village in central Japan facing depopulation has renovated an empty home into a share house in a bid to attract young women who want to experience life in the countryside. The village of Shirakawa, Gifu Prefecture, hopes that through the experience, some visitors ...
Seniors mull share house to keep Fukushima evacuee community intact
As the government looks to lift the evacuation zone for part of Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture, elderly people currently living in temporary dwellings are considering a share house so they can stay together. If the no-go zone is lifted, residents at temporary housing units are likely ...
