Bringing together a number of perspectives on the Japanese housing system, Housing and Social Transition in Japan provides a comprehensive, challenging and theoretically developed account of the dynamic role of the housing system during a period of unprecedented social and economic change in one of the most enigmatic social, political, and economic systems of the modern world. While Japan demonstrates many of the characteristics of some western housing and social systems, including mass homeownership and consumption-based lifestyles, extensive economic growth and rapid urban modernization has been achieved in balance with traditional social values and the maintenance of the family system. Helpfully divided into three sections, Housing and Social Transition in Japan: explores the dynamics of the development of the housing system in post-war Japan deals with social issues related to housing in terms of social aging, family relations, gender and inequality addresses the Japanese housing system and social change in relation to comparative and theoretical frameworks. As well as providing challenges and insights for the academic community at large, this book also provides a good introduction to the study of Japan and its housing, economic, social and welfare system generally.

In a globalising world, many mature economies share post-growth characteristics such as low economic growth, low fertility, declining and ageing of the population and increasing social stratification. Japan stands at the forefront of such social change in the East Asian region as well as in the Global North. It is in this context of ‘post-growth society’ that housing issues are examined, using the experiences of Japan at the leading edge of social transition in the region. The post-war housing system was developed during the golden age of economy and welfare, when upward social trajectories such as increasing population, high-speed economic growth with rising real incomes, housing construction driven by high demands, increasing rates of home ownership supported by generous government subsidies generated new housing opportunities and accompanying issues. As we have entered the post-growth phase of socio-economic development, however, it requires a re-examination of such structure, policy and debates. This volume explores what roles housing plays in the reorganisation and reconstruction of economic processes, social policy development, ideology and identity, and intergenerational relations. The volume offers a greater understanding of the characteristics of post-growth society – changing demography, economy and society – in relation to housing. It considers how a definitive shift to the post-growth period has produced new housing issues including risks as well as opportunities. Through analysis of the impact on five different areas: post-crisis economy, urban and regional variations, young adults and housing pathways, fertility and housing, and ageing and housing wealth, the authors use policy and institutions as overarching analytical tools to examine the contemporary housing issues in a post-growth context. It also considers any relevance from the Japanese experiences in the wider regional and global context. This original book will be of great interest to academics and students as well as policy makers and practitioners internationally in the fields of housing studies, urban studies, social policy, sociology, political economy, comparative analysis, and East Asian Studies.

In the Japanese language the word ‘ie’ denotes both the materiality of homes and family relations within. The traditional family and family house - often portrayed in ideal terms as key foundations of Japanese culture and society - have been subject to significant changes in recent years. This book comprehensively addresses various aspects of family life and dwelling spaces, exploring how homes, household patterns and kin relations are reacting to contemporary social, economic and urban transformations, and the degree to which traditional patterns of both houses and households are changing. The book contextualises the shift from the hegemonic post-war image of standard family life, to the nuclear family and to a situation now where Japanese homes are more likely to include unmarried singles; childless couples; divorcees; unmarried adult children and elderly relatives either living alone or in nursing homes. It discusses how these new patterns are both reinforcing and challenging typical understandings of Japanese family life.

This book explores the experiences of older women in post-war Japanese society through analysis of their family and housing histories. Three broad themes - family relations, welfare systems and housing - were chosen to highlight issues surrounding the changing role and position of women in the family and society. A qualitative approach is used to address a gap in the literature and to illustrate the real-life experiences of women in Japan. Many aspects of the book are comparable, or related, to studies exploring other industrial and East Asian societies and the book thus contributes to international debates surrounding housing policy, the ageing society and the changing nature of the family. It also provides useful insights into and analysis of, Japan’s society and socio-economic system.

In the Japanese language the word ‘ie’ denotes both the materiality of homes and family relations within. The traditional family and family house - often portrayed in ideal terms as key foundations of Japanese culture and society - have been subject to significant changes in recent years. This book comprehensively addresses various aspects of family life and dwelling spaces, exploring how homes, household patterns and kin relations are reacting to contemporary social, economic and urban transformations, and the degree to which traditional patterns of both houses and households are changing. The book contextualises the shift from the hegemonic post-war image of standard family life, to the nuclear family and to a situation now where Japanese homes are more likely to include unmarried singles; childless couples; divorcees; unmarried adult children and elderly relatives either living alone or in nursing homes. It discusses how these new patterns are both reinforcing and challenging typical understandings of Japanese family life.

1) As evidenced by existing studies, housing development plays a central role in capitalism. However, little research has explored the logic of that role. This thesis contributes to filling this knowledge gap through a case study of housing development in post-war Japan. The case of Japan is interesting for the continuous increase in the national housing vacancy rate throughout the post-war period, which has reached an all-time high of 13.5% in 2013. The thesis argues that this phenomenon cannot be explained without considering the logic of the centrality of housing development in Japanese capitalism. 2) The thesis builds an integrated approach of political economy and historical institutionalism to explore the aforementioned question. Applying this approach to the case of Japan, the analysis refers to the theory of the developmental state to analyze Japan's macro political economy and to the concept of productive welfare capitalism to analyze the role of housing development in Japan's capitalism. Based on a punctuated equilibrium model of institutional change, the research uses key ideas in historical institutionalist analysis - critical junctures and fast-moving/slow-moving institutions - to examine the transition of the state, the change in the way housing development was centralized in the state, and the state's shaping of the supply-demand relationship in the housing market. The empirical evidence mainly derives from governmental documents and secondary sources. 3) The main findings are as follows. Driven by the ideology of developmentalism, the central government of Japan has been directing the majority of resources to achieve developmentalist goals. Social policies have been expected to contribute to national economic growth rather than guarantee universal welfare rights to the citizen. Housing policies have been no exception. Throughout the post-war period, the central government has been intervening in housing provision and consumption through a variety of institutional measures such as welfare policies, finance policies, planning regulations, and taxation. The political logic of doing so lies in a desire to maximize the housing sector's contribution toward national economic growth under the changing social-economic circumstances, while the choosing of interventions has also reaffirmed path dependence. The pro-growth interventions on housing have been interacting with the society and market and led to a dangerous oversupply of housing and an extremely high vacancy rate. 4) The logic of the centrality of housing development in capitalism like Japan's is embedded in the dominant economic ideology of the capitalist state. This ideology determines the role of housing in that state. It interacts with outside influential ideologies and drives change of the fast-moving institutions (e.g., policy and political institutions) that centralize housing development in the capitalist state. The way of change depends on the interaction between the slow-moving institution of ideologies and the fast-moving previous institutions. 5) The research has also uncovered the social impact of Japan's developmentalist housing policies. During economic stagnation, these policies have been driving continuous construction of new housing for economic recovery and have unavoidably accelerated the depreciation of old housing. They act as an invisible hand to transfer homeowners' housing assets to the state, thereby supporting the state pursuing its developmentalist goals. Particularly, aged households, whose assets are largely embedded in their housing property, are more likely to suffer financial hardship and increased uncertainty.