Posted on 03/31/2016 7:05:55 AM PDT by posterchild
Philip Brasor and his wife Masako Tsubuku spent years looking for a house to buy in Japan, and after a fruitless search for a pre-owned home, they decided to build a new one. Like many other new homes in Japan, they expect it will be worthless in the next few decades.
“We have no expectation of gaining any value from our home,” said Brasor. “But, of course, most used homes outside of Tokyo will not have any value in forty years. And I think Japanese people have come to understand that, even if they don't admit it out loud.”
Unlike the U.S. and Europe, where houses are often viewed as investments and older properties can gain value for their historic nature, Japan places a premium on new properties that are only expected to last one generation.
“The estimated half‐life ranges from 20 years to 40 years,” said Jiro Yoshida, an assistant professor of business at Penn State University. “It’s much shorter than in the U.S. and other developed countries.”
(Excerpt) Read more at finance.yahoo.com ...
Freakonomics had a show on this subject, it was interesting.
When I lived in Japan the houses were made of rice matte walls and the floor rice mattes. The Walls were rice mattes too. Very cheaply made. When the wind got up we could feel it through the walls. There was a central kerosene heater in the center of the house and furniture was scant. They were in no way built like a US house and made to last 40 years. Even manufactured homes here in the US are more substantial than the average Japanese house I saw.
I suppose if you look at a house as a place to live and not as some too-cute-by-half investment scheme.
Compare that to India, Thailand or the rest of Asia where they build homes of concrete, able to last indefinitely.
Have they done anything about the flammability?
Japan has lots of rice paddies, little wood and ceramic.
Would Japan even allow someone to erect a wood or brick house?
Elsewhere in town, we could see buildings which had crumbled because they were literally nothing more than pallets stood on end and stuccoed over. So, yes, they know how to build well but often choose not to do so. It is not unusual for a child to marry, take over a parent's house and knock it over to rebuild into another story for Mom and Dad. There are an incredible number of single family or multigenerational homes even in central Tokyo.
Well there is the Big Bad Wolf wind resistance factor to consider. Investments do not need to be too cute by half to still be investments. Just being able to get most of your value back when moving out is important.
[ Japan has lots of rice paddies, little wood and ceramic.
Would Japan even allow someone to erect a wood or brick house? ]
Depends, if you lived in a temple the house would be built from wood and stone.
Not to mention that concrete construction becomes a death trap in the event of an earthquake.
"At this the fox was so angry that he dashed with all his force against the wall,
and tried to knock it down.
But it was too strong and well built.
And though the fox scraped and tore at the bricks with his paws,
he only hurt himself, and at last he had to give it up,
and limp away with his forepaws all bleeding and sore."
Well, they got plenty of coral. I imagine it would be easy enough to grind that into concrete if they need building materials.
When Godzilla comes and kicks over half the city every few years making durable houses is an example of futility.
“Compare that to India, Thailand or the rest of Asia where they build homes of concrete, able to last indefinitely.”
Not exactly a great material in an earthquake zone.
Yes, with enough steel, good design, and the right concrete, it’s fine, but you’ll never see that in a residential structure.
Well I guess that’s one way to get around Bernie Sanders’ inheritance tax.
Coral aggregate walls would also be artistic.
Certainly, the Japanese have concepts on houses, as they do on other things.
Fun facts: Before the bubble busted, concrete forms were often, for the wealthy, made of teak.. used once and discarded.
All building foundations are blessed for good luck in a Shinto ceremony before the building is constructed.
The homes are built to rock back in forth in an earthquake. Larger constructions can have a liquid base to absorb the shock.
The split level home, popular in the USA after WWII, was a Japanese concept that took root here.
Those B-29s really messed up them up psychologically.
I’d call a Christian preacher to ask a blessing on my construction, thank you very much.
Teak, of all things. And it’s considered a luxury wood in the West. Why not use the same rice pads.
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