Single Style / More Single Japanese People Deciding to Live in Newly Built Houses Which Increases Confidence, Inspiration

By Ikuko Mitsuda / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

10:00 JST, December 2, 2024

Recently, I have occasionally heard about a single person building a new house. Each person’s situation varies, such as building a one-story house on the site of their parents’ house or intending to live with their parents but ending up living alone. I asked some of these people why they did this and how they feel about living in the houses.

Gaining self-confidence

Two years ago, Taeko Nakamura, 40, of Okayama Prefecture, built a one-story, 52-square-meter wooden house. It is a 1LDK, meaning it has a bedroom, living room and a large kitchen.

“I wanted to live in a one-story house, as my parents’ home was a one-story house,” she said.

Nakamura works as a caregiver at a facility for the elderly. When she was living alone in a rental apartment, her father suggested she build her own house as her own personal asset on the plot of land where her parents’ house is located.

Nakamura was not certain if she could build a house on her limited budget. After reviewing the floor plans that she asked several major and local home builders to draw for her, one by Sentote, a local builder, stood out to her.

“The floor plan looked so open that I could see myself having a good time with friends and neighbors there. I was thrilled,” she said.

The house, for which she took out a loan, has no hallways and therefore has easy access to the bedroom and bathroom. The entrance area, which has eaves, can be used as a terrace.

Nakamura’s father was happy to see the house completed, although he died the following year of illness.

“I wish I could tell my father that owing a house while being single has given me confidence,” she said.

Cooking for friends

A 45-year-old company employee in Gifu Prefecture bought a plot of land to build a one-story house to live in with his parent. He used a home construction consultation service provided by Recruit Co., which suggested building plans from six different companies. The man, with a budget of ¥30 million, then selected a home builder.

The house is a one-story steel-framed house and has a spacious floor area of 101 square meters. It is a 3LDK, meaning it has three bedrooms, a living room and a large kitchen.

The house has solar panels in order to be environmentally friendly and has central air conditioning to reduce utility costs. The man’s parent ultimately did not join him, and he now lives alone in the house, which was completed two years ago.

The man possesses a cooking certificate and is a skilled cook. The kitchen of the house faces the living room, and he cooks to entertain friends. In his bedroom, he has an area where he can read or work remotely.

“This house inspires me to find a partner to live with,” he said.

No steps, easy movement

A 61-year-old company employee in Hyogo Prefecture has a plan to build a smaller house to replace her parents’ house, which she has lived in since birth.

The woman, who is single, had lived in the house with her parents and younger sister. The younger sister left home, and her parents have died.

As she did not want to leave the location, which is filled with memories of her family, she decided to demolish the two-story house and build a one-story house with a budget of about ¥30 million. She will move into the new 64-square-meter house with her dog when it is completed in around May next year.

She chose a homebuilder after consulting with many companies. She decided to build a steel-framed house for earthquake resistance, among other factors. The next step was to decide on the room layout, which was challenging. “It was hard for me to plan a new house without the influence of the floor plan of my previous house,” she said.

The planning started with a house with a Japanese-style room and a lot of storage space, factoring in where to put her favorite furniture pieces, a Buddhist altar and other items, all of which took up more space than most people living alone need. After making more than 10 changes, she settled on a 1LDK house.

The floor plan does not have steps, making it easier to move from room to room. It was “designed for me to be able to live in good health for many years until the end of my life,” she said.

Modeled on overseas style

Yuka Sakaguchi, 44, a company employee in Osaka Prefecture, lives with her two sons, who are both in junior high school, in a house she built five years ago. After her divorce, the family of three had been living in a rental apartment, but Sakaguchi decided to build her own house that she would want to live in alone even after her children became independent and left home.

Sakaguchi was able to use a plot of land owned by her father near her parents’ house. She built a two-story, 59-square-meter wooden house. The second floor was for her children’s rooms.

The design of the house has an exotic feel, with an arched ceiling from the entrance area through the living room and up to the bedroom and bathroom. It was modeled on the Peranakan-style architecture that Sakaguchi had seen and admired when she had traveled to Malaysia.

She was concerned about whether her limited budget would satisfy her unique plan and safety requirements. However, the problem was solved by arbol, an architectural firm in Osaka, which she found after looking for a good architect. The firm drew up one plan after another until she was satisfied.

“The process of reevaluating my priorities was so hard, but I finally have a house I can enjoy living in. I also feel I’ve become gentler to my children,” she said.

Safety measures a must

“If you want to live in a house for a long time, you have to consider safety,” said Hiroyuki Ishikawa, head of a real estate agency in Marugame, Kagawa Prefecture. The company provides housing support for the elderly.

Ishikawa gave several suggestions. There should be easy access from the entrance area to the living room, bedroom, bathroom and toilet, with the bedroom and toilet close to each other. There should also be limited or no steps, and there should be sliding doors inside the house. Lastly, to avoid the strain on the heart caused by sudden changes in room temperature, the living room should have direct access to the toilet and the changing area next to the bathroom without having to go through a hallway.

When choosing a home builder, it is also helpful to know if they have a department of home renovations to improve safety and convenience that is covered by a nursing care insurance program or if they have a track record of doing such renovations.

Ishikawa said: “Single elderly people in particular are encouraged to design their new homes to be able to easily change the room layout or renovate. This will make them easier to sell and can prevent them from remaining empty [for a long time].”

Many of the people I interviewed for this story chose one-story houses.

According to the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry’s statistics on the start of construction work, construction of 58,154 one-story houses started in fiscal 2023, accounting for 15.4% of the total number of houses, compared with 37,248 in fiscal 2013, accounting for 7.4% of the total.

Mika Kasamatsu, deputy editor-in-chief of Suumo, a real estate and housing information website, explains the popularity of one-story houses, saying: “In the past, it was common to live in a house with as many rooms and as much storage space as possible for marriage or raising children. Lifestyles have gradually become more diverse, and it is possible to live comfortably without having many possessions.”

However, one-story houses require more meticulous safety measures, as all the windows are on the first floor. The size and location of the windows, as well as the room layout and exterior design must be carefully considered for increased safety.

New idea, refreshing choice

I own a pre-owned condominium. Now that I’m 60 years old, I wonder how long I can continue living in it alone. When I heard that a man who was my class senior in school, who is single, built a new house last year, I felt that his choice was refreshing.

From interviewing people who built their own houses, I’ve felt they have gained self-confidence and peace of mind by making a major decision in their lives — to build their own houses. It is not a choice for everyone as there are many things to consider, such as maintenance, cost and dealing with the houses when the owner can no longer live there. But it certainly is one of the new lifestyles of people living alone.

The Single Style feature looks at lifestyles, activities and concerns of single people.

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