Why are Thieves Looking for Suction Cup Marks on your Car’s Front Window?

Japanese architects have developed technology that would reduce the damage of earthquakes, a natural disaster that occurs frequently in Japan. To reduce the shaking of buildings, architects would isolate the foundation of buildings from the ground. Many young Japanese adults choose to live with their parents, rather than seeking a separate residence, a phenomenon known as parasite singles (パラサイトシングル). Construction workers would often install flexible pads under buildings to support them when an earthquake happens, or create a space under the foundation so it is not directly connected to the ground. This is also a reason Japanese houses use wood frames, since wood is a material that reduces earthquake shake.

Steel and concrete buildings may have more stories, but usually they only have two. Building coverage ratio is the ratio of the building footprint compared to the total area of the land. Basements are uncommon in private homes but common in high-rise buildings. The footage which can be built-upon is regulated according to a system involving two figures: building coverage ratio (建蔽率, kenpeiritsu) and floor area ratio (容積率, yōsekiritsu).

Kerosene, gas, and electric units are common. Traditional Japanese buildings do not use insulation, and insulation may even be omitted in modern construction, especially in the low-end apartments; nor is insulated glazing traditionally used in windows, with these being generally single-pane. Occupants purchase appliances and take them when they move. Apartments are often rented without heating or cooling equipment but with empty duct space run, allowing the installation of heat pump units.

Conversely, in large metropolitan areas of Japan, it is no longer uncommon for young couples to co-habit in an apartment before they marry. Apartment sharing between strangers is rare in Japan, most single people preferring to live in small sized individual apartments (bangkok.thaibounty.com). Traditionally, the elderly also continue to live with their children rather than being put into homes for the elderly. The responsibility for the parent usually falls onto the oldest male child or atotsugi (跡継ぎ). The number of elderly people living at home has led to a great demand for care products for home use, and also the so-called “barrier-free” housing, which contains fewer steps and obstacles for the elderly.