FOCUS: More Child-Rearing Families in Japan Choosing Single-Story Homes

Tokyo, Jan. 16 (Jiji Press)–Single-story homes are becoming increasingly popular among dual-income families raising children in Japan. With no need to go up and down stairs and room layouts that allow for efficient housework, such homes match the growing emphasis on “time performance” in daily life. According to statistics from the land ministry, single-story homes accounted for 17.9 pct of newly constructed houses in fiscal 2024, which ended in March 2025, more than double the figure from 10 years earlier. In response, housing builders are introducing a variety of designs and features to tap into this rising demand. 1.5-Story Homes At Sumitomo Forestry Co., the proportion of single-story homes among all orders rose from 35 pct in 2021 to 46 pct in 2025. Notably, about 60 pct of clients choosing these homes are in their 20s and 30s. An official from the company’s sales promotion department said, “As the number of dual-income households continues to rise, (demand for) single-story homes is increasing because they allow residents to handle housework more efficiently.” The official also noted that families with children tend to value shared time and prefer layouts that keep family members physically close, making compact, single-level spaces particularly appealing. Single-story homes eliminate the need for spaces such as staircases, upper hallways and second-floor bathrooms that are necessary in two-story houses. As a result, even with the same basic room layout, the actual usable living area can be reduced by about 16.5 square meters, offering cost advantages in construction and maintenance. In 2023, Sumitomo Forestry launched “Plus Sky,” a one-and-a-half-story home that combines the efficiency of a single-story layout with the added appeal of a loft-like upper space. After a model home was completed at a housing exhibition site in the city of Saitama in September 2024, the number of visitors to the site increased 2.5-fold, indicating strong consumer interest in this hybrid design. In February 2025, Avantiya, a detached-house builder based in Nagoya, launched “Ran,” a brand specializing in single-story homes. Under the slogan “single-story homes anyone can afford,” the company has cut costs primarily through bulk procurement of building materials, enabling it to offer prices below 500,000 yen per tsubo before tax. One tsubo is a traditional Japanese unit of area equivalent to about 3.3 square meters. The brand’s specifications also place a strong emphasis on decarbonization, and Avantiya has set a sales target of 100 units for the fiscal year ending in August 2026. Takeshi Kiroba, a director at the company, noted that as condominium prices in urban central areas continue to soar, interest is rising in single-story homes in the suburbs. “Buyers span a wide range of age groups. Even during the autumn lull (when sales usually slump), our sales reached around 20 pct of our full-year target,” Kiroba said, expressing confidence. The company plans to expand its sales areas beyond the Kanto eastern and Tokai central regions to include Kyoto Prefecture in western Japan and the Kyushu southwestern region. Revitalizing Aging Housing Complexes Tobu Real Estate Co., based in Tokyo, has launched a pilot project to breathe new life into aging residential areas once developed and sold by the Tobu group in the 1980s. The company is purchasing vacant homes and other properties in former Tobu housing complexes and rebuilding them as single-story houses, aiming to address both physical deterioration and declining vitality and amenities in these neighborhoods. Since autumn 2024, Tobu Real Estate has sold three such newly built units in Noda, Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, and Kasukabe, Saitama Prefecture, north of the capital. One two-bedroom home in Noda was purchased by a couple in their 20s raising children. Initially, the plan assumed that most elderly residents would move into newly built homes. Executive Officer Kazuhiro Miyauchi noted, however, that “many people expressed a desire to spend the rest of their lives in the homes where they have lived, and I was once again struck by how difficult (redevelopment) can be.” While some officials are hoping to attract younger residents, Miyauchi said, “We would like either to shift the pilot project into a fully operational phase or to build one unit a year in the housing complex so we can continue evaluating the initiative.” Mika Kasamatsu, deputy chief editor at the real estate information website Suumo, identifies the rise in smaller households as a key factor behind the growing popularity of single-story homes. “The number of one- and two-person households has increased, and more people are choosing single-story homes, which are easier to live in as they grow older,” she said. She added that there remains “considerable demand for replacing two-story houses with single-story homes” and predicted further growth in such demand, especially in nonurban areas where land prices are relatively low. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]