In this paper, the author aims to introduce the housing situation of Japan by graphic expressions. The data are for the most part well known or already published in this country.

Very broadly, the charts in this paper show the following features.

Japan has many obstacles for improvement of housing condition, although it has attained very successful economic growth. The most fundamental difficulty is luck of a habitable land. The housing condition in Japan is not always lower than that in the European countries in the sector of the owner occupied dwelling. It is however in the sector of the rental dwelling that the housing condition is considerably low.

The housing activity is very high in Japan. The majority of the owner occupied dwellings are order made. The housing for sale is minor in the housing market. The governmental intervention in housing is relatively small in this country.

The purchasability ( price/annual income ) is about 6. The housing loan in this country has started since 1970, and remarkably developed reflecting the decrease of industrial demand of fund.

The construction industry has an Obelisk structure and the productivity of housing is not so high. The prefabrication of housing succeeds in the field of detached and terrace house in Japan.

^*1 Director, Housing & Building Economy Dept., Building Research Institute