Encore Episode: Japanese Housing Policy with Jiro Yoshida
May 1, 2024
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Professor Jiro Yoshida discusses Japanese housing policy, highlighting Tokyo's high production rates and affordable housing. Topics include real estate depreciation, tax policy impact, unique zoning regulations, challenges in disrupting the housing market, balancing community interests and development goals, tenant protections, housing depreciation rates, and tax policies on housing construction.
Japan's high housing production rates compared to California are influenced by unique historical, economic, demographic, and seismic factors shaping Tokyo's housing landscape.
Japan's zoning system, offering flexibility in land use across different zones, contributes to the supply of residential units and helps maintain affordability in the housing market.
Deep dives
Japanese Housing Policy Overview
In Japan, housing policy is characterized by high housing production rates compared to California, with Tokyo building about five times more housing per capita. Factors contributing to this include unique historical, economic, demographic, and seismic influences shaping Tokyo's housing landscape. Japan's housing market also highlights the significance of real estate depreciation and tax policy in shaping housing outcomes.
Flexibility in Japanese Zoning Regulations
Japan's zoning system, influenced by the national government, offers flexibility in land use across different zones. Residential zones allow only residential uses, while commercial zones accommodate both residential and commercial activities. This flexibility contributes to the supply of residential units and helps maintain affordability in the Japanese housing market.
Tenant Protection and Rent Stability
Strong tenant protection regulations in Japan impact the supply of rental housing for families, leading landlords to prefer smaller units to avoid long-term tenants. This results in a limited supply of family residential units, prompting families to seek new housing construction, driving demand for single-family homes.
Economic Depreciation and Housing Costs
Economic depreciation of real estate in Japan is faster than in the US, around 6-8% for residential properties and over 10% for commercial properties annually. High depreciation rates can lead to increased housing costs as landlords pass on expenses to renters, impacting overall affordability and housing expenditure.
For this episode, we take a trip to Tokyo to learn from the successes and shortcomings of Japanese housing policy. Known for high rates of production — Tokyo builds five times more housing than California, per capita — and relatively affordable housing, Japan also struggles with poor maintenance and rapid degradation of its buildings. Professor Jiro Yoshida of Pennsylvania State University and the University of Tokyo joins us to talk about the unique demographic, economic, and geographic conditions that led to Japan’s current housing context, and the underrecognized influence of depreciation and tax policy in the choices we make about where and how to live.
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