Report: The Log House Market in Japan

About the Report 

Making up for a tiny portion of the domestic housing market, log houses have long been quite rare to spot and considered by many an exotic housing style that appealed to bucolic lifestyle and foreign cultures-lovers. Yet, in recent years, Japanese customers’ perception and applications for log houses have gradually shifted from that of a holiday home for wealthy elites or outdoors fans, to a healthy option as a primary residence for people willing to invest in the future of their housing or business. Consequently, the market for domestically produced or imported log houses is seeing a steady growth.

The present work is a snapshot of the position that log houses occupy in the Japanese housing market and the opportunities that European SMEs related to this sector can encounter in it. Any EU SMEs interested in accessing the Japanese log house market needs a broad understanding of the social, economic, demographic, cultural and legal framework of home construction and ownership in the country. This report addresses all these arguments. We sincerely hope our readers will find this report a useful tool to accompany them in their adventure into the challenging yet rewarding Japanese market.

About the Experts

Renata Piazza, Independent Sustainability Consultant, Cultural Bridge, Project Manager. Born in Sicily, BA in Japanese Culture (University of Venice Ca’ Foscari), MSc in Politics of Asia (SOAS, University of London), Renata has lived for more than three decades abroad - UK, Spain, Japan - before returning to her homeland in 2020 where she is working in European projects and advising small local companies. Founder and President of Hasekura Program (a best-practices exchange and educational platform) since 2012 Renata has been advising SMEs, start ups, local administrations and academia on social innovation, environmental sustainability and the planning of a socio-economic model fit for post-growth societies.