Analysis of Gender Factors in Conditions of One-Person Households in Tokyo Metropolitan Area

2003 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 14550618
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Town planning/Architectural planning
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan University
• Principal Investigator: MATSUMOTO Masumi Tokyo Metropolitan University, Department of Architecture, Research Associate, 大学院・工学研究科・建築学専攻, 助手 (60229573)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): KOIZUMI Masao Tokyo Metropolitan University, Department of Architecture, Associate Professor, 大学院・工学研究科・建築学専攻, 助教授 (60336526)
• Project Period (FY): 2002 – 2003
• Keywords: Housing / Single

Research Abstract

The percentage of one-person households in the total population is rapidly increasing, especially in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area. Although this tendency is crucial and should be taken into account in future housing policies, no studies based on statistical data have been conducted.
In this article we undertook the first study of this kind using data from the National Population Census to determine the living conditions, age and gender of single people in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area. The examination of the percentage and trends in the numbers of these single people, their household, dwellings and their geographical distribution clarified several characteristics.
There are different preferences between single women and single men : the dwellings of single women living alone were concentrated in the city, whereas a significant percentage of men lived in the suburbs. Single women preferred to live in apartments, owned or rented, rather than in detached houses. We also observed that parents' dwellings have a certain influence on their children's selection of dwelling type.