Small Houses, Tighter Families?
So supposedly, 80% of Japan is still occupied by trees and forests…meaning that only 20% of the land is used for living. Why is that? Why do we choose such a compact way of living?
Most of my friends are astonished to see my house in Japan because of its size, or lack of. My American friends couldn’t believe that I don’t get my own bathroom and shower/tub. Which would be the norm here in Japan though. Not to mention the size of my walk-in closet, this to them reflects as a shoe closet. Does a smaller house mean more communication and a closer family though? The stereotypical image that I have is that American families are more tightly knitted than Japanese families despite having a large quantity of privacy.
Maybe it’s the game room that keeps the American family together!