Floor space often comes at a premium in Japan, especially in urban centers where land is scarce and property prices are high. That has resulted in tiny homes and apartments cluttering popular neighborhoods in Tokyo and other major cities, occasionally leading to negative stereotyping of the Japanese as workaholics who only come back to their cramped rooms to sleep at the end of a long day.
The pandemic, however, has scrambled the real estate market as quarantines, states of emergencies and self-imposed isolation prompt millions to work from home and rethink their housing priorities.
Four hundred and twenty-eight of 500 teleworkers who responded to a survey conducted by job site operator Biz Hits in February said they were working either from their living room or bedroom. Almost 45% said they weren’t satisfied with their current workspace, and about a third said they wanted their own home office more than anything.
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