Japanese gov’t to encourage “200 year” houses?
The Economist writes that the Japanese government has drafted a policy to discourage the Japanese from rebuilding houses after only 20 to 30 years.
http://www.economist.com/finance/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10431721
I remember telling some Japanese friends that my house in Vancouver was 50 years old and I expected it to last for another 50 years (and the joists might be used even longer, as high-quality large beams are very rare now). There seems to be a belief that Japanese houses are especially high-maintenance; but more likely this is because of shoddy construction. The Japanese buildings that are repaired and renovated tend to be expensive, such as Buddhist temples — so Japanese people perhaps think that renovation is so expensive that replacement with the latest modern conveniences is better. Nevertheless, renovation is catching on, as a Google search for “リホーム” shows (I wonder — does this word come from “reform” or “re-home”?)