Building

Apartments & Condominiums -Apartments & Condominiums

Apartments（アパート）and condominiums（マンション）are both multi-unit residential buildings, but they have some differences. Apartments are typically constructed with wood or steel frame structures, offering more affordable rent and a variety of living space options. Condominiums, on the other hand, are usually made of reinforced concrete, providing better earthquake resistance, more comprehensive management, and well-equipped facilities.

Storage Room -Storage Room

Originally, a storage room（納戶）referred to a space for storing clothes and other items inside the house. In real estate ads, it often describes rooms without windows or with very small windows. According to Building Standards Act, residential rooms must have windows that are at least one-seventh of the room’s floor area in size（Building Standards Act Articles 28, Section 1）. Recently, the term “Service Room” has also become common. There is not a clear difference between “Service Room” and “Storage Room（納戶）”. On floor plans, “S” means “Service Room”, and “N” means “Storage Room（納戶）”.

Certificate of Inspection -Certificate of Inspection

Under Japan’s Building Standards Act, newly constructed or renovated buildings must undergo inspections to ensure they meet legal standards. After construction is completed, a designated inspector or authority conducts an on-site inspection and issues a certificate based on the results, called Certificate of Inspection（検査済証）. This certificate proves that the building meets the standards of the Building Standards Act and is safe. It is extremely important in real estate transactions. If a building doesn’t have this certificate, it could affect the property’s value and impact loans or insurance.

Jo -Jo

Jo（帖、畳）is quantifier used to measure room size. One jo equals about 1.62 square meters. In the past, since most rooms were traditional Japanese-style, room size was typically described by the number of tatami mats（畳）. Nowadays, in Japanese real estate advertisements, “Jo” is more commonly used to indicate the size of an apartment. 

Building Coverage Ratio -Building Coverage Ratio

Building Coverage Ratio（建蔽率）means the percentage of a building’s area compared to the land area. It sets a limit on how much of the land can be covered by the building to make sure there is good ventilation, sunlight, and safety.

Building Coverage Ratio (%) = (Building Area / Land Area) × 100

Floor Area Ratio -Floor Area Ratio

Floor Area Ratio（容積率）is the ratio of a building’s total floor area to the size of the land it is built on, usually expressed as a percentage. The total floor area includes the combined floor space of all levels in a multi-story building. Floor Area Ratio is an important measure for evaluating the size of a building and its development potential.

 

Exclusive-owned Area & Exclusive Floor Area -Exclusive-owned Area & Exclusive Floor Area

Exclusively-owned Area（專有面積）refers to the floor space within a unit that the residents can freely use. On the other hand, Exclusive Floor Area（專用面積） includes not only the living space but also common use areas like balconies. As a result, Exclusive Floor Area is typically larger than the Exclusively-owned Area.