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IrelandJapanese homebuyers trade balconies for dedicated laundry rooms
A TV Asahi report finds savings on construction and upkeep, but one resident still needs an outdoor solution for bulky bedding.
JapanWhy this story? One of ANNnewsCH's most watched videos since yesterday, with 264,303 views.
ANNnewsCH: The news channel of ANN, a Japanese news network led by TV Asahi. 5.1M subscribers and 6.4B views.
バルコニーなし住宅が増加 設置費用100万円節約 ランドリールームで部屋干し【もっと知りたい！】【グッド！モーニング】(2026年11月5日)
Things we can learn from the video
Press to jump
- 0:26A dedicated laundry room sits beside the bathroom and washroom in the Funabashi model home.
- 1:27Sekisui Heim floor-plan research shows balcony-free designs becoming more common between fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2022.
- 2:00Omitting a balcony avoids its cleaning and waterproofing work, while indoor drying removes dependence on the weather.
- 3:07A resident describes overnight drying and nearby ironing space, but uses his parking area to air large futons.
- 3:55Fujii says Okamura Home's new plans generally omit balconies.
Leaving the balcony off a new house can save more than the work of hanging laundry outside. A report from Japan's TV Asahi news channel, ANNnewsCH, examines how rising construction costs and the appeal of indoor drying are changing some buyers' floor plans.
In Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, the report visits a two-story wooden model home with large upstairs windows but no balcony. Inside, an Okamura Home representative, Fujii, shows a dedicated laundry room beside the bathroom and washroom. Washing and hanging clothes can happen in neighboring spaces, without a trip outdoors.
The shift is substantial within the housing records cited by the broadcaster, though those records are not a survey of every Japanese home. Research using Sekisui Heim floor plans found that the share without balconies rose from about one in ten in fiscal 2018 to roughly three in ten in fiscal 2022. The proportion was higher among buyers under 30.
Fujii describes a similar change at her own company: requests to omit balconies were uncommon when it began offering such homes six years ago. She says only a small minority of its customers now want one.
According to Okamura Home, installing a small balcony can cost around one million yen for materials and waterproofing. Periodic waterproofing adds further expense, while exposed surfaces collect dust, fallen leaves and moss.
For a resident interviewed in the report, the benefit is less about the house's exterior than the evening routine. He moved from an apartment into a balcony-free house last year. He says he can wash clothes at night, hang them beside the washing machine and find them almost dry by morning, without worrying about the weather. Ironing happens in the same room.
There is a compromise: large futons have to be aired in the parking area outside. Fujii nevertheless says the company's new plans now generally start without a balcony, offering customers a different arrangement for everyday washing.
Published on Trari
Where next?
- Channel
- ANNnewsCH
- Subscribers
- 5,100,000 ▲ 10,000 this week
- Channel views, last 7 days
- 35,487,249
- Channel views, pace per day
- 5,596,490 (on a normal day: 3,210,407)
- Video published
- November 5, 2026
- Video views so far
- 266,061 (less than a day online)
- Video views, pace per day
- 264,421
The numbers
The report drew about 264,000 views since yesterday, placing it among Japan's most-watched new news videos.
💡 Test your knowledge
Which Japanese prefecture is home to Funabashi, where the model house stands?
The report visits a balcony-free model home in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture.