Japan - Housing Governance
Asia - Eastern Asia
Japan has unique zoning laws and building regulations that allow for mixed-use development and flexible land use.
Governance Scores
Data Sources: World Bank, WEF, Heritage Foundation, UNODC | Last Updated: January 14, 2026
🛡️ Public Safety & Justice
Safety Score: 94/100
Based on crime rates, homicide rates, and personal safety indicators.
Homicide Rate: 0.3 per 100,000 people
Justice Score: 85/100
Based on rule of law, judicial independence, access to justice, and legal rights.
Sources: World Bank Governance Indicators, UNODC Global Study on Homicide, Global Peace Index
💼 Business Climate & Economic Freedom
Business Score: 82/100
Overall ease of doing business, regulatory environment, and economic freedom.
📅 Starting a Business
11.0 days to register a new business
Cost: 7.5% of GNI per capita
💰 Tax Environment
Total tax rate: 46.7% of commercial profits
(includes all taxes and mandatory contributions)
🏠 Property Registration
13.0 days to register property
💳 Access to Credit
Credit access score: 95.0/100
Based on credit information depth and legal rights
Sources: World Bank Doing Business (historical), Heritage Foundation Index of Economic Freedom
🛣️ Infrastructure Quality
Overall Score: 93/100
Combined infrastructure quality across transport, digital, and energy.
🚗 Transport
Transport Score: 95.0/100
Roads, rail, ports, airports
📡 Digital
Digital Score: 92.0/100
Internet: 90.0% of population
⚡ Energy
Energy Score: 98.0/100
Electricity reliability: 100.0%
📦 Logistics
Logistics Performance: 92.0/100
Supply chain & customs efficiency
Sources: World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Index, World Bank Logistics Performance Index, ITU
🏥 Healthcare System
Healthcare Score: 94/100
Overall assessment of healthcare system quality, access, and outcomes.
🩺 Life Expectancy
84.6 years
Average life expectancy at birth
👶 Infant Mortality
1.7 per 1,000 live births
Lower is better
🤰 Maternal Mortality
4 per 100,000 live births
Lower is better
👨⚕️ Physicians
2.5 per 1,000 people
Doctor availability
🛏️ Hospital Beds
12.8 per 1,000 people
Hospital capacity
💰 Health Spending
11.1% of GDP
$4,691 per capita
🏥 Universal Coverage
UHC Index: 96/100
Access to essential health services
Sources: World Health Organization, World Bank Health Indicators, OECD Health Statistics
🎓 Education System
Education Score: 90/100
Overall assessment of education system quality, access, and outcomes.
📚 Literacy Rate
99% of adult population
Can read and write
📖 Years of Schooling
Mean: 13.4 years
Expected: 15.2 years
🏫 Primary Enrollment
100% gross enrollment
Can exceed 100% due to age variations
🎒 Secondary Enrollment
100% gross enrollment
🎓 Tertiary Enrollment
65% gross enrollment
University/college attendance
📝 PISA Score
529 (OECD average: 500)
International student assessment
👩🏫 Pupil-Teacher Ratio
15:1
Students per teacher (lower is better)
💰 Education Spending
4.0% of GDP
Government investment in education
Sources: UNESCO Institute for Statistics, World Bank Education Indicators, OECD PISA
🏠 Housing Quality
Housing Score: 85/100
Comprehensive assessment of housing conditions and accessibility.
Score Components
💰 Affordability (30%)
Price-to-income ratio, rent burden
🏗️ Quality & Conditions
Building standards, housing conditions, structural quality (25% weight)
👥 Overcrowding
Rooms per person, household density (20% weight)
🏚️ Informal Housing
Slum population %, substandard housing (15% weight)
🏕️ Homelessness
Per capita homelessness rates (10% weight)
Sources: OECD Better Life Index, UN-Habitat, World Bank, Numbeo Quality of Life Index
🏛️ Government Performance
Government Score: 80/100
Measures government effectiveness, institutional quality, and public sector performance.
Score Components
📊 Government Effectiveness - Quality of public services and policy implementation
⚖️ Rule of Law - Contract enforcement and property rights
🛡️ Control of Corruption - Public power used for public good
📋 Regulatory Quality - Sound policies for private sector
Source: World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators (GE.EST, RL.EST, CC.EST, RQ.EST)
📋 Housing Policy Categories
Key areas of housing governance tracked for each country:
🏗️ Building Codes
Construction standards and safety regulations
🏠 Affordable Housing
Access to affordable housing options
📋 Zoning & Land Use
Land use planning and development controls
🏘️ Public Housing
Public/social housing programs
Note: Scores are based on comprehensive analysis of policy effectiveness, implementation quality, and outcomes. Individual policy details are documented in the Housing Policies section below.
Housing Policies
Building codes
Earthquake-Resistant Building Standards
Strict seismic building codes require structures to withstand major earthquakes. Building standards are regularly updated based on lessons learned from earthquakes.
Effective: June 01, 1981
Last Updated: June 01, 1981
Land use
Urban Redevelopment and Densification
Policies encourage urban redevelopment and densification to make efficient use of limited land, particularly in major metropolitan areas.
Effective: January 01, 2002
Last Updated: January 01, 2002
Zoning
Flexible Zoning System
Japan uses 12 zoning categories that allow for mixed-use development. Residential zones can include small commercial establishments, promoting walkable neighborhoods.
Effective: January 01, 1968
Last Updated: January 01, 1968