The program "Jūnin Toiro ~Ie ni wa Nure Aru Kazoku Katachi~" (MBS, Saturdays at 5pm, Kansai local broadcast, etc.), hosted by talent Mifune Mika and actor Taro Suruga, will feature a 7.5-tsubo house in Niwa-gun, Aichi Prefecture, built by a 75-year-old, in its July 4th broadcast.
The homeowner is a 77-year-old woman. She lost her husband early on, but worked until retirement at age 65, and two years ago built a house for her to live in alone. The simple house, which looks like a shipping container, is about 7.5 tsubo (approximately 25 square meters), roughly the same size as a 1.5-car parking space. Her son, who is both a licensed architect and a carpenter, handled everything from design to construction, and her two grandchildren also helped with the building, keeping the budget under 10 million yen.
The main house next door is 100 years old. The son uses it as an architectural office, but since renovation would be expensive, they decided to build a new house on the small plot of land on the property. They set a budget that would be manageable even after retirement, and thoroughly reduced costs while pursuing comfort. The living and dining room, which makes extensive use of wood, is made entirely of solid wood such as cedar, cypress, and cherry, but costs were kept down by using wood with knots.
In the bathroom, a curtain was used as a partition to prevent heat shock in winter. Furthermore, underfloor heating was installed in almost every area, from the living room and dining room to the kitchen and the bathroom. Living in this house, the resident said, "Being able to live alone and do things as I please is really a dream, isn't it? He has thought about so many things and made them by hand to suit my needs, so I feel truly blessed," and expressed her gratitude to her son.
"Jūnin Toiro" is a program that visits homes across Japan and introduces the unique features and charms of the homes of their inhabitants. After the broadcast, it is available for streaming on TVer for one week.
