Comparing Housing Systems In Japan And Malaysia Environmental Sciences Essay

Housing plays an important role in a country’s economy, typically accounting for 10 to 20 per cent of total economic activity. In addition, housing is often an individual’s biggest asset. The availability of housing finance is, therefore, crucial for overall economic development as well as for a household’s welfare and its quality of life.

With the large-scale privatization of the housing sector, a need for housing finance systems arose in the countries with economies in transition. There are many good examples of effective housing in the region. However, while policy makers have had access to information and policy advice on individual systems, there has so far not been a method for comparing them that would help to determine their suitability for a particular country. This essay is to compare and contrast the housing system of two countries. Now compare and contraction the housing system of two countries. Countries name is japan and malaysia. These two countries people how to advertise and look for housing and also discuss which types of utilities are necessary and how they are installed.

structure:

Japanese House

Traditional japanese houses are built by erecting wooden columns on top of a flat foundation made of packed earth or stones. The frame of a japanese house is made of wood, and the weight is supported by vertical columns, horizontal beams, and diagonal braces. One thing of japanese houses is that every house has a large roof and deep eaves to protect the house from the hot summer sun. [1]

The houses of common people make differently. Farmers of the country, they were made to different style. The houses built in the gassho style. [2]

One common things of japanese house is that when they make their house, they have many sliding doors. Sometimes they partition their rooms. This is the style seen in modern japanese houses today. Nowadays japanese used to cover the floor of entire rooms tatami mats.

As the living room, where the family dines together, they used cabinet that holds the plates and bowls. Japanese use a heated table called kotatsu. Recently, people are beginning to look anew at the traditional methods of building houses. [3]

Interior Design

Traditional House:-

Traditional japanese housing has kitchen, bathroom and toilet.

Any room can be a living room, dining room, study, or bedroom.

All the furniture is portable, being stored in oshijre, a small section of the house used for storage.

Modern Homes:-

Housing is typically listed in real estate.

Room’s format is 1r or 2ldk. R designating room, l for living room, and k for kitchen.

Japanese home has genkan or entryway; it includes a small area, as the same level as the outside.

Malaysian House:

On the other hand japanese and malaysian housing system are mostly different. Malaysian housing system is shown:

The traditional malaysian housing process is highly autonomous, largely controlled by the user. Guided by building tradition and the village carpenter, the owner-builder designs a house that is uniquely suited to the family’s socioeconomic and cultural situation. Not only does the traditional approach foster a better match of house to user, it keeps the cost down by eliminating the need for professional intermediaries such as architects or developers. 

Self-help and cooperative labor are the resources upon which the owner-builder relies. The traditional malaysian house has an open interior, promoting good cross ventilation and lighting and allowing the space to be used for many purposes depending on the season, occasion, or time of day. 

Since most activities take place on the floor, the need for furniture is minimal; bedding materials and sleeping mats are rolled up and stored during the day to eliminate the need for separate living and sleeping quarters. Interior spaces are defined, not by partitions or walls, but rather by changes in floor level; they may be respected or ignored, allowing the house to accommodate larger numbers of people than usual during, for example, feasts. 

Malay houses are traditional dwellings, originating before the arrival of foreign or modern influences, and constructed by the indigenous ethnic malay and orangasli peoples of the malay peninsula and their related bumiputra tribes of east malaysia. [4]

Using renewable natural materials including timber and bamboo, the dwellings are often built without the use of metal including nails. Instead pre-cut holes and grooves are used to fit the timber elements into one another, effectively making it a ‘prefabricated house’. In sarawak and sabah rattan ropes were used to fasten bamboo pieces together.

Although nails had been invented and in later houses used minimally for non-structural elements (for example, windows or panels), structural flexibility was a benefit which nailing inhibited. Without nails, a timber house could be dismantled and reconstructed in a new location.

A traditional malay timber house usually in two parts: the main house called rumah ibu in honour of the mother (ibu) and the simpler rumah dapur or kitchen annex, which was separated from the main house for fire protection. Proportion was important to give the house a human scale. The rumah ibu was named after the spacing between stilts which are said to typically follow the arms-spread width of the wife and mother in the family of the house when being built. At least one raised veranda (serambi) is attached to the house for seated work or relaxation, or where non-familiar visitors would be entertained, thus preserving the privacy of the interior. Venetian interior design or also known as cultured architecture is based on the famous city. Houses with such design usually showcase collected pieces and ornaments from around the world. Shelves are filled with vintage books and quirky items found in flea market and thrift stores. Paintings and murals displaying scenes from the city can be added to the interior to provide venetian vibe. [5]

Interior Design

Traditional House:-

A traditional malay timber house usually in two parts.

The main house called ruman lbu in honour.

And second part is called ruman dapur or kitchen annex.

One veranda is attached to the house.

Summary:

In this two countries, japan and malaysians houses are most different. Japanese house is made of wood. On the other hand malaysian house is made of bamboo. Japanese house structure and malaysian house structure is not same. Japanese houses built in the gassho style but malaysian houses built in the rumah ibu and rumah dapur or

Kitchens annex style.

How People Advertise And Look For Housing

Buying A House:

When buying a house Japanese people, see the newspaper, magazine, Real Estate Company, internet. First-home buyers usually visit a few properties before making a final decision and this can be a test for the memory, so take a digital camera and a pen and paper. Take photos and notes about the features, colours and negative and positive points of each residence. Then, when reviewing the properties in the comfort of your home, tick them off against your wish-list.

There are some tried and tested things you should check for on the inside of the house. Mainly you want to identify anything that might be an extra cost, ranging from minor replacements to serious structural work.

Here are a few nasty surprises to keep an eye out for:

Turn the taps on in the kitchen, bathroom and laundry to check the water pressure, performance and drainage. Check for dirty water. You might like to leave the tap running for a minute and it can’t hurt to drink the water for a taste test.

Check the hot water system. Is it big enough for your needs? A family will need more hot water than a couple. Also check for leaks, rust and age. Replacing a busted hot water system can be expensive and is not the sort of thing you can put off. If it is gas, check for the system’s last servicing.

Bathrooms often have mould. Mould can’t just be painted over. A serious problem will usually involve installing a new ceiling/wall and better ventilation. [6]

Rent A House:

Japanese people when rent a house they advertise newspaper, internet and many other ways. Here some ways to advertise rent a house in japans:-

To rent an apartment in Japan, would-be tenants visit real estate agents located in every neighborhood and browse through copies of apartments for rent. These usually have the layout of the apartment for rent and the costs to rent this apartment. If would be tenant is interested in a particular apartment, the agent contacts the landlord to see if the apartment is still available and whether a visit could be arranged. Typically, a renter cannot rent an apartment on her or his own, but is required to have a guarantor who promises to pay the rent if problems arise.

Traditionally, japanese landlords collect both a damage deposit and “key money” before the renter takes occupancy, and the real estate agent is also paid a month’s rent for services provided. Key money is a non-refundable payment to the landlord. In major cities like tokyo and osaka, key money is often a major investment in itself: up to six months’ rent in many cases. In recent years many landlords have begun demanding smaller amounts of key money, equal to two or three months’ rent or none at all. An industry of no-deposit apartments, called monthly mansion and weekly mansion, has also sprouted up in major cities: these generally charge higher rents than traditional leases, and may offer some hotel-style amenities such as linen service.

In tokyo, a typical rental agreement is for one year. Each year, this agreement is re-negotiated, and the renter pays an additional month’s rent as a fee. In many other cities, however, the one-year agreement is regarded simply as a minimum length of stay, and the rent does not change over the years. [7]

Malaysia:-

Buying Property

Apartments/condominiums-of course, like most countries, apartments and condominiums are readily available all over malaysia for expects looking to buy property. With choices from small one-bedroom apartments to huge five or six bedroom condominiums, in kuala lumpur, smaller towns or even beach side places like langkawi and sarawak, there’s an apartment for every taste. Prices for apartments and condominiums in malaysia too tend to be cheaper than in thailand and, of course, in singapore and hong kong.

Semi-detached houses – one of the popular types of residential property in malaysia are semi-detached houses. These are two houses built side by side, and connected on one side of the house. Cheaper than detached houses, they still offer a large space, and often huge gardens and back yards. Semi-detached houses do sometimes have ‘noise issues’ as, sharing an adjoining wall; you can often hear your neighbors. If you get noisy ones, this can be a stressor, so make sure you know what you’re letting yourself in for before buying – and check the neighborhood (and next door neighbors!) Carefully.

Bungalows – detached houses, bungalows in malaysia are often designed like a traditional malaysia house. They are usually built in a ‘compound'(basically means a wall surrounds the entire property), so you get a lot more privacy and security. Unlike a typical bungalow in the west, which is only one storey, bungalows in malaysia are technically just the name of a single-family homes and can be one, two or three-storey styles.

Terraced houses – terraced houses are all connected one to another in a row. If you can purchase one at the end of a row, they’re not much different than a semi-detached house but, if you do choose a terraced house, are aware you’ll have two neighbors with homes directly attached to yours. Terraced houses are a cheaper option for buying property in malaysia though. Just make sure they’re built to correct building code and check on fire provisions as, if a fire starts in one unit, it is possible for it to spread through every house on the terrace.

Traditional shop houses – shop houses are a stereotypical asian building and are found in most asian countries. These, again, are a row of terraced houses but with one major difference. The ground floor is usually, or has been, a space where a shop is operated. They’re actually the ‘in thing’ in many asian cities nowadays, with people buying them for the ‘cool’ factor and then renovating them to thoroughly modern and beautiful homes. Malaysia also has many brand new shop houses, already built to the ‘cool’ standard, all over the country that expects can buy. [8]

renting property

It is relatively cheap to rent a house or apartment in malaysia, except in central kuala lumpur where rental prices are higher. A wide range of properties are available, including large detached houses (known as bungalows), semi-detached and terraced houses, and apartments and condominiums. Condominiums are a popular choice among expatriates as they offer good security and a wide range of facilities often including a swimming pool, gymnasium, playground and tennis courts (see currency and cost of living section for typical kl rental prices).

Some of the most popular areas of kuala lumpur for expatriate residence include kenny hills, damansara heights, and the city end of jalan ampang, bukit kiara, ampang, bangsar baru and taman tun dr. Ismail. Given the kl traffic congestion, it is important to choose a location carefully in relation to place of employment and, if needed, an international school.

Furnished, semi-furnished and unfurnished properties are all widely available for rent, and can be found via the real estate agents who are numerous in urban areas and advertise in the local or national press. Some expatriate websites also advertise rental properties in their classifieds sections. One point worthy of note is that unfurnished properties are often completely empty, without even kitchen units or a cooker. Leases are usually drawn up for yearly renewal.

The standard procedure for renting a property entails:

Signing a letter of offer and paying one month rent as an “earnest deposit”.

Within 7 days, paying two months’ rent as a “security deposit”, an amount in the region of rm1000 as a “utility deposit” (for electricity, power etc), stamp duties and disbursements.

Signing and retaining a stamped copy of the tenancy agreement. [9]

Japanese people when rent or look a house they advertise newspaper, internet and many other ways. Here some ways to advertise rent a house in japans:-

4: utilities:

4.1: japan:-

Japanese people use their houses in many utilities. These utilities can help their house in many ways. There are three utilities:-

Heating

Electricity

Security

Heating

Space heating, rather than central heating, is normal in japanese homes. Kerosene, gas, and electric units are common. Dwellings are commonly sold and rented without heating or cooling equipment. Occupants purchase appliances and take them when they move.

The simplest kerosene burner has a tank for fuel, a mantle, and a control dial. Battery-operated electric ignition is a popular step up. The next rank has an electric fan to circulate hot air through the room. Many such units feature computer control of temperature. The computer can also turn them on and off on schedule. Windows in many homes have vents to open to protect the occupants from excessive exhaust gas. Kerosene and gas units have safety features to turn off the fire and cut off the fuel supply when the heater receives a shake, whether from an accident or due to earthquake. These units also usually shut off automatically after two or three hours to prevent carbon monoxide fumes from building up while the resident is sleeping.

Electricity

Japanese dwellings connected to the nation’s power grid have 100 v ac electricity at outlets throughout the home. The line frequency is 50 hz in eastern japan, and 60 hz in the western part of the country. Service of 30 or 50 a is typical. Many domestic appliances operate properly at either frequency. Outlets resemble those formerly used in the united states (see comparison), with two vertical slots. The slots are usually of equal width and many sockets lack earthing capability. Outlets in the kitchen, toilet, and bathroom, as well as those supplied by the ceiling for air-conditioning units do usually have earthing, either in the form of an extra round hole or a covered binding post. Devices designed for use with water, such as clothes washers and heated toilet seats, often have a separate earth wire or earth pin. Adapters are readily available to convert such plugs and so allow their use in all types of sockets.

Lighting equipment, like heaters, is normally the provenance of the occupant. Many homes do not include lights in the living, dining, and bedrooms. Instead, they have receptacles that provide both electrical connection and mechanical support for lighting equipment. There are four common types of ceiling connectors and these will generally also support the weight of the light fitting. Kitchens, bathrooms, corridors and genkan are likely to have built-in ceiling fixtures.

Security

The “interphone”, or intercom, is a common sight in japanese homes. It provides telephone-like connection between the interior and exterior. The doorbell is frequently part of the interphone, and when it rings, the occupant can pick up a handset to talk with the visitor before opening the door. Models with video cameras are available, but a peephole in the door is sufficient for most homes.

In japan the usual custom is for visitors to wait at the gate of the house before entering, and thus in houses the interphone speaker is placed at the gate of the house rather than directly before the front door. Nowadays there is very often an electrical lock on the gate which can be controlled from inside by the home owner, and camera equipped interphones are also common. [11]

4.2: malaysia:-

Malaysian people use their houses in many utilities. These utilities can help their house in many ways. There are three utilities:-

1) electricity

2) gas

3) water

1) electricity in malaysia

The voltage in malaysia is 240v with a frequency of 50 hertz. In rural areas it can sometimes alternate between 220v and 240v.

Malaysia uses the same 3 prong plugs as the uk does. Therefore when traveling to malaysia, take a uk adapter instead of an asia one.

The electricity supply in malaysia is very good. However, be prepared for occasional power cuts.

Electricity bills are received by post and can be paid at a post office or in the office of the electricity supplier.

2) gas and water

The major malaysian gas supplier is gas malaysia sdn. Bhd. However, it only supplies gas in peninsular malaysia. All other regions use bottled gas.

Water supply is not managed by a major supplier but by individual authorities.

3) waste collection and recycling

Household waste is usually collected once a week, whereas the collection is more frequent in the condominiums.

Recycling in malaysia and kuala lumpur is not as advanced as in western states, but it is on its way to improvement. Recycling casks can usually be found in many apartment buildings and condominiums, or if not available, you can bring recycling waste to the nearest recycling centre. So far, only tin cans and plastic bottles are collected for recycling. [12]

5: conclusion:-

Japans and malaysian housing system are different. Japanese house is made of wood but malaysian house is made of bamboo. Japanese house advertise and malaysian house advertise are also different. Japanese people advertise their house for rent and buy, they use internet, magazine. First-home buyers usually visit a few properties before making a final decision .on the other hand, malay people check out the classifieds for available property and people looking to share flats. Japanese utilities are heating, electricity, security but malaysian utilities are electricity, gas, water. Hole of this essay; see that japanese and malaysian housing system is not same.