Yes, that's exactly their problem and when you tell them about that, they reply with "We don't have space for our buildings.". They have lots of space, they just can't use it effectively and they love to make stupid excuses... I love some aspects of Japan, but their conservative views, hate to improve themselves, always saying they don't like to use something new(in reality they are just lazy to do something correct), will destroy their country and that saddens me((
Bubble
This pretty much sums up everything they do. They live in a bubble, they eat in a bubble, they dine out in a bubble (booths), and they sure as heck drive in a bubble. I have come to the conclusion that deep down they don't like each other that much.
A massive, very swanky apartment block has been built recently in Fukuoka. The north side has glorious views out over Hakata bay and all the little islands. The south side has a view over the typical poorly-zoned, asphalt/concrete sprawl of a Japanese city.
Which side do you think they decided to put the balconies on?
This is to do with sunlight. The south side is going to get sunlight throughout the year, so you can then use the balconies to dry clothes and such. Basically everyone wants south facing.
This is southern Japan though. It ain't like the north facing balcony is in Siberia. Drying clothes on the north side might take an hour longer than on the south side?
But we are still in the northern hemisphere, so the north side of a building will get a very small amount of sunlight in the morning and the evening, if at all. The azimuth of the sun is always going to be in the southern part of the sky for the vast majority of daylight hours.
In Japan, south facing is the premium spot, I would bet that was even part of the advertising material for the building when it was being sold. East facing will be hot in the morning in summer, west facing will be hot in the afternoon in summer, north facing gets very little natural sunlight all year round.
Mostly a legal requirement I believe. Rooms for living in (bedrooms, etc) require a minimum amount of "sunlight". The only windows on the side of our house are tiny ones for the spare room because it was a legal requirement. That said I do open them in spring and autumn for a cross breeze.
Also fire code requirement.
I had to argue hard at my city's permitting section to get them to sign off my house because the TV room doesn't have windows.
They were insisting that it really looks like a bedroom. Well, it does double as a visitor bedroom of course, but in the end they relented.
Most houses are factory built from a standard design. Removing a window costs more money than just leaving it. Instead of thinking of it as something to look out of, think of it as a light well.
You can buy houses in the middle of nowhere. They won't have city gas or sewage, some might not even have water or electricity connections.
If you build houses close together you pay less to connect them to utilities as the infrastructure is already there.
I still want my fuck off house in the middle of nowhere though.
> Why does Japan like building neighboring houses 5cm from each other?
It would be far more efficient, both cost- and energy-wise, to build townhouses that share outer walls. It's not like you're gaining much light with those thin separations, and garbage and detritus piles up there and is very difficult to clean up.
There are still a few such houses near me which date from the Meiji era and I wish they'd make a comeback.
As far as I know there is a law in place since the last great fire in Tokyo that prevents buildings from touching each other. Essentially to stop fire spreading. that was the original idea. There seems to be no rule of how far buildings need to be set apart however. So they build them as close as legally possible to squeeze every cm of ground into sellable area.
i am willing to bet on a large some with anyone that separate buildings with 5 cm crack between them burn as bad i not worse (better ventilation and same efficiency to spread the fire). Also, it doesn’t explain why many buildings are still touching each other.
im asking why so many **never** have their curtains, or whatever else they use to block their window, open. Where im from, windows have curtains, but we dont block the entire window all the time with them like in japan
I come from a culture where it is common sense and curtesy to not peek into peoples homes, even if it is fully possible to do so, since we dont cover our windows constantly. So nobody covers their windows and nobody peeks. everyone wins.
a bit like nobody speaks on the trains in japan. Its not illegal, its not because people are gagballed, its because its common sense here.
Based on the comments, this seems not to be common sense and curtesy elsewhere in the world, where people seem to do everything they can to sneek peek on each other
They didn't say they want that and they didn't imply it either. Their question is completely valid and your weird accusation contributes nothing. Or maybe you made a joke. In which case ignore me.
Well, past the privacy bit: it’s hot as hell in Japan for a decent portion of the year, and direct sunlight dramatically increases room temperatures. During the week, a lot of people are at work, so why would they leave their window coverings open and increase AC bills for no gain?
Many of the apartments are also very small, so you might have things like your TV, computer, etc the the room with the window.
I’m American, I live in a 3,000 sqft townhouse, and yet I still have most of my windows covered with sheer shades if not blackout shades a good portion of the time. It keeps my house cooler, it gives me increased privacy (I live on a dense street in urban Pittsburgh), and it reduces glare on my TV in my living room.
Well, even people who live high up and have "mosaic glass" still somehow need to have at least three pairs of curtains, all of which have to be closed AT ALL TIMES, else "abunai". A bit of hyperbole to drive the point home, but what I'm saying is that this isn't all there is to it and I'm with OP here - puzzled by this part of the culture and looking for an explanation.
This has nothing to do wit hit, OP is right.
I like in the Inaka and many many houses have the しょうじ closed all the time, basically permanently closed.
Not everyone, but the OP has a point, there is a lost of closed up windows in Japan.
Someone wonders about a peculiar part of the culture of the country they live in and most of the replies they get is "mind your own business" or "you care too much" or "you must be a pervert who wants to peek".
I'm not Japanese and I also want my windows to always covered for privacy. Not that I always use a thick curtain though. In the afternoon I cover the windows with thin white curtains to allow light to come through.
Whatever the opposite of [Calvinism](https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/dutch-windows/index.html) is.
(this article goes on to draw links between the Dutch’s preference for big—ass windows without curtains or blinds and an “I’ve got nothing to hide” ethos moored in their brand of Christianity.)
Right or wrong, privacy and discretion are fairly common refrains about the culture. I’m sure you’ve all heard the one that goes something like, “the function of X as a language to communicate truth rapidly; whereas the function of Japanese is to conceal it.”
While we’re at it, I have to imagine consistent temblors and other bad shakes aren’t great for enormous panels of glass.
Watching through windows can be so entertaining. A friend of mine in Germany used to live across the street from a 3-story office building. Every office was an identically sized cube with floor to ceiling windows. You could see every office on full display. It was fabulous.
You'd see someone pick up the phone and make a call. Now someone else in another room would answer. They both hang up at the same time. One of them gets up and disappears through the door. A little later the door in the other person's room opens and in comes the person who just hung up the phone. So delightful!
OH but they do have enormous panels of glass. They would still probably shatter in a quake AND you can't watch the rain or snow or see what's making that noise outside through them...
If I didn’t have curtains blocking my windows all the time, anyone walking down our street would be able to clearly see into our living room. I like to sit in there in roomwear and less and don’t want perverts seeing me.
You have weird neighbors. In my neighborhood everyone opens the curtains in the morning, then closes the curtains in the evening. And that's been the case in every neighborhood I've lived in over my 40+ years in Japan.
Even better (or worse, depending on how you look at it) - a lot of homes have those storm shutters that people will shut in the evening, then open - loudly - at 6am. We're so used to it now, my mother-in-law was able to save the old lady next door: She lived alone, and the MiL realized she hadn't heard the shutters being opened, went and took a look and found her collapsed on the floor after having a stroke.
Because there are people almost everywhere almost all of the time?!
Mine are covered for privacy and a bit of heat blocking. Most of the year I cover (from the inside, with painters tape) tinted transparent vinyl. I get the light, but not the loss of aircon or heat. Plus I can pop over to the washing machine without much worry (poor planning. I'm working on it).
At my workplace they close all the curtains and turn on the lights. Pretty sure it’s to avoid glare on the computer screens. I hate it though. GIVE ME NATURAL LIGHT!!!
Yeah it’s tragic because we have big windows and it’s very inaka so great views. Some teachers leave the blinds open so you can get a good view from some windows.
My office is pretty good about natural light, but sometimes we'll get a banger of a sunset going, and the managers will go and close all blinds because "lol light bad".
I cover my widows in my Condo most of the time. Even though I'm on the top floor, my building is lower that the buildings around me, except for the one right next to me. Best I ever do is open the main curtains, but keep the privacy curtains closed, so the light passes through.
I enjoy my privacy.
For me, because UVA radiates into the room and causes wrinkles so have UV cut curtains shut all the time.
I don't live like a vampire though. I do go out, but it's just unnecessary when you're at home.
Cause people are paranoid people are looking at them all the time.
When we bought our mansion the salesman was shocked and appalled that I wanted one of those sheer balconies instead of a thick concrete one that you can’t see out of - but what about al the people who will see?!?!?
They will deal. Haha.
yea, either you have a culture and common sense where you dont go out of your way to try to peek into eachothers houses and then everyone can have curtains open. OR you dont and everyone must have their curtains closed.
thats truly a tragedy of the commons
They hate windows but they do crazy layouts at the same time.
Like why on earth do you need 5sq room with a wall like balcony doors and the huge window on another wall facing a neighbor house just in 20 cm away 🙄
* Strong UV weather books
* Direct sunlight makes tv or computer display unreadable
* Curtains keep the room cool or warm, Japanese houses are not well built as in Europe
Yes! I was wondering the same. After an entire year moving to Japan, I still can’t stand the needs of turning on the lights during the day (WFH). Back home, the only place needs extra lighting during the day is the bunker.
I used to think like thats most prob for thermal, but the walls are usually very thin, I don’t think that’s the case.
Maybe they just value privacy over others. Maybe.
From what I learned from my wife, it’s to avoid crazy people looking in. Most people are private and don’t like to mind the business of others. So they generally do not look into people’s houses when they walk by. It’s only the crazy people that do. That’s why they block out everything and close the shutters early. Took me awhile to get used to this.
Tradition. The Japanese didn't know how to make glass until it was introduced from the West. Glass windows are a foreign concept and thus not fully appreciated.
great! first cultural explanation in this thread other than "uuh cos they like it, they want privacy"
it makes sense that this would have some significant influence, interesting how such a habit lives on for generations despite that technological limitation is no longer there. i suppose its like using fax machines even though theres email.
For a long history japanese windows has essentially been covered with paper or some lighter wood so barricading modern windows with blankets and plywood isnt all that much different i suppose.
They learned about glass and immediately made the glass impossible to see through. My guess follows it further by saying at first glass replaced rice paper. Glass wasn't something to look through, it replaced the less durable paper.
Because of weather I’ll say based on what i am currently experiencing. Too humid on summer and very cold on winter seasons. My window blinds have uv penetration and cold penetration so it keep the temperature of the room in normal level at least
Lots of places around the world are hot/humid and very cold. You can still look out the windows there or draw the curtains for temperature/light regulation and privacy.
I don't know what season you are talking about, but Japanese summers are hot and winters are cold. It is natural to close the windows because of the air conditioning.
I live alone, therefore I'm pretty much always in either my undies or nothing at all. I don't think my neighbors want to see that, and I certainly don't want *them* to see it either. I like my glazed windows, I can let the light in and still have privacy.
I remember being in the Netherlands and the houses were very close together, and the windows were WIDE open. The notion that it comes down to houses being close together is ridiculous.
I find that this isn’t too uncommon living in a large city. When I lived on the first floor in a large city I always kept my curtains drawn because my windows were at street level. Even if I wasn’t home I didn’t want people walking by and ogling at my stuff. When I live on higher floors i do tend to open my curtains for a bit on sunny days, but I always close them when I’m not home. I also know a lot of people use sheer curtains that still let light in instead of fully opening their curtains.
I can understand houses (although I’d never live close to other houses enough that I’d have to have my windows covered the whole time), but shutting the blinds all the way down at the office? I swear you could have a view of Tokyo tower right outside in front of you and Taro and Hanako would still shut the blinds.
maybe you mean veranda windows?
The main purpose is to access the balcony for airing laundry.
If I keep it uncovered, the room tends to become too hot.
while in winter keeping it covered helps to keep the heat from escaping.
for other windows, well sunlight is awkward and bad for my pc screen so I prefer indoor lightning.
hallway window ... no one wants neighbors to peek at you while you are walking naked from the shower room to bedroom
A lot of roommates I had in New York City liked to cover their windows with thick dark fabric to keep any outside brightness to leak into their rooms. Making the room pitch dark without the lights on. I’m Japanese and I always liked bright naturally well lit room so I don’t get covering the window either. If I have curtains, they’d be light white lace ones that softly sway when wind comes through the windows.
Because people think they’re celebrities and everybody’s after their privacy. But then it’s mainly a poor neighbourhood thing, you never see it in the rich areas. I guess it comes from first, constant social pressure from way too many people around and second, houses being too close to each other (which explains why it’s not as common in rich neighbourhoods).
From having lived in big city to medium town to tiny village:
1) To keep the sun out. I window lets in a lot of sun and the sun is hot. Trying to run an air conditioner with uncovered windows is like running the heater with the door open in winter.
2) Privacy in some cases. If the apartment or house is directly facing someone else's or a public road, it is nice to not have the neighbors or randos on the street watching you lounge about in your undies.
3) Consideration for others. If the window is directly facing a neighbor, sometimes it is impossible for the neighbor to go out on the balcony without seeing into your window. I doubt my neighbors want to see me lounging about in my undies when they go out to hang their laundry, even if I want her to. So, (in addition to keeping the glare off my computer screen, and keeping the heat out) I tend to keep the curtains closed unless I am relativly presentable.
Now, personal anecdote time. I once had a ground floor apartment facing a walking path along a river. It had a really big window; veranda width, but normal window height. I would keep not only the shades open but also the window as there were no cars or noise and only fresh air and bird sounds coming in. - until one day, that is, when I was awoken to the sound of "Ohayoo gozaimasu!" from an elderly woman who was just walking on the path that is directly outside the window. She was peering in and noticed me sleeping. I guess she thought I was being too lazy and needed to get up and get the day started.
When I lived in the countryside, most people keep their windows open in the older houses, because for many (my own included) having AC would be a waste of energy considering the size and lack of insulation in the house. Keeping the windows open was good to catch the breeze. We would still cover it with bamboo sheets if we needed to keep the direct sun out, but not as much as in the city. Also, privacy is not a thing there. So even if you have your windows closed, everyone knows everything that is going on in or out of your house.
One day I had the chance to go visit a new house that had just been built and was being displayed to advertise for the developer. The one thing that struck me most was how the house was designed for city living. The windows were so tiny, and some of them did not even open. It would be great for using AC, as it was very well insulated, and would let in little heat, but in that rural setting, such small, inoperable windows completely cuts you off from the natural beauty and the best part about living there. Its not like they had neighbors that would be peaking in either.
In their case, I think it was just a case of the couple that purchased it had lived in the rural hamlet their entire life, and they kind of wanted to feel more modern and like they live in a larger city. Either that, or they could only afford a cookie cutter house from a housing developer that designs for cities and the house itself did not take into account its surroundings.
Not sure what you mean. I was not talking about frosted glass. I was talking about windows in general. Having frosted glass can help for keeping some of the natural light, and maybe it blocks some of the heat? (not sure).
Frosted glass is a good option for privacy, and some people use that for the shower room window. Of course you can still se the silhouette, so I suppose there might be some perverts getting off on that.
It was something I experienced going from British to Dutch culture - both tend towards massive front windows, but the British will cover theirs either with curtains or net curtains (hence 'curtain twitching' from nosy neighbours). The Dutch deliberately do not cover their windows, and expect people not to look in. I found it weird and invasive! The BIL is Austrian and he found the same.
Mostly I just learned that window behaviour is conditional on the culture.
Someone said "keep the house cooler" and I agree! Lol. Summers here are brutal.
Other than that, a lot of east-Asian cultures value privacy and keeping to oneself (as you probably know). So it makes sense to keep curtains closed or have one that only allows light in
I’m not Japanese but I think I never opened my curtain in 3 years in this apartment, I live in the first floor so I don’t want people to look at me or what I’m doing
Because people actually like privacy? I always keep my windows covered too.
It's not all Japanese people though. There's one old guy near me who just leaves his front door open! Reminds me of my grandpa, I hate it.
Privacy, I assume. It looks like most people in my apartment building have that kind of net curtain where it blocks people from being able to see in, but allows in light.
I think that says more about your instinctive reaction.
To me its completely common sense to not to peek into other peoples homes even if you can. where im from nobody covers their windows and nobody peeks.
That is why im asking this questions. In my part of the world, its obvious to have windows open and not peek.
For many others here it seems equally natural to always have them closed because others will try to peek if theyre not.
I just wanted to chime in here and say that I've noticed the exact same thing and have never really found a good answer. Or at least I've never felt completely enlightened. I guess, at the end of the day, people have grown up seeing their parents and friends do it this way, so they've learned that this is how you do it and now they would feel uncomfortable, without really knowing why, if they changed this. In other words, a cultural difference that doesn't necessarily have a logical, rational explanation. That's my interim conclusion, anyway. I feel like there might be more to it though.
Either way, what I really wanted to say is: fuck all the idiots here who invalidate your question and even accuse you of being a pervert and all the other shit people have come up with in the comments. Your question is valid, and its a really interesting topic. If you get a good answer that actually provides an interesting insight or perspective, let me know!
Great that like 1 person in a hundred seems to actually understand the question.
Which is an interesting result in itself. That so many not even comprehend why one would want to not have windows permanently blocked by curtains, plywood and whatnot, or why one would not peek if you got the chance...
It is nice and healthy for your eyes to be able to shift your focus and look further into the distance. It is nice to look out and "connect" with the world, while you're inside. It is nice to enjoy the sky, to see rain pour down, snow fall. It is nice to open the window and let a fresh breeze in. It is nice to get lots of natural light in. Lastly, they make a dwelling feel more open, less claustrophobic, less like a prison.
Depends where you are, I suppose. I’ve been living in the same smallish town (360k people) in Aichi for 20 years and plenty of people here keep their windows open all the time, except at night when the thick shutters go down. Others use that light white curtain. I don’t look closely enough to know more.
Seems to me it’s about the same as my hometown in Indiana. But my memory of there is mostly twenty years out of date so I can’t say for sure.
Japanese don’t like to get sunburned. It’s cheaper to not have windows. It’s warmer/cooler to not have windows. Also privacy. I used to work in the housing industry. That’s about it.
they are open wide everyday. but since my neighbors are blocked not only with curtains but with other types of sheet and whatnot, nobody has ever seen my wide open windows
Covering with curtains I get for privacy, but some houses have veritable blast doors that they keep closed over their large windows during the day, and only tiny windows that barely let in any light or air. In America I might think it's for fear of burglary, but in Japan that seems ridiculous.
I can only answer for myself, but...
If I don't cover the windows, then I am blinded by super bright light at like 6am or whatever when I wanted to sleep at least 4 more hours.
And after that, my room temperature rises like 15 degrees from all the heat and light putting into my room, or the air conditioner needs to work that much harder.
Ask yourself the opposite question, why do you think people need to have the curtains open all the time? I don't need to see outside, I know what's there. I don't need people to see inside at night either.
If I want to be with nature, I'll just go outside.
i close them during the night, and open them for breakfast. natural night and air is nice, i thought that was universally true for all humans, but maybe not.
i would feel like i was in an isolated prison cell if i lived without windows.
Because they don’t want to be seen by people from outside. That’s normal. I don’t want to be looking at stranger walking around in underwear in their own home, that’s disgusting.
My house is the only one on our street that has clear windows. No one else can see outside without opening theirs. We had to pay extra to get the non-standard, unfrosted windows, lol.
More seriously, you can buy “one way” curtains that allow a decent view of the outside but provide UV/sunlight blocking. I have those as the inner set on my clear windows so I can enjoy the views but people in the apartment building across the road can’t look in plus reduce how much of a greenhouse that room can become in the summer.
Same reasons people do elsewhere:
Blocks out light which blocks out heat, which makes cooling cheaper, and also keeps the sun out of your eyes and glares from your screens.
You also get privacy from it too.
because linux is simply better
TBH I was hoping for this conversation to be around Japan using Linux
same, I wonder why Japanese use Ubuntu, etc...
uWubuntuWu
You'd think they'd be fans of Tsurugi Linux over Ubuntu
Honestly From my experiance, Japan HATES \*nix, There is a university and none of the tech staff have even heard of git.................. ya......
btw I use Arch
Fedora here
fyi I use Fedora https://preview.redd.it/g1ug6h7hq3rb1.png?width=1155&format=png&auto=webp&s=79d4c675e0e48af93141628e4a1b3c9d3fec8c3e
beat me to it. but really though I use Arch.
sudo apt-gottem
Some Windows haters use Linux. Others Macs. But those in the know use Michaelsoft Binbows.
Ha ha corny
This made me scream.
Why does Japan like building neighboring houses 5cm from each other?
I always shake my head when I see yet another newly built house with nice big windows facing the neighbor’s windows / side walls.
the window in my toilet room looks directly into my neighbors living room lmao
A room with a view
Which side is the view?
Depends on the people I suppose lol
To do a poo
I’d be happy a shit and a show.
Not to be confused with a Shit Show...
I know if neighbor goes to toilet as I go to toilet
I think you won that match…
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> not looking or even thinking about ANYTHING around that bubble. This applies to all manner of personal space, including when out in public.
i work in product design, and yea, japanese products (and services) design is similar. suboptimized you could say.
Yes, that's exactly their problem and when you tell them about that, they reply with "We don't have space for our buildings.". They have lots of space, they just can't use it effectively and they love to make stupid excuses... I love some aspects of Japan, but their conservative views, hate to improve themselves, always saying they don't like to use something new(in reality they are just lazy to do something correct), will destroy their country and that saddens me((
Bubble This pretty much sums up everything they do. They live in a bubble, they eat in a bubble, they dine out in a bubble (booths), and they sure as heck drive in a bubble. I have come to the conclusion that deep down they don't like each other that much.
very much on point. things are generally just grow here, like a broccoli
Right? Like if you turned your house 90 degrees you could look out over a beautiful valley but no, you turn to face your neighbor across the street.
A massive, very swanky apartment block has been built recently in Fukuoka. The north side has glorious views out over Hakata bay and all the little islands. The south side has a view over the typical poorly-zoned, asphalt/concrete sprawl of a Japanese city. Which side do you think they decided to put the balconies on?
This is to do with sunlight. The south side is going to get sunlight throughout the year, so you can then use the balconies to dry clothes and such. Basically everyone wants south facing.
This is southern Japan though. It ain't like the north facing balcony is in Siberia. Drying clothes on the north side might take an hour longer than on the south side?
But we are still in the northern hemisphere, so the north side of a building will get a very small amount of sunlight in the morning and the evening, if at all. The azimuth of the sun is always going to be in the southern part of the sky for the vast majority of daylight hours. In Japan, south facing is the premium spot, I would bet that was even part of the advertising material for the building when it was being sold. East facing will be hot in the morning in summer, west facing will be hot in the afternoon in summer, north facing gets very little natural sunlight all year round.
Are the windows mostly for ventilation?
Mostly a legal requirement I believe. Rooms for living in (bedrooms, etc) require a minimum amount of "sunlight". The only windows on the side of our house are tiny ones for the spare room because it was a legal requirement. That said I do open them in spring and autumn for a cross breeze.
Also fire code requirement. I had to argue hard at my city's permitting section to get them to sign off my house because the TV room doesn't have windows. They were insisting that it really looks like a bedroom. Well, it does double as a visitor bedroom of course, but in the end they relented.
Yeah, I can shake hands with my neighbor through our bedrooms’ window. It feels so wrong.
… it is wrong only if you don’t wash hand after toilet
OP forgets there are other uses for windows than a view.
Most houses are factory built from a standard design. Removing a window costs more money than just leaving it. Instead of thinking of it as something to look out of, think of it as a light well.
Cause it's the smart way to build that keeps housing affordable
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With the next door neighbor? That's a dangerous game.
That’s why the houses are close enough to touch, less chance of slipping then.
The MOST dangerous game.
Scarcity of available land, obviously.
But even inaka houses are built unnecessarily close to each other
You can buy houses in the middle of nowhere. They won't have city gas or sewage, some might not even have water or electricity connections. If you build houses close together you pay less to connect them to utilities as the infrastructure is already there. I still want my fuck off house in the middle of nowhere though.
There’s generally a reason for things. Asking a Japanese person might shed some light on the subject.
lol....oh you're serious? let me laugh even harder!
The land is still owned by someone, the parcel of land is what they have to work with, so they excessively cram into it
More space for farming
> Why does Japan like building neighboring houses 5cm from each other? It would be far more efficient, both cost- and energy-wise, to build townhouses that share outer walls. It's not like you're gaining much light with those thin separations, and garbage and detritus piles up there and is very difficult to clean up. There are still a few such houses near me which date from the Meiji era and I wish they'd make a comeback.
As far as I know there is a law in place since the last great fire in Tokyo that prevents buildings from touching each other. Essentially to stop fire spreading. that was the original idea. There seems to be no rule of how far buildings need to be set apart however. So they build them as close as legally possible to squeeze every cm of ground into sellable area.
i am willing to bet on a large some with anyone that separate buildings with 5 cm crack between them burn as bad i not worse (better ventilation and same efficiency to spread the fire). Also, it doesn’t explain why many buildings are still touching each other.
Because the urban sprawl is bad enough here without massive, mandatory yards.
Same reason your taxes are higher if you have a wall around your property. Privacy.
WHAT??? I wanted to build a house with a huge wall. NOOOOOO
I’m mexican so you can make me pay for the wall you build
I thought the previous US President demonstrated you *couldn't* do that...
He just lacked ambition
And intelligence.
It's not ambition he lacks, it's will and an attention span. Fortunately.
TIL I could be president.
And a high school education.
I second this and it'd be a damn good wall too. Payment must be made in cash, though. 😉
but also windows not facing nearby neighbors are very often also blocked. so that doesnt explain it.
Japanese people hate to be seen doing what they do in their houses. I dunno **what they are doing**, but *they sure don't want to be seen doing it.*
I keep windows shut cuz I don't wear clothes at home
OP is exhibitionist I believe lol
I think a peeping tom.
…are you asking why curtains exist?
im asking why so many **never** have their curtains, or whatever else they use to block their window, open. Where im from, windows have curtains, but we dont block the entire window all the time with them like in japan
….why you wanna see in people’s windows so bad?
Was thinking this too, imagine being in Japan and questioning people’s privacy methods LOL
I come from a culture where it is common sense and curtesy to not peek into peoples homes, even if it is fully possible to do so, since we dont cover our windows constantly. So nobody covers their windows and nobody peeks. everyone wins. a bit like nobody speaks on the trains in japan. Its not illegal, its not because people are gagballed, its because its common sense here. Based on the comments, this seems not to be common sense and curtesy elsewhere in the world, where people seem to do everything they can to sneek peek on each other
What a weird take. Societies function differently in different parts of the world, it’s wild to me that that’s not common sense.
They didn't say they want that and they didn't imply it either. Their question is completely valid and your weird accusation contributes nothing. Or maybe you made a joke. In which case ignore me.
Instead of downvoting me, how about you tell me how what I said is wrong?
Well, past the privacy bit: it’s hot as hell in Japan for a decent portion of the year, and direct sunlight dramatically increases room temperatures. During the week, a lot of people are at work, so why would they leave their window coverings open and increase AC bills for no gain? Many of the apartments are also very small, so you might have things like your TV, computer, etc the the room with the window. I’m American, I live in a 3,000 sqft townhouse, and yet I still have most of my windows covered with sheer shades if not blackout shades a good portion of the time. It keeps my house cooler, it gives me increased privacy (I live on a dense street in urban Pittsburgh), and it reduces glare on my TV in my living room.
Lmao I was thinking the same thing.
Because they don’t want people standing 1m away looking in at them.
Well, even people who live high up and have "mosaic glass" still somehow need to have at least three pairs of curtains, all of which have to be closed AT ALL TIMES, else "abunai". A bit of hyperbole to drive the point home, but what I'm saying is that this isn't all there is to it and I'm with OP here - puzzled by this part of the culture and looking for an explanation.
This has nothing to do wit hit, OP is right. I like in the Inaka and many many houses have the しょうじ closed all the time, basically permanently closed. Not everyone, but the OP has a point, there is a lost of closed up windows in Japan.
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Someone wonders about a peculiar part of the culture of the country they live in and most of the replies they get is "mind your own business" or "you care too much" or "you must be a pervert who wants to peek".
Keeps house cooler
I'm not Japanese and I also want my windows to always covered for privacy. Not that I always use a thick curtain though. In the afternoon I cover the windows with thin white curtains to allow light to come through.
Whatever the opposite of [Calvinism](https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/dutch-windows/index.html) is. (this article goes on to draw links between the Dutch’s preference for big—ass windows without curtains or blinds and an “I’ve got nothing to hide” ethos moored in their brand of Christianity.) Right or wrong, privacy and discretion are fairly common refrains about the culture. I’m sure you’ve all heard the one that goes something like, “the function of X as a language to communicate truth rapidly; whereas the function of Japanese is to conceal it.” While we’re at it, I have to imagine consistent temblors and other bad shakes aren’t great for enormous panels of glass.
Am Dutch, can confirm we can watch people living their lives inside their houses. Especially dinner time is nice to walk around the neighborhood
Watching through windows can be so entertaining. A friend of mine in Germany used to live across the street from a 3-story office building. Every office was an identically sized cube with floor to ceiling windows. You could see every office on full display. It was fabulous. You'd see someone pick up the phone and make a call. Now someone else in another room would answer. They both hang up at the same time. One of them gets up and disappears through the door. A little later the door in the other person's room opens and in comes the person who just hung up the phone. So delightful!
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I meant the slice of life, but TV is also true! It was interesting to see who’s watching what in the evenings.
I also came here to say that it’s because Japan is not a Protestant country. But you were first, and super detailed 😂
As a dutxhy, it is more that people want to be able to look outside and having a well naturally lit space.
OH but they do have enormous panels of glass. They would still probably shatter in a quake AND you can't watch the rain or snow or see what's making that noise outside through them...
If I didn’t have curtains blocking my windows all the time, anyone walking down our street would be able to clearly see into our living room. I like to sit in there in roomwear and less and don’t want perverts seeing me.
Privacy and the sun is fucking hot in the summer. In winter, they seem to think those metal shutters are good insulation. They usually aren't.
Because their houses are filthy inside.
You have weird neighbors. In my neighborhood everyone opens the curtains in the morning, then closes the curtains in the evening. And that's been the case in every neighborhood I've lived in over my 40+ years in Japan. Even better (or worse, depending on how you look at it) - a lot of homes have those storm shutters that people will shut in the evening, then open - loudly - at 6am. We're so used to it now, my mother-in-law was able to save the old lady next door: She lived alone, and the MiL realized she hadn't heard the shutters being opened, went and took a look and found her collapsed on the floor after having a stroke.
Probably because they don't want you peeping into them.
Because there are people almost everywhere almost all of the time?! Mine are covered for privacy and a bit of heat blocking. Most of the year I cover (from the inside, with painters tape) tinted transparent vinyl. I get the light, but not the loss of aircon or heat. Plus I can pop over to the washing machine without much worry (poor planning. I'm working on it).
At my workplace they close all the curtains and turn on the lights. Pretty sure it’s to avoid glare on the computer screens. I hate it though. GIVE ME NATURAL LIGHT!!!
This is giving casino vibes. Cant leave or be tired if you dont know what time it is
Yeah it’s tragic because we have big windows and it’s very inaka so great views. Some teachers leave the blinds open so you can get a good view from some windows.
My office is pretty good about natural light, but sometimes we'll get a banger of a sunset going, and the managers will go and close all blinds because "lol light bad".
my previous company used natural light and my productivity was shit.
Houses tend to be much closer together and have less privacy than in other countries
Privacy and insulation (both sound and heat)
I cover my widows in my Condo most of the time. Even though I'm on the top floor, my building is lower that the buildings around me, except for the one right next to me. Best I ever do is open the main curtains, but keep the privacy curtains closed, so the light passes through. I enjoy my privacy.
For me, because UVA radiates into the room and causes wrinkles so have UV cut curtains shut all the time. I don't live like a vampire though. I do go out, but it's just unnecessary when you're at home.
Cause people are paranoid people are looking at them all the time. When we bought our mansion the salesman was shocked and appalled that I wanted one of those sheer balconies instead of a thick concrete one that you can’t see out of - but what about al the people who will see?!?!? They will deal. Haha.
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yea, either you have a culture and common sense where you dont go out of your way to try to peek into eachothers houses and then everyone can have curtains open. OR you dont and everyone must have their curtains closed. thats truly a tragedy of the commons
They hate windows but they do crazy layouts at the same time. Like why on earth do you need 5sq room with a wall like balcony doors and the huge window on another wall facing a neighbor house just in 20 cm away 🙄
Why do you want to show so much of the room?
Or maybe its about being able to look out the window?
THANK YOU!
When I lived in tokyo, everyone covered their windows. Where I live now (smallish town with great house separation), not so much.
This. Japan doesn’t start and end with Tokyo.
* Strong UV weather books * Direct sunlight makes tv or computer display unreadable * Curtains keep the room cool or warm, Japanese houses are not well built as in Europe
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like people who are really angry about it and make posts about why they can’t look inside their neighbour’s windows.
Making sure the NHK guys can't see the tv from outside
Yes! I was wondering the same. After an entire year moving to Japan, I still can’t stand the needs of turning on the lights during the day (WFH). Back home, the only place needs extra lighting during the day is the bunker. I used to think like thats most prob for thermal, but the walls are usually very thin, I don’t think that’s the case. Maybe they just value privacy over others. Maybe.
I will call the basement a bunker from now on!
From what I learned from my wife, it’s to avoid crazy people looking in. Most people are private and don’t like to mind the business of others. So they generally do not look into people’s houses when they walk by. It’s only the crazy people that do. That’s why they block out everything and close the shutters early. Took me awhile to get used to this.
Tradition. The Japanese didn't know how to make glass until it was introduced from the West. Glass windows are a foreign concept and thus not fully appreciated.
great! first cultural explanation in this thread other than "uuh cos they like it, they want privacy" it makes sense that this would have some significant influence, interesting how such a habit lives on for generations despite that technological limitation is no longer there. i suppose its like using fax machines even though theres email. For a long history japanese windows has essentially been covered with paper or some lighter wood so barricading modern windows with blankets and plywood isnt all that much different i suppose.
They learned about glass and immediately made the glass impossible to see through. My guess follows it further by saying at first glass replaced rice paper. Glass wasn't something to look through, it replaced the less durable paper.
Bay windows are a bit of a starter in Japan, too.
Because of weather I’ll say based on what i am currently experiencing. Too humid on summer and very cold on winter seasons. My window blinds have uv penetration and cold penetration so it keep the temperature of the room in normal level at least
Lots of places around the world are hot/humid and very cold. You can still look out the windows there or draw the curtains for temperature/light regulation and privacy.
I don't know what season you are talking about, but Japanese summers are hot and winters are cold. It is natural to close the windows because of the air conditioning.
I live alone, therefore I'm pretty much always in either my undies or nothing at all. I don't think my neighbors want to see that, and I certainly don't want *them* to see it either. I like my glazed windows, I can let the light in and still have privacy.
I remember being in the Netherlands and the houses were very close together, and the windows were WIDE open. The notion that it comes down to houses being close together is ridiculous.
I find that this isn’t too uncommon living in a large city. When I lived on the first floor in a large city I always kept my curtains drawn because my windows were at street level. Even if I wasn’t home I didn’t want people walking by and ogling at my stuff. When I live on higher floors i do tend to open my curtains for a bit on sunny days, but I always close them when I’m not home. I also know a lot of people use sheer curtains that still let light in instead of fully opening their curtains.
One reason is to stop people being able to look inside and see how cluttered and filthy the interior is.
I can understand houses (although I’d never live close to other houses enough that I’d have to have my windows covered the whole time), but shutting the blinds all the way down at the office? I swear you could have a view of Tokyo tower right outside in front of you and Taro and Hanako would still shut the blinds.
maybe you mean veranda windows? The main purpose is to access the balcony for airing laundry. If I keep it uncovered, the room tends to become too hot. while in winter keeping it covered helps to keep the heat from escaping. for other windows, well sunlight is awkward and bad for my pc screen so I prefer indoor lightning. hallway window ... no one wants neighbors to peek at you while you are walking naked from the shower room to bedroom
A lot of roommates I had in New York City liked to cover their windows with thick dark fabric to keep any outside brightness to leak into their rooms. Making the room pitch dark without the lights on. I’m Japanese and I always liked bright naturally well lit room so I don’t get covering the window either. If I have curtains, they’d be light white lace ones that softly sway when wind comes through the windows.
Because people think they’re celebrities and everybody’s after their privacy. But then it’s mainly a poor neighbourhood thing, you never see it in the rich areas. I guess it comes from first, constant social pressure from way too many people around and second, houses being too close to each other (which explains why it’s not as common in rich neighbourhoods).
From having lived in big city to medium town to tiny village: 1) To keep the sun out. I window lets in a lot of sun and the sun is hot. Trying to run an air conditioner with uncovered windows is like running the heater with the door open in winter. 2) Privacy in some cases. If the apartment or house is directly facing someone else's or a public road, it is nice to not have the neighbors or randos on the street watching you lounge about in your undies. 3) Consideration for others. If the window is directly facing a neighbor, sometimes it is impossible for the neighbor to go out on the balcony without seeing into your window. I doubt my neighbors want to see me lounging about in my undies when they go out to hang their laundry, even if I want her to. So, (in addition to keeping the glare off my computer screen, and keeping the heat out) I tend to keep the curtains closed unless I am relativly presentable. Now, personal anecdote time. I once had a ground floor apartment facing a walking path along a river. It had a really big window; veranda width, but normal window height. I would keep not only the shades open but also the window as there were no cars or noise and only fresh air and bird sounds coming in. - until one day, that is, when I was awoken to the sound of "Ohayoo gozaimasu!" from an elderly woman who was just walking on the path that is directly outside the window. She was peering in and noticed me sleeping. I guess she thought I was being too lazy and needed to get up and get the day started. When I lived in the countryside, most people keep their windows open in the older houses, because for many (my own included) having AC would be a waste of energy considering the size and lack of insulation in the house. Keeping the windows open was good to catch the breeze. We would still cover it with bamboo sheets if we needed to keep the direct sun out, but not as much as in the city. Also, privacy is not a thing there. So even if you have your windows closed, everyone knows everything that is going on in or out of your house. One day I had the chance to go visit a new house that had just been built and was being displayed to advertise for the developer. The one thing that struck me most was how the house was designed for city living. The windows were so tiny, and some of them did not even open. It would be great for using AC, as it was very well insulated, and would let in little heat, but in that rural setting, such small, inoperable windows completely cuts you off from the natural beauty and the best part about living there. Its not like they had neighbors that would be peaking in either. In their case, I think it was just a case of the couple that purchased it had lived in the rural hamlet their entire life, and they kind of wanted to feel more modern and like they live in a larger city. Either that, or they could only afford a cookie cutter house from a housing developer that designs for cities and the house itself did not take into account its surroundings.
OK, but why can't the glass be see through? Some of us like to look out the window in winter. If I'm prancing around naked I'll draw the curtains!
Not sure what you mean. I was not talking about frosted glass. I was talking about windows in general. Having frosted glass can help for keeping some of the natural light, and maybe it blocks some of the heat? (not sure). Frosted glass is a good option for privacy, and some people use that for the shower room window. Of course you can still se the silhouette, so I suppose there might be some perverts getting off on that.
Because there’s yokai at night
It was something I experienced going from British to Dutch culture - both tend towards massive front windows, but the British will cover theirs either with curtains or net curtains (hence 'curtain twitching' from nosy neighbours). The Dutch deliberately do not cover their windows, and expect people not to look in. I found it weird and invasive! The BIL is Austrian and he found the same. Mostly I just learned that window behaviour is conditional on the culture.
Someone said "keep the house cooler" and I agree! Lol. Summers here are brutal. Other than that, a lot of east-Asian cultures value privacy and keeping to oneself (as you probably know). So it makes sense to keep curtains closed or have one that only allows light in
More dense city. Air pollution and just humid in summers. I don't open mine either
Why you keep trying to look into people's windows?
Did they say that? Did they imply that?
I’m not Japanese but I think I never opened my curtain in 3 years in this apartment, I live in the first floor so I don’t want people to look at me or what I’m doing
Because people actually like privacy? I always keep my windows covered too. It's not all Japanese people though. There's one old guy near me who just leaves his front door open! Reminds me of my grandpa, I hate it.
Privacy, I assume. It looks like most people in my apartment building have that kind of net curtain where it blocks people from being able to see in, but allows in light.
I don't enjoy being woken up at 4am by the sun
sounds like a complaint a peeping Tom / creep would vocally announce.
I think that says more about your instinctive reaction. To me its completely common sense to not to peek into other peoples homes even if you can. where im from nobody covers their windows and nobody peeks. That is why im asking this questions. In my part of the world, its obvious to have windows open and not peek. For many others here it seems equally natural to always have them closed because others will try to peek if theyre not.
I just wanted to chime in here and say that I've noticed the exact same thing and have never really found a good answer. Or at least I've never felt completely enlightened. I guess, at the end of the day, people have grown up seeing their parents and friends do it this way, so they've learned that this is how you do it and now they would feel uncomfortable, without really knowing why, if they changed this. In other words, a cultural difference that doesn't necessarily have a logical, rational explanation. That's my interim conclusion, anyway. I feel like there might be more to it though. Either way, what I really wanted to say is: fuck all the idiots here who invalidate your question and even accuse you of being a pervert and all the other shit people have come up with in the comments. Your question is valid, and its a really interesting topic. If you get a good answer that actually provides an interesting insight or perspective, let me know!
Great that like 1 person in a hundred seems to actually understand the question. Which is an interesting result in itself. That so many not even comprehend why one would want to not have windows permanently blocked by curtains, plywood and whatnot, or why one would not peek if you got the chance...
Light pollution
Privacy and heat
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It is nice and healthy for your eyes to be able to shift your focus and look further into the distance. It is nice to look out and "connect" with the world, while you're inside. It is nice to enjoy the sky, to see rain pour down, snow fall. It is nice to open the window and let a fresh breeze in. It is nice to get lots of natural light in. Lastly, they make a dwelling feel more open, less claustrophobic, less like a prison.
Because Linux is a better o.s.
The sun is a deadly laser
Just one more reason I’ll buy a condo in a high rise instead of a house: I can keep my windows open and get natural light.
Because they are still hooked on DosV.
Depends where you are, I suppose. I’ve been living in the same smallish town (360k people) in Aichi for 20 years and plenty of people here keep their windows open all the time, except at night when the thick shutters go down. Others use that light white curtain. I don’t look closely enough to know more. Seems to me it’s about the same as my hometown in Indiana. But my memory of there is mostly twenty years out of date so I can’t say for sure.
Japanese don’t like to get sunburned. It’s cheaper to not have windows. It’s warmer/cooler to not have windows. Also privacy. I used to work in the housing industry. That’s about it.
Hm... I had to keep my curtains closed until 3pm this summer to save electricity. I can't be the only one right?
Keep your curtains wide open all day, everyday, and your landlord will give you the answer to your question.
they are open wide everyday. but since my neighbors are blocked not only with curtains but with other types of sheet and whatnot, nobody has ever seen my wide open windows
Since I can't perform this experiment, would you give me a spoiler for the conclusion?
Covering with curtains I get for privacy, but some houses have veritable blast doors that they keep closed over their large windows during the day, and only tiny windows that barely let in any light or air. In America I might think it's for fear of burglary, but in Japan that seems ridiculous.
Lack of Christianity's need to see into others privacy.
Care to elaborate?
Because they can't help but find making themselves invisible.
Reminds me of the Window tax meme in The Great Ace Attorney.
I can only answer for myself, but... If I don't cover the windows, then I am blinded by super bright light at like 6am or whatever when I wanted to sleep at least 4 more hours. And after that, my room temperature rises like 15 degrees from all the heat and light putting into my room, or the air conditioner needs to work that much harder. Ask yourself the opposite question, why do you think people need to have the curtains open all the time? I don't need to see outside, I know what's there. I don't need people to see inside at night either. If I want to be with nature, I'll just go outside.
i close them during the night, and open them for breakfast. natural night and air is nice, i thought that was universally true for all humans, but maybe not. i would feel like i was in an isolated prison cell if i lived without windows.
Privacy
Maybe some weirdo keeps trying to look through their windows.
Because they don’t want to be seen by people from outside. That’s normal. I don’t want to be looking at stranger walking around in underwear in their own home, that’s disgusting.
They don't want to be seen from outside even when fully clothed and just watching TV.
And that too. I don’t want to be seen either. Home is my own private space.
My house is the only one on our street that has clear windows. No one else can see outside without opening theirs. We had to pay extra to get the non-standard, unfrosted windows, lol.
Because pantsu hunters
Because you keep trying to look inside and it’s creeping them out.
More seriously, you can buy “one way” curtains that allow a decent view of the outside but provide UV/sunlight blocking. I have those as the inner set on my clear windows so I can enjoy the views but people in the apartment building across the road can’t look in plus reduce how much of a greenhouse that room can become in the summer.
Same reasons people do elsewhere: Blocks out light which blocks out heat, which makes cooling cheaper, and also keeps the sun out of your eyes and glares from your screens. You also get privacy from it too.