Thesis Title: Echo Boomer Demographics: Housing in Japan and Environmental Perceptions of Consumers
Abstract: Demographic trends and population density drastically affect many aspects of a country’s economy and social structure. In Japan, the trend is one of population decline, with large cohorts of citizens in two main segments termed the Baby Boomer and the Echo Boomer Generations.
The purpose of this research is to explore opportunities for imported wood products and to assess perceptions towards environmental issues pertaining to the residential housing market among the demographic segment in Japan known as the baby boomer echo cohort. This cohort is made up of the children of the baby boomers who are now between 26 and 41 years of age and currently comprise 13% of the Japanese population.
Many of these consumers are currently entering the residential housing market and are looking to create and live in urban homes with their newly formed families. This major step by a large cohort is important for Canadian wood producers as Japan is the primary off-shore market for its wood products, the primary construction materials for homes in Japan. It is critical to observe the behaviours of this sizeable segment in order to predict future trends for housing in urban Japan.
Co-Supervisor: Dr. David Cohen
Current Position: Research Contractor, FPInnovations (Forintek), Vancouver, BC, Canada