Nest Building in a Low-Birth Era: A Comparative Analysis of Housing Policies to Support Marriage in Japan and South Korea from a Capabilities Approach

Japan and South Korea have expanded marriage-related housing policies amid dwindling marriages and childbirths. To examine the extent to which these policies are arranged to support marriage, this article adopts the capabilities approach and identifies key dimensions of housing policy that affect individuals’ capabilities to marry. Despite some merits, the cross-national comparison reveals that they fall short of enhancing individuals’ marriage capabilities. This article highlights that these policies have limited accessibility due to a strict age limit in Japan and more complex legal marital, parental, and economic requirements in South Korea. Regarding direct housing provision, this article finds that stocks in Japan are old – far beyond the average lifespan of residential buildings – and those in South Korea are small and offer inadequate living conditions. Regarding financial assistance, this article underlines the unreliability of direct cash transfers in Japan and low mortgage limits relative to actual housing prices in South Korea.