Survey on Awareness of Conditions Allowing Rebuilding in Urbanization Control Areas

Urbanization control areas are, in principle, zones where houses cannot be built. In fact, however, rebuilding may be possible if certain conditions are met. These conditions are highly complex and not widely known, leaving many people unaware of possible rebuilding options and unsure whom to consult, causing them to give up on selling or utilizing their properties. Dream Planning Co., Ltd. of Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, represented by Tatsuhito Takahashi, conducted a survey through URUHOME, its real estate problem-solving website, asking 353 people interested in real estate whether they knew the conditions under which rebuilding is possible in urbanization control areas. The survey was conducted from February 21 to March 16, 2026. Respondents consisted of 199 men, about 56%, and 154 women, about 44%. By age group, people in their 40s accounted for the largest share at 35.1%, followed by those in their 30s at 28.3%. The results showed an overwhelming lack of knowledge about exceptional conditions that may allow rebuilding in urbanization control areas. The most common response was “I know almost nothing,” selected by 171 respondents, or 48.4%. This was followed by “I understand that construction is difficult,” selected by 73 respondents, or 20.7%, and “I did not even know the term urbanization control area,” selected by 49 respondents, or 13.9%. Other responses included “I know farmers may be allowed to build” at 12.7%, “I know it may be possible on former existing residential land” at 9.9%, “I understand that land-use changes are difficult, but construction may be possible if the use can be changed” at 7.4%, “I know construction may be possible if the site meets local government development permit standards” at 7.1%, “I know construction may be possible if it falls under Article 34 of the City Planning Act” at 4.2%, “I believe no buildings can be built at all” at 2.3%, and “I know logistics facilities may be allowed depending on the location” at 1.4%. The total number of answers was 452 from 353 respondents. The results suggest that the negative image that houses generally cannot be built has spread widely, while opportunities to learn about exceptional relief measures remain limited. As a result, owners may keep, inherit, sell, or abandon properties without recognizing their potential asset value. Respondents who chose “I know almost nothing” said they first learned about the topic through the survey, while some commented that if rebuilding is possible under certain conditions, the land should be put to effective use. Those who said they knew construction was difficult had heard of exceptions such as former existing residential land, branch-family housing for farmers, or locations where buildings had long existed, but felt that systems and municipal requirements were too complicated to judge without expert advice. Some also said they had already given up because administrative procedures seemed difficult. Respondents who had never heard the term urbanization control area described it as specialized terminology rarely encountered without involvement in real estate. If such restricted land were suddenly inherited, affected people could easily become confused and unable to make appropriate decisions. Those who knew farmers may be allowed to build tended to view it as a special privilege for agricultural workers, rather than as a route for ordinary people to establish a residence. Those who knew former existing residential land may be eligible understood that exceptions could apply to sites with existing buildings, but still found the detailed conditions and application process difficult for non-experts. The survey concludes that about half of respondents know almost nothing about conditions for rebuilding in urbanization control areas, showing that information on the topic has not been sufficiently disseminated. Dream Planning says it will continue conducting and publishing surveys from various real estate perspectives. URUHOME is a website that provides columns and consultations on difficult-to-sell niche real estate, often referred to in Japan as negative-value property, and also offers free appraisals and sales consultations. Dream Planning is a real estate company whose mission is to solve all kinds of real estate problems and pursue people’s happiness and satisfaction. It operates an empty-house matching site and real estate SNS called UCHIKATSU, and buys and resells special difficult-to-sell properties throughout Japan.