Nippon Steel Kowa Real Estate, SANU, and JDSC Commence Joint Research on Multi-Local Living and Well-being

Nippon Steel Kowa Real Estate Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Masahiro Miwa; hereinafter "Nippon Steel Kowa Real Estate"), through its comprehensive research institute "Future Style Research Institute," along with SANU Inc. (Head Office: Meguro-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Gen Fukushima; hereinafter "SANU"), and JDSC Inc. (Head Office: Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo; Representative Directors: Elutes Satoshi Kato / Asuka Sato; hereinafter "JDSC"), have embarked on a joint research project to scientifically elucidate the impact of multi-local living, which involves moving between urban and natural environments, on well-being.

We are now releasing the analysis results of an initial survey conducted among 196 SANU 2nd Home members and 218 non-members. The analysis suggests that practitioners of multi-local living tend to have higher expectations for well-being compared to non-practitioners. Furthermore, stays at nature-based locations indicated a tendency for increased fulfillment not only in relaxation and nature experience but also in cognitive aspects such as concentration and introspection. It should be noted that this survey is a preliminary analysis, and the determination of causal relationships will be verified in future phases (combining biological indicators and behavioral data).

Background and Research Objectives

Amidst increasing flexibility in work styles and diversification of values, the lives of urban residents are expanding from single-location living to multiple locations. A survey by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (※1) shows that approximately 30% of urban residents are interested in dual-residence living, indicating the spread of multi-local living as a new lifestyle. However, research that structurally captures its psychological and physiological effects has not been sufficiently systematized domestically or internationally. This research aims to re-evaluate the changes in lifestyle not merely at the individual experience level but as a social structure, with the goal of creating knowledge that contributes to next-generation living environments and lifestyles.

Survey Outline

Survey Method
Online questionnaire

Participants
196 SANU 2nd Home members, 218 non-members

Implementation Period
December 2025

Main Survey Items
Values related to well-being, time deemed important, mental and physical state at home and at lodging facilities, and primary experiences related to multi-local living.

Statistical Methods
Mann-Whitney U test (*p<0.05; p<0.01; *p<001)

Notes
This survey is a preliminary first-stage investigation and its results should be interpreted as suggestions. The determination of causal relationships will be verified in future phases (e.g., combining biological indicators and behavioral data). For SANU 2nd Home members, "lodging facilities" refers to SANU 2nd Home facilities; for non-members, it refers to hotels, ryokans, etc.

Main Implications from Initial Analysis

1. SANU 2nd Home members show a higher tendency for expectations related to well-being-contributing time.

While both groups commonly showed a tendency to prioritize "time related to well-being," focusing on the percentage who responded "extremely important," it became clear that SANU 2nd Home members showed higher values in many items compared to non-members (see Figure 1). Specifically, high levels of expectation were confirmed for items related to "deep relaxation," "deep joy," "interpersonal relationships," "immersion in enjoyable activities," "enjoying hobbies/leisure," "feeling freedom," and "experiencing nature."

Note: For each item, the percentage who responded "extremely important" was compared between SANU 2nd Home members and non-members. In the inter-group comparison, statistically significant differences were confirmed for multiple items (using the chi-squared test, significance levels of p < 0.05, p < 0.01, p < 0.001).

2. Different well-being fulfillment structures were observed between home and lodging facilities.

At lodging facilities, SANU 2nd Home members showed a tendency toward higher fulfillment compared to non-members in items such as "deep relaxation," "experiencing nature," "feeling freedom," "concentration on work or study," and "introspection/insight."

Conversely, at home, non-members showed a tendency toward higher fulfillment in most of the above items. Notably, "concentration on work or study" was the only item where SANU 2nd Home members showed a tendency toward higher fulfillment than non-members at home.

The lodging facilities demonstrated fulfillment not only in restorative elements but also in cognitive aspects like "concentration" and "introspection/insight," suggesting that distancing oneself from urban life may be involved in state changes accompanied by attention switching and self-regulation. At the same time, the existence of a segment that perceives these same items as being fulfilled at home was also confirmed.

Implications from This Result

This survey is the first step in structurally understanding the impact of multi-local living on the mind and body.

What emerged from the initial analysis was the importance of interpreting "multi-local living" not merely as a matter of location, but from both aspects: "where one is" and "what one values."

For urban dwellers with a high awareness of well-being, relaxing in nature