Survey on 'Connections' Among Single-Person Households 2026
Able Holdings' 'Hitorigurashi Research Institute' conducted the 'Survey on 'Connections' Among Single-Person Households 2026'. Approximately 60% entrust spare keys to someone, and over half do not know their neighbors. About 80% talk to themselves indoors, and roughly 60% feel a sense of familiarity with AI chatbots and smart speakers.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 3, 2026 at 20:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 3, 2026 at 11:30
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 21, 2026 at 05:34 (426h 3m after Collected)
Able Holdings Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo, hereinafter 'Able Holdings'), through its single-person living support brand 'Hitogura' and its specialized research lab 'Hitorigurashi Research Institute', which conducts multi-faceted research on single-person living, has conducted the 'Survey on 'Connections' Among Single-Person Households 2026'. The survey results are reported below.
## Survey on 'Connections' Among Single-Person Households 2026
- Survey Period: March 11 (Wednesday) – 13 (Friday), 2026
- Valid Responses: 802 people *Varies by question
- Survey Method: Internet survey
- Target Audience: Men and women aged 20-39 currently living alone in Japan
## Survey Results Summary
- 1: Approximately 60% of people entrust spare keys to someone. For women, this figure is about 50%, lower than for men.
- 2: Only 10% know their neighbors' faces and names. Approximately 30% only know their faces, meaning half do not know about their neighbors.
- 3: Approximately 80% of people talk to something indoors. Monologues and talking to objects are by far the majority.
- 4: Single-person dwellers who talk to themselves or objects indoors experience self-care effects such as 'distracting loneliness' and 'relieving stress'.
- 5: Approximately 60% feel a sense of familiarity with AI chatbots and smart speakers, like a housemate or friend.
Approximately 60% of the total respondents entrust spare keys to someone. The breakdown showed 'parents' (41.0%) as the most common, followed by 'lovers/partners' (10.6%) and 'siblings' (5.8%). In terms of gender differences, 50.4% of women responded 'do not entrust to anyone', exceeding men by approximately 15%. While men tend to entrust keys to family, for women, the emphasis on 'individual independence' and 'privacy' in single living is considered to be the background.
52.0% of all single-person men and women responded that they do not know their neighbors' faces or names. This indicates that 'urban loneliness' has become common, where despite physically living next to each other, there is no psychological or emotional connection. Comparing genders, men are more likely not to know faces or names, suggesting that men tend to avoid interaction with neighbors, prioritize privacy, or are indifferent. In contrast, women showed a higher rate (33.6%) of 'only knowing faces' compared to men, suggesting an awareness to recognize others, including for crime prevention, when passing in common areas. The proportion of those who only know names is low at 4.3% overall, indicating the decline of the former 'nameplate' culture and increasing awareness of personal information protection.
## Survey on 'Connections' Among Single-Person Households 2026
- Survey Period: March 11 (Wednesday) – 13 (Friday), 2026
- Valid Responses: 802 people *Varies by question
- Survey Method: Internet survey
- Target Audience: Men and women aged 20-39 currently living alone in Japan
## Survey Results Summary
- 1: Approximately 60% of people entrust spare keys to someone. For women, this figure is about 50%, lower than for men.
- 2: Only 10% know their neighbors' faces and names. Approximately 30% only know their faces, meaning half do not know about their neighbors.
- 3: Approximately 80% of people talk to something indoors. Monologues and talking to objects are by far the majority.
- 4: Single-person dwellers who talk to themselves or objects indoors experience self-care effects such as 'distracting loneliness' and 'relieving stress'.
- 5: Approximately 60% feel a sense of familiarity with AI chatbots and smart speakers, like a housemate or friend.
Approximately 60% of the total respondents entrust spare keys to someone. The breakdown showed 'parents' (41.0%) as the most common, followed by 'lovers/partners' (10.6%) and 'siblings' (5.8%). In terms of gender differences, 50.4% of women responded 'do not entrust to anyone', exceeding men by approximately 15%. While men tend to entrust keys to family, for women, the emphasis on 'individual independence' and 'privacy' in single living is considered to be the background.
52.0% of all single-person men and women responded that they do not know their neighbors' faces or names. This indicates that 'urban loneliness' has become common, where despite physically living next to each other, there is no psychological or emotional connection. Comparing genders, men are more likely not to know faces or names, suggesting that men tend to avoid interaction with neighbors, prioritize privacy, or are indifferent. In contrast, women showed a higher rate (33.6%) of 'only knowing faces' compared to men, suggesting an awareness to recognize others, including for crime prevention, when passing in common areas. The proportion of those who only know names is low at 4.3% overall, indicating the decline of the former 'nameplate' culture and increasing awareness of personal information protection.