About 49% Express Dissatisfaction with Home Storage Space; Top Item Causing Storage Issues is 'Clothing and Fashion Accessories'

■ Survey on Satisfaction and Challenges Regarding Home Storage

Every time you open the closet, you sigh at the tightly packed clothes. Deep inside the closet, boxes lie forgotten, their contents unclear. Many people have experienced this.

Even if you prioritize storage space and usability when choosing a home, once you actually live there, you might find yourself wishing for just a bit more storage.

So, how satisfied are people with the storage in their current homes?

To explore this, we conducted a joint survey with JAJAN Co., Ltd., an online furniture and interior retailer, polling 500 men and women nationwide on their satisfaction and challenges regarding home storage.

※ When quoting this press release, please adhere to the following:

- Clearly state the source as "a survey conducted by NEXER Corporation and JAJAN Co., Ltd."

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Survey Overview: "Satisfaction and Challenges Regarding Home Storage"

Method: Online questionnaire

Period: June 5–12, 2026

Respondents: Men and women across Japan

Valid responses: 500 samples

Survey questions:

Question 1: How satisfied are you with the storage space in your current home?

Question 2: Please explain your reason.

Question 3: Are there any items in your home for which you lack storage space?

Question 4: Which item do you find most difficult to store? (Multiple answers allowed)

Question 5: Please explain why this item is difficult to store.

Question 6: How are you currently storing this most problematic item?

Question 7: Do you think your daily life would change if your storage issues were resolved?

Question 8: Please explain your reason.

* Percentages are rounded to the nearest hundredth, so totals may not sum to 100%.

■ 48.6% Express Dissatisfaction with Home Storage Space

First, we asked respondents how satisfied they are with their current home's storage space.

The results showed that 29.4% answered "somewhat dissatisfied" and 19.2% answered "very dissatisfied," totaling 48.6% expressing dissatisfaction. On the other hand, 35.4% answered "somewhat satisfied" and 16.0% answered "very satisfied."

We also collected reasons for these responses; some are introduced below.

Respondents who answered "dissatisfied":

- Clothes don't fit. (Female, 30s)

- Possibly due to the age of the building, there is no closet—only a closet-like space (oshiire), making storage difficult. (Female, 30s)

- Storage is possible, but it's undeniably cluttered. (Female, 30s)

Respondents who answered "satisfied":

- I like the walk-in closet. (Female, 20s)

- I personally don't own many items, so storage is rarely an issue. (Female, 30s)

- As long as I can declutter, there should be sufficient storage space. (Female, 30s)

Among those dissatisfied, concerns extend beyond just space—some mention the visual clutter, indicating dissatisfaction with appearance.

Meanwhile, satisfied respondents mention considering decluttering or simply owning few possessions.

It's clear that satisfaction with storage isn't solely about space. Even with ample storage, an excess of items can create a chaotic impression, leading to dissatisfaction.

■ 59.3% Report 'Clothing and Fashion Accessories' as the Item Most Lacking Storage

Next, we asked whether respondents have items at home for which they lack storage space.

The results: 34.4% answered "yes," and 65.6% answered "no."

So, what specific items are people struggling to store? We asked those who answered "yes" and present some responses below.

The most common answer was "clothing and fashion accessories" at 59.3%.

This was followed by "books, magazines, and comics" at 33.1%, and "hobby collections (figures, cards, sports equipment, etc.)" at 30.8%.

Clothing tends to accumulate with seasons and trends. It may be the most space-consuming source of frustration in daily life. Books and hobby collections are also common, as people are reluctant to part with things they love.

We also collected reasons for these responses:

Respondents who answered "clothing and fashion accessories":

- Children's clothes. There's no easy-to-access storage space for each child, so it's often unclear whose clothes are whose—very inconvenient. (Female, 40s)

- No place to store clothes. Can't store off-season items. (Male, 40s)

- Clothes keep increasing, causing frustration. (Female, 40s)

Respondents who answered "books, magazines, and comics":

- No place to put manga. (Female, 30s)

- No study room. (Male, 40s)

- I enjoy collecting, so I can't reduce the number at all. (Female, 50s)

Respondents who answered "hobby collections (figures, cards, sports equipment, etc.)":

- I want to store figures together, but there's no space. (Male, 30s)

- I can no longer buy new plush toys of my favorite characters because there's no space to display them. (Male, 30s)

- My family has a collecting habit. (Female, 40s)

Many respondents expressed frustration over items that naturally accumulate with daily life, such as children's belongings and household supplies.

Meanwhile, others mentioned collecting as a hobby—"I enjoy collecting" or "my family collects things." It's not just about tidying up; their enjoyment itself is tied to the storage challenge.

■ Top Storage Method for Problematic Items: 'Stored in Closet or Oshiire' (28.5%)

Next, we asked those experiencing storage issues how they currently store the most problematic item.

The most common response was "stored in closet or oshiire" at 28.5%.

This was followed by "placed in room corners or on the floor" at 25.6%, and "left inside cardboard boxes" at 22.1%.

Additionally, "arranged on shelves or storage furniture" accounted for 11.0%, "using trunk rooms or rental storage" for 2.3%, "stored at parents' home or another location" for 1.2%, and "other" for 9.3%.

Approximately 80% are simply storing items in whatever space is available. When storage space is insufficient, the location itself becomes ambiguous.

■ 58.8% Believe Life Would 'Change' if Storage Issues Were Resolved

Finally, we asked whether resolving storage issues would change their daily lives.

The results: 19.6% answered "would change significantly," and