Over 80% of Current High School Students in the Reiwa Era Want to Leave Home in the Future!? A Significant Number Still Prefer Staying with Parents!

Have you ever thought about whether you'd like to leave your family home?

While some people move out when relocating to urban areas or starting their first job, others choose to stay at home for the sense of security it provides.

Moreover, with rising living costs and economic pressures, an increasing number of young people are beginning to think, "Maybe staying at home isn't so bad."

In this uncertain era, how do today's Reiwa-generation youth feel about leaving home?

To explore this, Wakamono Research—a marketing insights site targeting teenagers and current high school students (https://wakamono-research.co.jp/media/)—conducted a nationwide survey among high school students (male and female), asking:

"Do you think you'd like to leave your family home in the future?"

Below are some of the key findings.

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【For Businesses】

Surveys targeting teens and Generation Z, like this article, can also be conducted for your company's products or services.

• Want to incorporate authentic youth voices into product development? • Looking for "viral data" to use in PR campaigns? • Want to create media-worthy initiatives?

Wakamono Research offers end-to-end support—from survey design to article creation and media exposure.

We've already helped clients achieve media coverage and social media virality through data-driven PR campaigns.

Would you like to co-create a "viral-worthy" survey?

▶ Case studies and inquiries:

contact@wakamono-research.co.jp

▶ Wakamono Research Inc. Official Website:

https://wakamono-research.co.jp/

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【83.1% Want to Leave Home—A Strong Desire for Independence and Freedom!】

In this survey, Wakamono Research asked high school students across Japan:

"Do you think you'd like to leave your family home in the future?"

The results showed that:

• 83.1% answered "Yes, I want to leave home" • 15.8% answered "No, I don't want to leave" • 1.1% answered "I've already moved out"

This indicates that over 80% of current high school students aspire to leave home in the future.

Among those who want to leave, the most common responses were:

"I want to live alone" "I dream of living alone" "I've always wanted to experience solo living"

This reflects a strong desire for independent living.

Perhaps because they live under their parents' rules and structured environment, many students feel a strong urge to break free.

As a result, many expressed a desire for:

"It's more comfortable living alone" "I want to live freely and authentically" "At home, I can't live on my own terms" "I want freedom" "I want to live freely" "I don't want to be restricted"

These responses highlight a strong yearning for personal freedom.

Additionally, keywords like "comfort," "freedom," and "not wanting to be tied down" were frequently mentioned, suggesting that rather than disliking their families, many students simply want to live at their own pace.

Among students eager to leave their parents' home early, many cited:

"I want to become independent" "I feel I need to become self-reliant" "I want to grow stronger through living alone" "I want to develop the ability to support myself" "I equate independence with living alone"

This shows that for many students, "independence" and "living alone" are synonymous.

Some even expressed gratitude toward their parents while seeking distance:

"I don't want to depend on others forever" "Relying on parents long-term isn't ideal" "I want to stand on my own and make my parents feel at ease"

Additionally, students from rural areas expressed desires like:

"I'm from the countryside, so I want to move to the city" "I want to live in an urban area" "I'm drawn to Tokyo" "I have things I want to do after moving to Tokyo" "I want to move to Tokyo so I can engage more in fan activities (oshi-katsu)"

For some, leaving home represents a gateway to expanding their world.

Thus, some students view "living alone = a ticket to a new world."

In contrast to these positive motivations, some students want to leave due to negative home environments:

"I dislike my family home" "I don't really like my house" "My relationship with my parents is generally bad" "I hate having to read my parents' moods" "My parents are overly controlling" "My parents are seriously annoying" "My parents are a hassle when I'm at home"

Some even cited physical abuse or verbal aggression from parents, indicating that family circumstances significantly impact their desire to leave.

The notable presence of students with strong negative feelings toward their parents or home life is an important finding.

【But Home Is Still Best—15.8% Prefer Staying for Security, Meals, and Family Time】

On the other hand, 15.8% of students said they do not want to leave home in the future.

Their responses included:

"I feel safer at home" "I want to stay with my family. Even after marriage, I'd prefer to live together" "I won't leave because the food is delicious"

These answers reveal a preference for the comfort of "security," "meals," and the "warmth" of current family life over the allure of independent living.

Some even gave direct responses like:

"I want to keep relying on my parents"

This suggests some students adopt a "use what's available, even if it's my parents" mindset.

Additionally, some students said:

"I can't leave because the location is too convenient" "My family home has a great location" "The location is too good to leave"

For example, one student said:

"I can reach anywhere in central Tokyo within 30 minutes"

For a high school student in Tokyo who can easily visit Shibuya, Harajuku, or Shinjuku after school, and casually go to Odaiba, Yokohama, or Minatomirai on weekends, there's little incentive to move out.

Furthermore, students who don't want to leave home also expressed concerns about finances and life skills:

"I'm worried about money" "I can't do housework—or I'm afraid of it" "I'd have to manage rent and other expenses myself" "I don't want to pay for my own living expenses"

These responses suggest that before the appeal of "freedom" or "fun," practical concerns like "Can I afford it?" and "Is this realistic?" take precedence.

Students concerned about their parents' financial situation, the burden of independent living, or those with frugal mindsets who prefer not to spend their own money may prioritize staying at home.