To achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, the Ministry of the Environment is promoting the "Regional Decarbonization Roadmap —transition strategies for the next era that start at the regional level—" to develop innovative technologies and implement them in society as soon as possible.
This roadmap shows the overall process together with concrete measures for transitioning to a carbon neutral society in all regions nationwide.
The plan is to develop at least 100 decarbonization-leading areas within five years, and implement priority measures throughout the rest of the country.
Specifically, to maximize the use of renewable energy potential, efforts will be made to incorporate energy efficiency for houses and buildings, leverage EV/PHEV/FCVs that can be used as storage batteries, and use renewable energy heat, unused heat, and carbon neutral fuels.
Also the development of ZEHs (net Zero-energy Houses) is progressing. These houses use renewable energy generated, for example, by solar power to reduce the amount of energy consumed in a year to practically zero or less.

Furthermore, for detached houses, apartment buildings, and non-residential facilities, such as LCCM (Life Cycle Carbon Minus) housing, high-rise ZEH-Ms condos (ZEH-Mansions), and ZEBs (net Zero-energy Buildings), there is more demand for solar PV power generation and ensuring a high level of energy-saving performance.
Misawa Homes is dedicated to offering homes that help to shape the carbon-neutral future. In fact, we were the first company in the world to develop and sell a “Zero-energy Home.”

Fig. From the “What is Carbon Neutrality?” website, Ministry of the Environment

To promote the popularization of homes that contribute to the attainment of carbon neutrality, Misawa Homes developed and launched new detached homes and rental housings in April 2022.
The new "CENTURY Kura no Aru Ie ZEH ADVANCE” was launched as a new home that qualifies as both a ZEH and LCCM. It can be built on about 105 square meters of area by incorporating the "Smart ECO Form" design that allows for a large-capacity solar power system while accommodating site conditions such as building height restrictions.
It won the Chairman Prize of ECCJ of the Energy Conservation Grand Prize 2022.
The sustainable 3-story wood-frame apartment building, "Belle Lead MANSION," offers ZEH-M using wooden panels that emit less CO2 during construction. It is made possible by combining Misawa Homes' proprietary highly insulated and airtight wooden panel bonding method with energy-saving equipment such as solar power generation systems and high-efficiency water heaters.

Japan is a country that offers people a wealth of natural beauty in all four seasons.
At the same time, it is also called a disaster-prone country due to the severe topographical, geological, and atmospheric hazards it faces.
The mountain ranges that run throughout the long, narrow land are vulnerable to collapse geologically, and the rivers that flow from these mountains are steep and prone to flooding.
And in recent years, damage from heavy rainfall caused by linear rainbands have become more frequent.
Japan is also prone to earthquakes. In fact, approximately 20% of the world’s major earthquakes (magnitude 6 or higher) reportedly occur in this region.
In such an environment, we must protect people's lives and lifestyles from the threat of natural disasters by making full use of various infrastructures such as rivers, roads, coasts, and ports.
It is essential to work to prevent disasters by improving facilities and reinforcing hardware.

Today, seismic retrofit targets have been set for houses and buildings, and various forms of support and guidance are provided to promote them in a planned manner.
For people, a home serves as vital “shelter and refuge” in the event of a natural disaster. A sound and secure home offers people protection and the ability to rebuild their lives relatively easily.
We continue to build our homes to better withstand disaster, because we want to give people a sense of safety and security so they can enjoy their lives fully.

(Source: Japan Meteorological Agency website "What is a linear rainband?")

Misawa Homes won the Grand Prize at the 8th "Japan Resilience Awards" (sponsored by the Resilience Japan Promotion Council) for its MISAWA-LCP disaster prevention and mitigation design for new construction and renovation of detached houses.
MISAWA-LCP was released in 2015, in response to the rising incidence and severity of natural disasters. It is a home design specification that systematically integrates measures to mitigate the risks of earthquakes, floods, wind, snow, and fire. (Previously, countermeasures were designed separately.)
MISAWA-LCP offers “preparation” for disasters, “protection” for families during disasters, and “support” after disasters.

In addition to the usual comfort and convenience of a Misawa home, MISAWA-LCP provides peace of mind against natural disasters, with solutions for buildings and exteriors that function in all three of these categories.

Japan's total population is 124.95 million as of October 1, 2022, of which 36.24 million are aged 65 and over, accounting for 29.0% of the total population.
Among them, 16.87 million are aged 65-74 and 19.36 million are aged 75 and over.
In Japan, in addition to the aging population, the birth rate is declining at the same time.
If the declining birthrate and aging population continues, social issues such as labor shortages in the medical and long-term care sectors, higher social insurance premiums, and sluggish economic growth will only become more severe.
To tackle these challenges, the government is trying to alleviate people's anxieties about marriage and parenting in accordance with the Basic Law on Measures for a Society with a Decreasing Birthrate, as well as improving conditions for raising children. It is also taking measures based on the Act on Advancement of Measures to Support Raising the Next Generation, and promoting reforms to increase employment and work flexibility.

Also, to ensure stable housing for the elderly, the government is promoting the supply of residences for elderly people, building a housing safety net, and improving the environment to make it easier for them to change residences within the neighborhood they are familiar with.
Under such circumstances, from the perspective of housing and community development, Misawa Homes continues to help solve social issues by providing housing and multi-facility services that reduce the burden of housework, childcare, and nursing care.

(Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare website "About the Population of Our Country")

As a specified architect, Misawa Homes, together with Keihan Real Estate and the Ikkikai Group, constructed "ASMACI Kobe Shin-Nagata" complex in the JR Shin-Nagata Station South District redevelopment area, which was severely damaged by the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake.
It consists of "Ogihara Memorial Hospital," where two hospitals in the city were relocated and integrated, and a total of 80 condominiums. For condominium residents, four types of "ASMACI Wellness Support" are provided to support all generations to live a prosperous and healthy life.
In addition, the open space within the complex will be used as a community hub, hosting events for health promotion, disaster prevention and mitigation, and in the event of a disaster, as a local evacuation center to support the lives of disaster survivors.

"Biological diversity" is a term used to describe the variety of living species on earth, namely, the complicated and diverse ecosystem itself.
However, the deterioration of the natural environment is causing an unprecedented increase in the rate of species extinction.
This means that we humans are destroying our own biodiversity, which is the foundation of life.
In response to these environmental changes, various groups and organizations are launching nature conservation projects around the world to protect its biodiversity.
The Post-2020 Biodiversity Framework discusses specific goals, with an emphasis on striking a balance between the conservation of biodiversity, sustainable use, and sharing the benefits of genetic resource use, and refining and strengthening goals related to social and economic activities.
Also, the Japanese government approved the "National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2023-2030" at the Cabinet meeting in 2023.
It is a fundamental plan for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in Japan based on the "Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework" adopted at the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

Initiatives to conserve biodiversity are also required in corporate activities. Misawa Homes is working through initiatives such as procuring FSC-certified wood, proposing plantings for exteriors and landscaping, and implementing environmental conservation activities in Misawa Homes' forests.

(Source: Annual Report on the Environment, the Sound Material-Cycle Society and Biodiversity in Japan 2023)

Misawa Homes received the Excellence Award at the 3rd Green Infrastructure Awards (sponsored by the Green Infrastructure Public-Private Partnership Platform) for the concept home designed for a sustainable future built at Misawa Park Tokyo, a facility where customers can experience the process of creating a home.
The concept home was designed to address local issues of the construction area, such as increasing damage from flooding caused by torrential rains and procurement of water resources in times of emergency. Disaster prevention and mitigation facilities that utilize green infrastructures, including large roofs that collect natural resources such as rainwater and sunlight, passive cooling systems, and water basins with water storage and water stopping functions, were integrated into the architectural design.
The lifestyle and health of the family and environmental sustainability are both realized at the same time in this project.

"Misawa Park Tokyo," concept homes included, is also engaged in preserving biodiversity by actively planting native species, and was registered as an "Excellent Green Space" of Tokyo Metropolitan Government's "EDO-MIDORI Registered Green Spaces" in 2018 for its particular consideration of the habitat and growth environment for living creatures.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is currently discussing the future direction of housing policy, what kind of services will be required for housing, and how to promote and foster these services.
The requirements for housing, which had shifted from "quantity to quality," have become more focused on "lifestyle" in recent years.
For example, people are becoming more interested in medical and nursing care services for the elderly that can be accessed easily in their daily lives, or childcare support services for working parents that can be used easily within their community.
Furthermore, there is a demand for development of houses and their surrounding environment that enhances and expands the richness of living, and satisfies the needs for environmentally friendly lifestyles.
Also, the child population and the number of households with children are expected to decrease by about 30% in 2025 compared to 2005, while the proportion of dual-income households among couples with children is increasing.

In such an environment, demand is expected to increase for the development of communities where medical care, work, and housing are located near each other, or where the value of the entire community, not just individual houses, is enhanced.
In light of these changes in living environments, Misawa Homes strives to create homes that are not only highly durable, but also flexible enough to accommodate changes in family structure and lifestyle, from a long-term perspective.

(Source) “Changes in Life and Lifestyle Values” from “Homes for Changing Times - Proposals for Homes for Nurturing the Next Generation” (May 2022), by Misawa Homes Institute of Research & Development