Abstract
In Japan, a lot of elderly housing types have been developed in order to meet various needs of the older person and the change of social situations. Elderly housings can be divided into three categories elderly housings for healthy older persons, elderly care homes for the healthy and elderly care facilities for the unhealthy. Elderly housings include public and private rental housings. Sometimes they can be designated only for the elderly. Elderly care homes for the healthy elderly include full fee charging elderly housing, elderly homes, low fee charging elderly homes and care houses. Elderly care facilities for the unhealthy elderly consist of full fee charging elderly care homes, group homes for the dementia, elderly health facilities, nursing homes, elderly hospitals, and so on. However "elderly care facilities" have been proved not to be efficient for the delivery of elderly welfare services nor satisfactory to the frail older person. Therefore, based on the concept of the "Normalization", daily services have been provided for the elderly in order that they can live at their own home in the community for themselves. As a result, Japan aims not only to reduce elderly welfare expenses but also to increase elderly users' satisfaction. Emphasis on non-institutionalization and in-home services, regional characterization, harmony between Hard and Soft, user oriented services, substantiality, universal design and so on are sought for the sake of those goals.