In Japan, there's a growing disparity among young people regarding their living conditions. Some are managing to afford buying homes, while others are squeezed into minimalist "three tatami mat" apartments, a reference to small living spaces. Despite these differences, they share common views and struggles such as higher living costs and challenges in achieving financial stability.

In Japan, owning a home traditionally symbolizes stability and success. However, growing urbanization, shrinking living spaces, and increasing property prices have made homeownership difficult for many young people. At the same time, the younger generation is adopting minimalistic living due to both necessity and lifestyle preference. This issue reflects wider socio-economic concerns within Japan such as wage stagnation, job insecurity and the increasing cost of living.

Like Japan, younger generations in the US and EU are also grappling with similar issues like affordable housing and financial stability. Rising property prices coupled with sluggish wage growth have pushed many millennials into smaller living spaces. However, the phenomenon of extremely compact living spaces, like 3 tatami mat apartments, is more unique to densely populated urban areas in Japan.