RESIDENTIAL SEARCH BEHAVIOR AND URBAN HOUSING MARKET FROM THE VIEW OF GENDER

本研究旨在分析单身女性的居住选择过程及其影响因素。为了识别这些因素，本研究采用了多方法的方法，以弥补定量和定性方法的局限性。本研究使用了四种类型的数据：(A)人口普查数据，(B)问卷调查，(C)焦点小组访谈，(D)深度访谈。结果如下：(1)1995年，30-39岁的单身妇女家庭数量在过去五年中以24%的速度显著增加。因此，房地产公司将这一家庭子群作为住房市场的一个新目标而产生了兴趣。(2)这一年龄段单身女性的空间分布集中在中心商务区附近的西部腹地，这意味着她们重视工作场所的可达性。通过对问卷数据的分析，验证了这一推理。分析结果显示，大多数样本在CBD及其周围的办公室工作，从事文员或专业工作；他们的通勤时间不到60分钟，低于东京的平均水平。此外，大多数样本呈现向心式迁移模式。对访谈数据的定性分析不仅印证了定量方法得出的事实，而且表明居住环境的安全性是影响选择的重要因素。

The aim of this study is to analyze the residential choice process of single women and factors affecting this process. To identify these factors, this study adopted a multi-method approach which is expected to compensate the limitations of quantitative and qualitative methods. This study used four types of data obtained from (a) census data, (b) questionnaire survey, (c) focus group interview, and (d) in-depth interview. The results obtained can be summarized as follows:(1) In 1995, the number of the households of single women at the ages of 30-39 remarkably increased at a rate of 24% during the past five years. As a result, real estate companies have interested in this subgroup of the household as a novel target in the housing market.(2) Spatial distribution of single women at this ages concentrates western part of inner area in the vicinities of the CBD, which implies that they attach importance to the accessibility of their workplace. This reasoning was tested by analyzing the questionnaire data. The result of the analysis shows that the most of the samples work at offices in and around the CBD engaging in clerical or professional jobs; their commuting times are less than 60 minutes being below its average of Tokyo. In addition, the majority of the samples show centripetal migration patterns. Their reason for residential choice further confirmed our reasoning mentioned above.(3) A qualitative analysis of the interview data not only confirms the facts elicited by the quantitative method but also shows that security of the residential environment is an important factor affecting the choice.