Two Images of Danchi Housing in Japanese Women’s Manga after late 2010s

Kwon, Yoonkyung and Jong-Oh, Lee (2023) 「Two Images of Danchi Housing in Japanese Women’s Manga after late 2010s」, 한국과 국제사회 [Korea and Global Affairs], 7(5): 61-86

https://doi.org/10.22718/kga.2023.7.5.003

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ABSTRACT

This essay focuses on the two images of ‘danchi’, the Japanese high-rise apartment complexes depicted in women’s manga from the late 2010s onward. Over the years, danchi has been significant settings in popular culture since its inception in the post-war era in Japan. Danchi has often been described as a place where standard nuclear families and typical gender-roles has performed. However, a new trend has emerged in women’s manga since the late 2010s. In this essay aims to explore the differences in types of residents and relationship among them specifically analyzing Sayaka Ishiyama’s “Thousand Windows, Thousand Doors” and Tori Mizunagi’s “Shiawase wa tabete nete mate”, in comparison to popular culture before the 2010s. Firstly, in terms of the types of inhabitants, danchi is described as a place where non-standard families, such as single or two-member household reside. These two manga pieces also depict residents from various generations and occupations, including senior citizens, unmarried women, freelancers and even individuals who are NEET. Secondly, in terms of the relationships among residents, they portray a loosely connected community.