【日本の未来？】家が“檻”になる街｜世界最悪の住宅地獄のリアル

【日本の未来？】家が“檻”になる街｜世界最悪の住宅地獄のリアル

How many years have you been living here? “More than 30 years.” How much is your rent now? “1,100-1,200 HKD.” I want to help my friends while I can. That’s why I don’t have much savings. There are many people who are having a much harder time than me. They can’t sleep well and have no place to eat. Sometimes I see people eating on their beds. It’s inhuman. I’m from Japan. How do you think an outsider like me should take Hong Kong’s housing problem? Skyscrapers reach the sky and neon lights sway in the sea at night. This is Hong Kong, the financial center of Asia. A city where capital from all over the world gathers and shines brightly. But at its feet, another world spreads. Only 3 square meters. It’s an extreme space where you can’t move just by putting a bed. It’s not a room, but a place that can be called a box just for living. Hong Kong. On the surface, it is a prime location in the world with skyscraper apartments worth over 100 million yen. However, behind the scenes, the housing disparity that is said to be the worst in the world is quietly spreading. Why has Hong Kong’s housing market become so distorted? I will explore the answer in history, systems, and people’s lives. I am in Hong Kong now. This is the Victoria Harbor Promenade. It’s a place that symbolizes Hong Kong. During the day, surrounded by blue skies and sea, the Star Ferry that runs through the harbor gives a nostalgic feeling. At night, the buildings are lit up, and the night view spreads out like a giant jewelry box. But I would like to look at the other side of this glittering city. Hong Kong is the city with the highest housing prices in the world. However, behind the scenes, there are people who live in coffin rooms of only a few square meters. At the foot of luxury apartments, there are people who cannot even afford a roof. This reality is another face of this city. This time, I would like to see and walk through the truth with my own eyes. This is “The Peak”. It is a world-famous, ultra-luxury residential area located near the top of Hong Kong Island. The view from here can be described as simply spectacular. You can see the entire Victoria Harbor, and at night, a million-dollar night view spreads out below you. In fact, it is counted as one of the three best night views in the world. This area is home to the wealthy, Hollywood actors, billionaire investors, entrepreneurs, and others from all over the world. All the mansions have perfect security, and most are private spaces surrounded by walls. What is of concern is the price. According to an April 2024 Bloomberg article, the market price of each house in this area is estimated to be 500 million HKD, or about 9.2 billion yen in Japanese yen. Although this is about a 20-minute drive from the center of Hong Kong, it is filled with tranquility and greenery like another world. It is truly a paradise for the chosen people. The tranquility of the hills and another Hong Kong at the foot of the mountain. It feels like completely different times are flowing in the same city. “The origins and contradictions of a colony” The distortion of this city’s housing system has a historical reason. It began in 1842, when the Qing Dynasty, which lost the Asian War, ceded Hong Kong Island to Britain. After that, the New Territories and Kowloon were also leased, and Hong Kong became a British colony for over 150 years. What was introduced at that time was a British-style leasing system in which the government owns all the land and only gives the private sector the right to use it. This system continues to this day, and more than 97% of Hong Kong’s land is owned by the government. Individuals and companies only obtain leases from the government for up to 99 years. Land rent, renewal fees, and development premiums arise, which account for 30 to 40% of the Hong Kong government’s revenue. Why is the government so dependent on land? The reason is that taxes are extremely low. The details will be introduced later. That is why the government had to come up with a way to keep revenues from falling without relying on tax revenues. The answer was to sell land. If the government sells land at a high price, it can receive tax revenues in the tens of billions of yen at once. It can maintain administrative services without raising taxes. This structure has artificially inflated housing prices and promoted the economic bubble. And this structure of dependency on land revenue is the biggest factor that creates contradictions in housing policy. Physical supply restrictions are also leading to rising housing prices in Hong Kong. When you spread out a map of Hong Kong, you will notice that a surprisingly large area is covered by mountains and forests. In fact, nearly 75% of Hong Kong’s total area is considered unsuitable for development, and much of it is designated as national parks or nature reserves. This is partly due to the idea of preventing urbanization. However, it is also the reason why the supply of housing is not increasing. In addition, the sloping land and rocky terrain make it difficult for private developers to get involved. “we have land, but we can’t use it.” That is Hong Kong’s invisible wall. Extreme population density is also pushing up housing prices. Hong Kong has a population of about 7.4 million. Most of them are concentrated in small urban areas such as the northern part of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and parts of the New Territories. As a result, the population density of Hong Kong as a whole is about 6,800 people per square kilometer. This is one of the highest density cities in the world. In Mong Kok, the center of Kowloon, about 130,000 people live per square kilometer. It is one of the most “super dense” areas in the world. This is more than twice the level of Shinjuku and Nakano in Tokyo. The saturation of existing housing has further increased rents and real estate prices, creating a vicious cycle in which new construction is the only option. Too many people are gathering on a small amount of land. This is what is causing “overheating and distortion” in Hong Kong’s current housing market. “The dilemma of a country without taxes” Hong Kong is characterized by its low taxes. Corporate tax is 16.5%, and the highest income tax rate is 17%, which is clearly low compared to major cities around the world. Not raising tax rates is effective in attracting companies and the wealthy. However, in return, the government’s finances have to rely on land revenues. This is a land-based country. The higher the price of land, the richer the government. Conversely, a fall in housing prices means a reduction in government revenues. So land supply is restricted, prices rise, and land becomes out of reach for ordinary people. This structure, in which the interests of the government and citizens collide head-on in housing policy, is the fundamental contradiction that is eroding Hong Kong today. East part of Hong Kong Island: Quarry Bay wow, amazing! This is a monster apartment building in the Quarry Bay area on the east side of Hong Kong Island. Many people have probably seen this unique sight on social media or in movies. The dense concrete walls tower as if they are overlapping. Looking up, it feels like the sky is being cut out. As the name suggests, it has an overwhelming presence like a monster. There are 2,200 units in total. Inside, there are narrow corridors and steep staircases, and on the veranda you can feel a lot of laundry, plants, and signs of life. Although this is a photo spot from the outside, it is a regular part of daily life for the residents. The rent for this apartment varies depending on the size and layout, but even a 35 square meter 2LDK apartment costs 20,000 to 30,000 HKD per month. It can cost as much as 400,000 to 500,000 yen in Japanese yen. The rent is not commensurate with the size, and yet the reality is that this is the only place you can choose. What is the housing situation in Hong Kong that is causing these prices? I feel like this question is coming to light. “Who is buying it?” Hong Kong’s housing prices can no longer be described as abnormal. As of 2024, the average price of an apartment in Hong Kong will be around 130 million yen. By the way, the average annual income of an average worker in Hong Kong is around 6.5 million yen. In other words, you would have to pay around 20 times your annual income to buy a house. It is generally said that the standard price for purchasing a house is 5 to 6 times your annual income. You can see how reasonable it is in Hong Kong, where the annual income multiplier is over 20 times. So who is buying these? The main buyers are wealthy people from mainland China and overseas investors. In many cases, they do not actually live in, but only aim to raise prices. Furthermore, there are problems with the system in which the government sells land through auctions. Only developers with large capital can bid on it, and many of them build luxury apartments for investment. As a result, housing has become an investment product, and housing for the general public has been put on the back burner. And the government depends on the land revenue. That’s why they do not take measures to lower prices. “The reality of the coffin room” This is Sham Shui Po in the northwest of the Kowloon Peninsula. The atmosphere is completely different from Victoria Harbour and The Peak that we saw earlier. There are many extremely old apartment buildings lined up. Sham Shui Po is known as one of the most common towns in Hong Kong. Behind it are many super-dense housing called “Bedspace Apartment”. One room is divided into several spaces, and strangers live in the same space. There are “cage homes” surrounded by iron fences, and “coffin cubicles” that are only 2 to 3 square meters. They live like a coffin, with only a place to sleep. The toilets and kitchens are shared, there is almost no privacy, and the residential environment is poor. But there are people who have no choice but to live here. The residents are elderly, drug users, low-income earners, and people with physical or mental illnesses. These homes exist not only here in Sham Shui Po, but also in old urban areas such as Mong Kok and To Kwa Wan. In fact, more than 200,000 people in Hong Kong still live in these homes. The rent is 30,000 to 40,000 yen per month. This is still on the cheap side. In Hong Kong, this has become a low-cost housing option. How long have you lived in Sham Shui Po? “90 years.” I hear that people who live here are having a hard time making a living these days. Is there anything you’re struggling with? I’m not working anymore, so I have no income. I live on the government’s elderly allowance and money sent by my children. I think I am better off than other people. Do you think Hong Kong is getting better? Do you think it is getting worse? In my opinion, it is getting worse and worse. No, I think it is getting much worse. So why did such an extreme living environment come about? The background is the contraction and privatization of Hong Kong’s housing policy. In 1970s and 1980s, the Hong Kong government focused on building public housing to support the growth of the city. However, since the 1990s, the government changed its policy to “leave housing to the market.” The supply of public housing has decreased dramatically, and much of it has been entrusted to private developers. As a result, there is an overwhelming shortage of housing for low-income earners. The reality is that even if you apply, it takes more than five years to move in. On the other hand, the government can earn tens of billions of HKD by selling land, so the construction of affordable housing has been considered unprofitable. As the housing policy left to the market progresses, places for people who are truly in need have been put on the back burner, and the last thing left is this extremely limited housing. Even though there are welfare and support systems, the application process is complicated and not everyone receives them. For those who have lost their options, this space is the last safety net. “NGO: Soco and the Hope of Citizens” There is a ray of hope in such a harsh reality. That is the NGO “Soco”. Since its establishment in 1971, it has been working on housing support and legal support for low-income earners. On this day, the staff were providing support to elderly people and low-income earners, helping them apply for electricity subsidies. This is part of the electricity subsidy program implemented by CLP for people in poverty. I also accompanied them on their activities and talked to the residents. How much rent do you pay? “5,700 HKD (about 100,000 yen)” How many people live with you? “I am a single mother and live with my son.” Do you have any problems with your life? My biggest problem is the living environment. My son and I are on welfare, so we don’t have much to worry about money. All my worries are about the living environment. There is no space for my son to study. I cook outside the room in the summer because there is not enough space. Would you want to leave this place if you had another choice? This is the cheapest place in this area. So living here is the best choice for us. Other areas have higher rent than here. I used to live in a house with a rent of 4,700 HKD. There was only room for a 90cm wide bed. (Now it is 120cm) If there is anything you want to say to streamers like me, please tell me. If possible, I would like the Hong Kong government to be aware of this situation. For example, I would like them to make it so that we don’t have to wait 7 years to apply for public housing. I would like the government to be a little more flexible for single mothers and families with small children like me. I would like them to be able to live there in 5 years. Right now, I don’t know if I can get into public housing even if I wait 7 years. It would be helpful if I could get in after waiting 3 to 5 years. There is a family of 4 living here. The electricity bill for this room is said to be 1,000 HKD in the summer. What are you doing? iPad Hong Kong has a type of divided housing called 劏房, where a single-floor house is divided into smaller units and shared by multiple households. The average size of each room is about 4 to 5 ㎡. Some houses have no windows and share the kitchen and toilet with other residents. With rising rents and a housing shortage, the number of people who have no choice but to live is increasing. How many years have you lived here? “3 years.” How much do you pay for rent? “2,500 HKD.” Do you have any particular problems in your life? There are many difficult things in life. I don’t get support from the government. I’m 80 years old and have no income. Have you applied for public housing? I’ve applied for it and am waiting. I’ve been waiting for 12 years. Do you have any thoughts on that? When I applied for public housing in the city, They said I would have to wait longer. So I have no choice. There are many elderly people applying for public housing in the city, so the waiting time is longer. How many people live here now? “3 people.” How many years have you lived here? “6 years.” How much is the rent? “3,900 HKD.” Is there anything that is difficult to live with? The living environment is normal. It is not necessary to live in a nice house. It is enough if you can easily eat. Have you applied for public housing? “I think I will be able to go and choose public housing next month.” It has been six years since I applied. What are the difficulties in living here? There are three of us living here: myself, my son, and my grandson. The rent alone costs 6,500 HKD per month. We also have to pay utility bills. We cannot survive on one salary. Since there are three of us, we need three living expenses. My son works at a construction site (day labor). He earns about 10,000 to 20,000 HKD. There are many difficulties, but there is nothing we can do about it. There is no other way. Have you applied for public housing? It’s only been two years since I applied. My husband passed away and I was alone. Now I’m applying with my son and grandson. This has reduced my waiting time by over a year. But it’s only been about two years since I applied. I haven’t heard anything yet. I talked to a resident who lives in the “Coffin Cubicle” on the ceiling of the room. How long have you lived here? “More than 30 years.” How much is your rent? “1,100 to 1,200 HKD.” Do you have any problems living here? “I’m lucky to have a job.” ” Isn’t it hard in the winter and summer? “I’ve gotten used to it.” What do you value most about living here? My health. If I’m not healthy, I can’t work. If you had another choice, would you ever want to leave this place? I’m managing to get by now. If I lose my job or get sick in the future, I’ll ask for support from the government. I want to help my friends while I can. That’s why I don’t have much savings. There are people who are having a harder time than me. Why do you think living environments like “Cage houses” still exist? It’s because there isn’t enough public housing in Hong Kong. The government didn’t develop enough land for people to have decent housing. The waiting time for public housing is very long. They have to choose cheaper rent because they can’t afford it. The hygiene is very poor. Some of them get into conflicts and hurt others. Sometimes they are scared and don’t know how to resolve it peacefully. Many of them actually have mental health problems. They can’t sleep well and have no place to eat because they live in such poor conditions. Sometimes you see people eating on their beds. It’s inhumane. “The Future of Hong Kong, a Society of Inequality” There are several structural factors behind the widening gap in Hong Kong. Rising housing prices, restraints on land supply, and real estate purchases for investment purposes. And because the government relies on land revenue, houses have become a symbol of wealth and are out of reach for ordinary people. Stagnant wages are also cited as a reason. Some occupations that deal with foreign companies and mainland Chinese money (finance and real estate) have raised their salary levels to international standards. On the other hand, occupations such as retail, food and beverage, and cleaning continue to have low wages. The structure of the economy is divided into a small number of people with high salaries and a large number with low incomes. Furthermore, Hong Kong has a low tax rate and a weak redistribution function. The wealthier the class, the more benefits it receives, and the disparity continues uncorrected. People who can win in global competition are given high rewards. Meanwhile, people who support the local economy are being replaced by cheap labor. Enrollment in private schools and studying abroad are key, and the family’s economic strength is directly linked to future income. It is a structure in which the starting point determines life, rather than effort. In Hong Kong, the disparity in life itself is now appearing in the city. If this continues, Hong Kong may become a city to invest in, not a city to live in. How long have you lived in Sham Shui Po? “I’ve been living here for quite some time. At least 25 years.” When I was a child, there were no “劏房”. All we had at that time were rooms separated by boards. They were simple and not as well-organized as they are now. There were no rooms like this when I was a child. In the past, the entire floor had one kitchen and toilet. I think that design was much better than the current one. Today’s “劏房” has a toilet in each room. *There are still houses with the old design. When many rooms are remodeled in a building, there is a water leak due to the drainage of the toilet. It causes damage to the rooms on the floor below. I don’t know much about other countries, but I think there are probably housing like “劏房” all over the world. But it may not be as bad as Hong Kong. So I want the government to look at this issue carefully. Now I think the housing situation in Hong Kong is getting better because they are developing “trasitional housing”. They are developing “light public housing” and trying to increase the supply of public housing. But we still need to wait. The government also recognizes that the supply of housing is not enough. But it takes time to build public housing. It will take time even to complete 30,000 light public housing units. The government promised that no one will become homeless. We hope that they will implement this law and no one will be left behind or there will be more homeless people who cannot afford to buy a new decent house. I hope that the government will move them to another housing. I am from Japan. How do you think an outsider like me should take Hong Kong’s housing problem? I think every society has a historical problem. For a long time, the government or colonial government has ignored the housing rights of its people. So now society is eager to improve it. I think that if people are interested in this and pay attention to it, we can encourage the government to make further improvements. Who is the city for? For investors? For politics? Or for the citizens who live there? Hong Kong’s housing problem is not someone else’s problem. Tokyo, Osaka, New York, and London may be on the same path. If a place to live becomes an asset, can people live in peace? And for whom is the place you live made, and whose voice is reflected? I think this question is not only for Hong Kong, but for all of us. Thank you for watching for a long time this time. Goodbye

「この“檻”が家」
世界一の住宅価格を誇る都市・香港。
その足元で、2畳にも満たない“棺桶部屋”に暮らす人々がいます。
なぜここまでの格差が生まれたのか？
土地政策、税制、経済構造…その深層に迫ります。

🎙️通訳協力
アヤさん
▶︎https://www.instagram.com/ayainhk/
📍香港在住
通訳・翻訳サポートだけでなく、観光・出張のアテンドも対応可能です。
アヤさんにガイドをご希望の方は上記InstagramのDMよりお問い合わせください📩

🤝取材協力
SoCO｜香港社会服務聯會
住宅支援・教育支援などを通じて、低所得者層を支えるNGO。
現地活動の様子は以下より：
▶︎ https://www.instagram.com/soco.poverty

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00:00 オープニング
02:42 ザ・ピーク（世界有数の高級住宅街）
04:09 植民地としての成り立ちと矛盾
07:54 税なき国家のジレンマ
09:05 モンスターマンション（益昌大廈）
10:43 誰が買っているのか？
12:15 “棺桶部屋”のリアル
14:11 住民インタビュー（深水埗）
14:52 なぜこの住環境が生まれたのか？
16:19 NGO「SoCO」と市民の希望
17:03 狭小住宅で暮らす住民
19:13 “劏房”で暮らす住民
21:52 “棺桶部屋”で暮らす住民
23:01 なぜ今も”棺桶部屋”は存在する？
23:58 格差社会・香港の未来
25:43 香港の住環境は最悪
26:39政府の住宅政策
27:57 おわりに

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