抄録
Housing policy for the elderly (65 years old or over) must be established according to each regional feature. The purpose of this study is to classify 47 pefectures of Japan according to the housing conditions of households where elderly members are present. To bring out this purpose, we use the data from the population census, the housing survey and others. The findings are summarized as follows: 1) The basic factors determining the regional housing condition of the elderly are the proportion of the elderly living with their children's family the degree of the regional aging population, habitability and limitations on change of living. 2) 47 prefectures of Japan can be classified into 8 districts in point of the housing conditions of the elderly : the metropolitan area, the eastern urban area, the western urban area, the eastern rural area, the western rural area, Kagosima prefecture, Okinawa prefecture and Hokkaido prefecture. 3) These classifications were not clear in 1960. During 1965 to 1974, due to the increase of elderly population, the housing condition in the urban area was separated from that in the rural area. During 1975 to 1984, single elderly or elderly couple households increased more in the western area than those in the eastern area. As such the housing condition in the western rural area was separated from that in the eastern rural area.
