Feng Shui practices play a role in the design of buildings, especially for Chinese heritage buyers from countries like Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Hong Kong, where strong feng shui beliefs persist. In Tokyo, a property that appeals to the most favorable Feng Shui conditions will be able to command a higher price with buyers of Chinese heritage.
What is Feng Shui?
Feng Shui (or Fu-Sui / 風水 in Japanese) is an ancient Chinese system of laws considered to govern spatial arrangements and orientation to best take advantage of energy flows to benefit business affairs of occupants in a structure.
Building for Balance
In traditional feng shui, square shapes are considered to be stable, grounded, and balanced. This is why they are favored in both the plot of land and the design of the house or condo. A square plot of land symbolizes stability and a foundation for the property, while a square layout of the building creates balance and symmetry, allowing for a harmonious flow of energy.
Front Door Placement for Homes
Making sure the front door doesn’t align directly with the back door of a house is favorable. To feng shui practitioners, the main idea is to protect and preserve the flow of energy throughout the structure. This energy enters the property from the front door and depending on the layout of the property, will stay in the interior longer (which is good) or would flow right out the other side of the structure (which is bad).
Impact of Water Outlets in Properties
Other notable feng shui elements are the location of the water outlets and drainage pipes throughout the property. Energy loss happens around drains, so structures that have bathrooms and toilets set up around the outer edges of the interior are more favorable than properties with these facilities built in the middle of the interior.
The Property Location Factor for Optimal Energy Flow
Another element is whether the property is located on the end of a dead-end street or directly in front of a T-intersection. Houses that have front doors directly facing these locations are akin to trying to drink from a fire hose; there is too much energy flowing directly into the house with velocities that are too great to benefit the occupants.
These principles can greatly impact the value and desirability of a property to potential buyers who believe in these practices. Knowledge of Feng Shui can also help buyers make informed decisions about purchasing a property that aligns with their beliefs. In the next article, we will dive deeper into the various elements of feng shui and how they play a role in real estate markets in Chinese heritage communities. Stay tuned to learn more about its impact on property values and homebuying decisions!
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