The vast majority of homes today are built in a modern style. Modern homes are constructed mainly from steel, concrete and wood. Because land is scarce, especially in the cities, houses are often expensive and fairly small. In rural areas, houses tend to be bigger, with room for get-togethers and ceremonies that city dwellers would more likely hold in restaurants or community centers. The summer in Japan is hot and humid, so homes are built to allow breezes to pass through them.
Rooms generally have sliding doors and windows.
These can be removed to change two smaller rooms into one larger one. Today, however, most homes and apartments use polished wood and carpeting on their floors, although one tatami bedroom often remains. When you enter a Japanese house, you remove your shoes and put on slippers. When you go into a tatami room, you take off your slippers and leave them in the corridor. At night, people may sleep on either a bed or a soft, cotton-filled mattress called a futon .