Everyday acts of care—tightening a loose hinge, patching up a wall, or simply moving a crate—may seem mundane. But a new study from Ritsumeikan University shows that these small repairs are key to sustaining autonomy and an inclusive social life in a squatted space in Japan.
The research, led by Associate Professor Kyoko Tominaga from the College of Social Sciences at Ritsumeikan University, Japan, explores how spatial practices within the squat at the Takayama Architecture Summer School (TASS) enable diverse residents to coexist through collaborative maintenance. Through months of participant observation, Dr. Tominaga documented how residents adapted and repaired the building using basic, often improvised methods that helped reinforce trust, shared responsibility, and self-governance.
The research was published in the journal Space and Culture on November 20, 2025. It is one of the few academic investigations of squatting in Japan, adding important nuance to a field largely shaped by Western-based contexts. By focusing on hands-on repair and reconfiguration of everyday environments, the paper identifies how autonomy is continually produced, not assumed, within the community.
"Social movements are usually associated with marches or policy demands," says Dr. Tominaga. "But in this squat, autonomy takes shape through repairing a door, creating a quiet corner, or building a safer space for women and children. These small actions collectively enable people from different backgrounds to live together."
The findings challenge common assumptions that urban planning and community development require specialized design skills or technical knowledge. Instead, residents at TASS fostered safety, inclusion, and mutual support through simple spatial interventions—adding curtains for privacy, building a shared kitchen, or modifying sleeping arrangements to accommodate newcomers.
These trial-and-error practices not only shaped the material layout of the squat but also reinforced horizontal decision-making. 'Opening and closing spaces,' both physically and socially, became a shared process. Individuals negotiated boundaries, co-designed solutions, and built trust as they repaired and reorganized their surroundings.
"Anyone can take part in shaping space," Dr. Tominaga notes. "Repair work empowers residents to contribute directly to how they live, even without architectural expertise. This is a profoundly democratic form of urban participation."
The implications extend beyond the squat itself. As cities face rising inequalities and housing pressures, the study offers a practical reminder: inclusive communities can be built through cooperation and small-scale interventions that promote psychosocial safety. For nonprofits, urban planners, and community organizers, the research highlights how everyday infrastructure—including kitchens, doors, and shared workspaces—can become tools of activism and social support.
Dr. Tominaga's interest in this topic stems from her long-standing research on the spatial dimensions of social movements. Seeing the squat as a living example of coexistence through shared space-making, she expanded her fieldwork to understand what sustains such environments over time. Her work shows that autonomy is not a static utopian ideal, but is something continuously repaired and renegotiated.
As global debates on housing rights and citizen participation grow more urgent, this research underscores a powerful idea: that grassroots maintenance and creativity can help shape cities where everyone has a place—and a say.
