chokonen888 wrote:...aren't homes built using 2x4's is still considered a luxury option/selling point?
I am not at all clear what that term means in Japan. When I was shopping for a house it seemed to refer to a method of construction based on factory prefabricated panels, frame and all, which were 4:2 in proportion. These panels then have a fairly wide gap filled with caulking between them which provides plenty of earthquake movement.
What I found out later (from SiL) was that that caulking properly done and using the correct stuff lasts about 15 years before it starts letting in water.
However, I may have got that wrong. I never did manage to get a clear explanation of exactly what 4x2 means.