Over the past 30 years, environment and behavior research in Japan has paralleled the international growth of the field. Unfortunately, despite noteworthy periodic efforts to cross-culturally bridge language barriers between English- and Japanese-speaking researchers, public policy makers, planning and design practitioners, and students specializing in this subject area, significant communication obstacles persist. In response, a literature review is presented of recent research in Japan on the subject of environment and aging. The review spans a 17-year period (1985-2002). The objective is to enhance international communication, stimulate collaborative work, and foster appreciation of the broad parameters of the dramatic trends in aging occurring globally.