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Public housing projects account for just under 8 % of Tokyo's total housing (2013). However, the scale of the correlative urban development plans and the projects' extension and durability make them city landmarks. At first sight, permanency - of the buildings and their residents - seems to be their most striking characteristic. But permanency leads by its own weight to a series of changes affecting both housing policies and dwelling habits. This article explores this twofold process through an analysis of available statistical data combined with findings from a fouryear ethnography conducted in a Tokyo public housing project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]