The Center for Better Living (CBL) was established as a foundation, the ‘Jyutaku Buhin Kaihatsu Center’ in 1973, after being granted approval from the Ministry of Construction (currently known as the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) with the aim of contributing to improvement in living standards of its citizens. In the following year of 1974, CBL started work on certifying Quality Housing Components (BL Components) and their dissemination after getting designated as an organization to evaluate BL Components.
CBL opened a Performance Test Laboratory in 1981 focusing on housing components related items in Tsukuba city and then aimed at developing and improving various test and research functions. Furthermore, CBL dealt with matters including the dissemination of ISO management system standards, the revision of the Building Standards Law, the establishment of the Housing Quality Assurance Act and the Building Energy Efficiency Act, and extended our business to implementing a variety of assessment work.
CBL changed its name to ‘Better Living’ in 1988 and was transformed into a general incorporated foundation in 2011 due to the reform of the public-interest corporations system.
Currently, as a fair and neutral third-party organization, CBL conscientiously performs survey research as well as work for evaluating, testing and registering the design, construction, components and materials for buildings including housing.
As Japanese society has a decreasing and elderly population, initiatives are being urgently sought for the decreasing birth rate and aging population, and the preservation of the global environment as well as safety and security. These issues also influence the state of housing and construction.
CBL will more than ever face these issues head on from the position of a standards certification and test research organization for housing and buildings and will continue to contribute towards the realization of a better home, a better living environment and better construction.