There are a variety of residential styles outside of cities owing in part to the interaction with rural landscapes and tradition rural settlement form.  In Canada where there is a strong connection with Europe, the large non-farm estate has been one cultural type of housing in the rural-urban fringe.  In Japan, on the other hand, high density tract housing developments have traditionally been found outside of cities.  But cultural changes are occurring owing to globalization.  On both sides of the Pacific housing types are changing in the rural-urban fringe.  The purpose of this paper is to examine the cultural differences between the Canadian and Japanese rural-urban fringe and how this relates to the appearance of the residential landscape.  I review the literature and supplement it with landscape observations and newspaper advertising. The preliminary results are that although rural landscapes outside of cities are increasingly being valued for their ecological and recreational qualities in Japan, the rural-urban fringe is still valued as a cheap place to live.  As Canada’s ethnic mix changes we see a greater cultural variety of people living in the fringe; however, the estate home is still highly valued.  The principal conclusion is that these cultural differences persist; however, multifamily dwellings are increasing in the fringes of both countries with adjustments for a more environmentally and elder friendly living environment.