Japanese homebuilders are quietly staking a bigger claim in the US — and they’re no longer fringe players. After years of small, under-the-radar deals, a surge of acquisitions has pushed Japanese firms to the brink of controlling about 6% of American home construction, marking a sharp shift in who is shaping the nation’s housing pipeline.  Since 2020, they have struck 23 deals for US single-family builders, which is more than double the pace of the prior seven years, while also scooping up