Before I start … I do have a post already on where I like to buy furniture and other interior accessories in Tokyo here.
But what about if you’re in a really really small house in Japan?
That was me for more than 5 years, during the time I was in Japan on a working holiday visa and then again while I was getting my career up and running in my early 20s.
I literally had one room. One.
The washing machine was included in the little bathroom “cupboard” and, good news? ! I could push the washing machine buttons while using the toilet! Convenient, right?
And in my second teeny tiny home, my bed literally folded up into the wall.
But guess what?
I freaking LOVED my tiny little homes
.. and you want to know something? Even the RICH people in (the city in) Japan live in tiny apartments. I mean, they might have a couple of extra small rooms and their building might have a fancy pants lobby and their toilet might wash their dishes or something … but … their actual living space isn’t a gallery or usually even a sleigh bed with heaps of room either side.
It’s because space for living is just viewed differently in Japan.
When I was an exchange student in Kurashiki, I was surprised when I saw my host family’s house for the first time.
Don’t get me wrong, it was cutest and most well-organized home I had ever seen.
But, even though it was free standing and it had land on all four sides,it was pretty small… to me… to my Aussie eyes.
It was two-stories and kind of look like a Japanese version of a picture-book stable from the outside. But the stairs up to the second floor were practically a ladder.
But once I adjusted I grew to adore that “little” home. I was easy to keep tidy. It was so well cared for – every corner.
There was not a cupboard that didn’t have a purpose … or a drawer that didn’t get a wipe clean ever few days ( not because my host-parents were especially over the top about cleaning.. but because there just weren’t that many drawers at all. )
This was the ultimate Mari-Kondo’ing before Mari Kondo probably knew she was Mari Kondo at all ( I know on her books it is Marie …but … no one in Japan is actually called Marie… unless their name might be pronounced Ma-ri-e? maybe? )
There are so many positives to living in a really small space.
Here are a few…
- It is really easy to clean.
Really easy to keep pretty. No jokes, I never needed to change power points on the vacuum cleaner. - It is really cheap to furnish.
Obviously. Basically, if you want to make the most of your space, you will need to do it the way that Japanese people do it. Your furniture should mostly fold up and be put away so that the space can be repurposed. Fold up those futons, pull out a.little table and bam! your bedroom is now your dining room.
The other options is make sure your bed is lush and cushy enough to double as a sofa. Your tv can also be your computer. - It’s really easy/cheap to change your look completely.
- Your energy bills are less than if you had more space.
And, even then, I used to still try and save more by taking my homework to my closest family restaurant and buy a 300 yen drink bar and make it last with hot cocoa after hot cocoa in winter and take advantage of their cozy warm heating in the cold months. - You get to make it your own… and if you change your mind? It’s soooo easy to change it up.
Let’s say you have a style change – you no longer love that everything is neutral, for example. It’s going to cost so little money to switch chairs, doona/duvet covers, vases and picture frames. Same goes for if you want to mix up where your furniture goes – so easy to try out every way possible when you have a little space to work with.
There are some great instagram accounts to go to for inspiration like @design_room_official or @make_my_room.me or @sumica.mag that show really cool examples of truly creative and elegant ways to make a small space your own ( and they are Japanese accounts so their furniture options are real options that you can actually buy here.) - If you love neutral, simple and innovative storage ideas I also recommend following the instagram account @namytone as well.
