This Is Japan
Explore everyday life in Japan
Japanese kitchens tend to be small, narrow galley kitchens. Like every rule, there are exceptions, but by and large, a cramped galley kitchen with little to no counter and storage space is standard in Japan.
There is one feature, however, that greatly helps with the lack of kitchen space here and that is a trap door in the floor of the kitchen that leads to a root cellar/storage space.
I'm not sure how prevalent this feature actually is, or if it is only regional, I only know that I have seen it in many, if not all of the houses I have been and lived in in Japan and that I have seen it in some apartments as well.
Often, the space tends to be quite small, less than one square meter, but I have seen some with fold out stairs in them that have led to actual rooms with low ceilings and lights. A lot of what you get depends on the building you live in and the amount of space that is beneath your kitchen.
In my house, we use this space to keep extra drinks. I have seen other people use it as a root cellar for keeping rice, potatoes, and other foods. I have also seen people who simply use it as a place to keep their garbage until it can be disposed of, particularly cans, bottles, and plastics, which aren't picked up as frequently as burnable garbage.
Regardless of how it gets used, I think many people will agree, this is a convenient feature and space to have. Maybe it's something you will find yourself wanting now that you have seen it.
Image Credits: The images in this post are original.
This is an ongoing series that will explore various aspects of daily life in Japan. My hope is that this series will not only reveal to its followers, image by image, what Japan looks like, but that it will also inform its followers about unique Japanese items and various cultural and societal practices. If you are interested in getting regular updates about life in Japan, please consider following me at @boxcarblue. If you have any questions about life in Japan, please don’t hesitate to ask. I will do my best to answer all of your questions.
Sometimes I think one of the main reasons why Japanese love Scandinavian design and vice-versa (I grew up in Copenhagen) has to do with use of space... I remember how 20-30sq m. apartments were pretty common and couples would live in these tiny spaces and yet have everything they needed.
That's interesting. I don't know much about Scandinavian life or design. I didn't realize that space was so limited there. 20-30sq m. isn't much, but it definitely can be enough. Especially when you have places to go and be outside of your apartment. I feel like much of life in Japan is spent away from the home/apartment--mostly at work, school, or some kind of club related space.
They say the cost of living in Japan is high, and I'm sure it is, but it seems like everyone saves money on apartment items, because there is no space available for having a lot of really nice things. So, that seems to help in terms of reducing the number of things you need to buy. I'm guessing of course. :)
Well, Japan has quite a consumer culture and there are definitely no shortage of things to buy: from clothes to furniture, single purpose gadgets and, of course, space saving storage systems, etc. As for furniture, though, you're right. You don't need as much. And when everything is factored in, I would guess that the cost of living here is lower than many other countries. I can't say for sure, but that's my impression. I would never be able to live in the States as I do now in Japan with my current salary.
I really think the idea that Japan has a high cost of living is skewed. Certain things, like hotels and property are expensive, but when all is said and done, I find living here very reasonable. It's just a little different.
Super interesting! Thanks!
Glad you liked it.
I will tell Pnut that you got a fridge in the floor ;-). lol. Pretty smart idea this storage room! I like it!
It's not quite a refrigerator, but it is cool inside.
How do you pronounce Pnut? At first I thought it was short for peanut, but it's your daughter's name, isn't it?
I have a lot of friends in the States who call their children peanut as a nickname. That's why I thought this.
It is Peanut, her nickname 😉. But we use it on daily base, so for a long time when she was really little she did tell everyone that would be her name. She even got mad when somebody used her real name.😂
It is short for Peanut. Okay. Now I feel silly. I thought it was a real name for a second:)
Please don't. Nowadays the weirdest names exist. And we are from all over the world, so could have been that it would be a German name.
very interesting! The space seems really small, but well organised. I like it ^_^
The organization is my wife's doing:)
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nice! I want to visit Japan someday
Save your Steem. Japan is waiting for you.
One day! when I travel the world :D