Small Apartments

Apartments in Japan are notoriously small, but generally I'm pretty satisfied with mine. Most homes do not come with stoves, dishwashers, or driers. At first I missed the wonderous fluffy towels and the easily worn (no need to iron) clothes I pulled from the drier, but nowadays what I miss most is the dishwasher. A few days of skipping on the dishes with 3 roommates leads to quite a mess. Clothes, on the other hand, can be hung inside and ironed in minutes. The extra work is barely noticeable. Stoves, I've never used, and in fact, it is my lack of a microwave that causes the greatest hardship. I am now forced to cook everything on the stovetop or in the rice cooker. I have adapted, but my microwaving habits instilled form youth will return as soon as they can.

The one disappointment is the rather large paper screened wall which represents a bedroom. This room is rather ridiculously situated next to the kitchen. Thus dish washing, tea making and general rummaging for food is a difficult procedure late at night or early in the morning.

It is the loudness that must occur in homes with thin walls that force most gatherings to occur at izakayas or restaurants. Too much noise and your neighbors will be miserable. Likewise in homes where in-laws typically reside with their married children and grandchildren, the search for privacy can lead couples to the infamous Love Hotels where room charges can go by the hour or the evening and everything from big screen TVs to private swimming pools can be found.