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Inside Tokyo's WEIRDEST TINY APARTMENT
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- Published on Nov 27, 2021
- Built by a well-known Japanese designer, today we are taking a peek inside Tokyo Japan's weirdest tiny apartment. One of the most interesting and unique buildings I have had the chance to step inside here in Japan. Some units even smaller than the last apartment we visited: ru-clip.com/video/jZ7Bu_SDJgM/video.html
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Where to Send Stuff - As of 10.2021
Norm Nakamura - Tokyo Creative Redhorse Corporation Co. Ltd
1-10-5 Yokoami, Sumida-ku, Tokyo
Kokugikan Front Bldg 2F
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I couldn’t stop laughing when she said “So let me show you around the room” *waves hand* “there it is” that was hilarious
this is how factory farming works. The animals for slaughter are given less and less space. The problem, however, is that we are humans and living as such is unreasonable. The state would have to intervene and ban such "apartments".
I loved her personality and outlook.
and "I usually just sit here at the window looking blank" .. sounds actually divine!
Reminds me of what a great philosopher once said, "No matter where you go, there you are."
I just said that
The way Okazari instantly appreciated the possibilities for the space, I know she will make a fantastic architect. I imagine living where she does helps with that.
She never showed where her bed was? Was it behind that door by her kitchen?
Weird because he showed everyone one else's sleeping area.
@
A total darling
Lovely personality.
6:12 I love how this guy literally just uses everything to his advantage, from the steel beams for a bookshelf, to the most pragmatic and minimalist use of a pole for privacy ever.
I loved his use of houseplants to make it feel like home, and give privacy. With all those windows you could have a jungle in there.
@VesperAegis News & Games
He’s a badass, living in a tiny house but he can watch TV while bathing and not give a damn about missing his favorite shows.
@Daniel Sabrel Absolute boss of his own realm. This is his kingdom.
And he [can] eat meals, drink and watch movies sitting in the bathtub :D
“This bath is everything…”
I laughed harder than I should have.
Still, I like what he did with the place.
His life revolves around the bathtub.
Baths are EVERYTHING!!! 😂❤️
Yup the plants were a nice touch...
I love how excited the young lady was over the apartment she went to see. She even took pictures! I'm wondering if she moved to that apartment after this video. Would be fun to see a follow up video if she did.
I wondered the same thing! Lol
I'm sure she has twitter
Okazaki seems to have a lovely view on life, enjoying the small things and maximizing the most out of the least. When she started talking about waiting to see the cats walk by, it just shows how the littlest moments of joy can be so big!
@theNimboo You're not wrong 😆 She is very adorable!
She literally talked like an anime character lol, that cat thing was definitely something I'd hear in an anime. And the way she makes that surprised sound when she first walks in a room and then makes some cute little comment lol that was adorable I really like her
Okazaki’s energy is infectious, it was so cute hearing how excited she was about each space. I wish the best for her.
The first guy had decorated the apartment so well that i actually wouldn't mind living in that tiny space
It looked great with the plants
Feels like she's gonna be a great architect. In just few moment, she's already throwing in her perspectives about the room and how to improve it and she notices every little tiny detail for the room you showed her.
never really thought that there are such tiny apartments here in japan.
Tokyo especially has many tiny apartments, similar to these, but lacking the nice design aspect. Those are called "aparto" and much more challenging (depressing) to live in, as they don't have the window/ fresh air aspect.
I could live in Okazaki's room specifically. The others are a little too weird for my tastes. Size wise though I don't mind at all. In Australia I have a huge house, but in Japan I like to keep it minimal. Great video
This is helped with how well Japan takes care of their public and communal spaces. They are content with spending most of their time outside so the tiny apartment is not such an issue. It’s such a reverse from my situation where public places around me are uninteresting and hard to access so I’d rather just stay inside all day.
She's so happy to explore the other apartments, is really nice to watch :)
My appreciation/view for smaller living spaces has changed after this video. Recently due to sudden life events we went from living in a single family home to a small apartment. It's smaller so it really forces us to think of more creative and efficient ways to store things. Because of that it's more tidy than our old house.
The Ueda-san and Okazaki-san's view on spaces was such an eye opener. I wouldn't mind living here. I don't need a big home, just a home that makes sense to me.
I loved how the empty apartments seemed cold and non-functional, but seeing Ueda-san and Okazaki-san's living spaces, they were little homes. And how Okazaki-san immediately saw how to inhabit the empty room, that was really fun.
Ueda Kun
Yeah I wouldn't really live there I'm not judging there homes btw
They really brough life into such little space. Makes me feel like I'm wasting space in my apartment.
@Eamonn Neeson
Well. Seeing as how a quarter of the entire population of Japan lives in the greater tokyo metro, that'sa lotta people for one city. Also, specifically the city this video is about. Other cities and towns in Japan don't work like this. Even Osaka doesn't really do the tiny apts like this unless it's intentional avant garde architecture concept units in which case their oddity is what adds value for people trying them out. There's so much public space and amenities that for students like these only needing a place before they find work and start families, this makes a lot of sense. Their fantastic attitude and outlook of doing more with less is something everyone could do better with more of.
@Eamonn Neeson The same could be said for a suprising amount of cities in the world.
But few come up with quality solutions like Japan.
The usual approach is a mix of highrise concrete buildings, mixed with large rundown areas/ slums further outside the city center.
Okazaki is so adorable and positive about everything, I like how both architecture students were able to turn the small spaces into something unique and amazing.
So when I was a fashion model in Tokyo in the early 90s, I now see that my accommodations were luxury compared to those spaces. I remember my booker from the agency telling me how small their apartments were in Tokyo.
I have lived in some tiny spaces similar to the ones in the video, and it was actually pretty nice. My main requirement for a small space living is to have a solid division between the “bathroom” and the rest of the apartment/loft. Everything else I can pretty much deal with.
I love this video. I complain so much about not having enough things like money, time, items, space etc. And then you see people Okazaki who really put things in perspective. Her enthusiasm and way at looking at things is so infectious. Again, I love this video😊😊😊
Can you imagine how good architect Okazaki will be? She immediately have seen the opportunities even in the most awkward spaces.
She is very gifted 💗
I loved her expressions of delight in each place.
Yes agree
I hope Okazaki becomes famous.
Yes indeed 🙂
I would guess the mystery hole was for the air-conditioning to reach the level below and to not freeze the person sleeping in the loft
What I like in those appartements is the fact that they are all different and centered around different things.
After living in different appartements (12m2 to 20m2), I realised that I wanted one that felt a little bit weird, that was special in more than one way. I am tired of generic appartements that all feel more or less the same, it's like I can't enjoy living in them that much. That video reminded me of that.
I hope I will find one one day ^^
That was so cool to see how they live. Like she said having a small place means you don't accumulate a bunch of stuff. And easier to clean.
I love the Japanese culture. The Honor they all hold is really something I wish all cultures strided to uphold.
Bravo all you awesome people!
Okazaki san was the perfect person to inspect these tiny apartments with
Did he tap that?
she has a similar perspective as me who also lives in a small apt haha
Okazaki san is cute and has so much enthusiasm
Agreed
Asian thing
I love her honesty. She seems like a really chill person, and very positive. I looked around and just thought nope.
That guy's apartment thing was really nice. I love the vegetation he has going on.
All tenants are so positive! Love their energy ❤️
i love how they've used every space and in a creative way aswell. using the beams as a book shelf is genius
I like the lady's perspective. Especially what she said about being lazy, how having a small room helps her to be more tidy and organized. I know that would be a definite plus for me.
@lujorom Everyone is different. These kind of spaces are not for everyone. She is an architecture student though so I can see how she would come up with those ideas.
I can see her perspective. I find it more interesting that both are architect students which may help explain why they find the place interesting to temporarily live in.
Small is beautiful. Less is more.
… they can’t even sit in the toilet…
She might be my spirit animal
as my first apartment especially while in college id be totally fine with living in a place like this
I love how it's all about how to appreciate the space you do have. There's something so rewarding about effective utilisation of space.
As an architect, I really like the concept and the spatial approach to 'how do we live?'. Could you pls mention the architects' name in the description? Thank you
I loved her energy exploring spaces, so nice to see how people use space!
I loved Okazaki-san’s energy and the way she imagines using the space. All these apartments are interesting, thanks for showing them to us Norm.
shes so cute omg
E na ju el mustang
She's sweet!
@Tribizz92 you must be american
@Kuri You dont need to be architecture student to see these things,xD it has nothing to do with it. I always do, and my fiance even 10 times more than me, lol and we are not architecture or anything related xD
This video was so fun! I loved the people in them and the girl was so great with her imagination about how to use the space. Guess that is why she’s in architecture! Lol
Okazaki was so sweet! I was in Yokosuka many years ago, and that was my first exposure to Japanese culture. Seeing this video just took me back like it was yesterday. I miss Japan so much! Thank you for sharing the layouts and having the tenants share their thoughts too!
I would honestly like to live in Okazaki's apartment, I think it would fit my needs
Loved seeing her excitement. Such great energy.
Awesome video, great to see inside a place where someone is living and having their take on an empty unit was so cool 👍🏾
Keep up the great work
I like how open she is; It feels like everything works well for her.
I can see myself living in that last unit with the long counter/table top. I would absolutely need tatami mats everywhere. My goal in life is to one day live in Japan and this would be a great first apartment!
Feeling a new level of thankfulness for my 400-something ft studio apartment. Suddenly it feels so spacious and luxurious. 😂 I guess it’s all about perspective!
I luv her perspective. I think I could live in one of those units. You have to be creative and at the same time downsize, which I always appreciate because I don’t like being stuck to items. As long as my personal hygiene is available and I have a comfortable mattress to sleep on than the rest is optional. I mean entertainment is available on your phone or laptop now a days. 🎼 📺 👍
I gotta say I love how excited she is & it was hilarious when she said "Let me show you around.. There it is" 🤣 she's adorable!
What the heck! Okazaki is so adorable and a total mood.. I kinda wish everything I needed was within arms reach so I wouldn’t have to move from staring blankly out the window 😂
She was adorable and Interesting. Seeing the apartments are great seeing them with the renter even better cause you can really see how it’s utilized
I actually really liked the woman's room the most. And I liked the idea of the guy's room with the tub and his bed being above him. He had it decorated nicely, not that there's alot to decorate, but it looked very crisp and clean. Very minimalistic. Depending on my situation & finances, if I needed to save money I would prolly rent one of those apartments. I mean, you get all the main necessities you need in life, aside from no kitchen nor washer/dryer. To someone not wanting much & just needing a place to lay their head at night & clean themselves, then this would be the perfect place.
@Mihail Milev WHAT, I live in Vienna 10 mins by foot from the city centre and my apartment costs a bit under 900 dollars for 750 square feet... and lower rent is still always a topic at elections. The prices u named are absolutly shocking to me, how can anyone afford to live there?
@Mihail Milev I have a studio in Chicago that costs $900 a month, it's roughly 200 square feet. I think it's a little overpriced, but has everything in it. I'd live in one of these happily!
Zi😀
@Mihail Milev Come to think of it🤔, I've never seen apartments THAT tiny either, ever.
@INFERNO THE GAMER how is it in Tokyo?
i would honestly love to try to live in these spaces, i love them.
I love how the first apartment can be entered via the main door and then its own door - but also has a door right next to that leading directly outside. So you can open 2 doors to get in, or just 1.
This tiny living things is actually my dream home😭💖 simple, easy to tidy up, easy to reach or find something, and you don't have any need to buy more and more to make it full because it is already full enough 🥰
I've lived in a place as small as these in Dublin. Bed didn't fit so I got a sleeping mat and would roll it out in the evening. I agree with the woman in the video, the more space you have, the more stuff you have and the more you need to clean.
Both tenants had such incredible energy like "I do everything in the bath" "when I'm not in the bath I'm outside" and "I'm especially lazy" "I just sit and stare out the window for hours" like YES these are my people
They just get it
Weird
@sanzo21 My grandmother had a lovely farmhouse, pretty good size, with lots of land... Her favorite thing to do was to sit on her front porch and just look at the landscape. That's what this girl who likes to relax by gazing out her window reminds me of. I'm not sure how you think you know anyone's mind besides your own.
@ItsThyDanny lol I find it even more depressive when someone tells me that they are happy with their life because they at least have a window to stare the whole day
You forgot the "There's not a kitchen here but whatever it's not like I wanted ot eat or something like that"
This was so cool and interesting plus she was fun to watch as she went through the other rooms
I looove uniquely designed spaces and I definitely see, how they reinterpreted "living" and how it means a different thing to everyone.Just goes to show, how different people have individualy "weird" preferences and "no-go"s even when it comes to the most basic things like toilet, bed and kitchen.
These are tiny and I love them!! This would keep me from cluttering up my space!
I love the rooms! I respect the students and it makes sense for their budgets. I hope the lady moves into the larger space if she likes it!
The only one of those apartments I could imagine living in is Okazaki’s apartment. It’s the only one with a sectioned off bathroom and it has a kitchen space. It’s also not weirdly shaped and you can move around easily (except in the bathroom lol). The living room area is versatile since you study in there relax, eat food or you can put out a futon and sleep.
Same
My SO would 100% pick the bathtub though, he loves baths too much! XD Japanese love their baths, they have numerous hot spring onsen across the country and public baths like Spa World, and even the (now gone) famous Oedo onsen where they have the occassional anime collaboration, an arcade/fun area and eating spots like a tiny village inside with numerous types of baths as well.
Saaame, I just need that spacey open space where I feel like I could do anything, especially sprawling on the floor :P
@Ben Ghazi If only that's enough to deal the smell and steam.
@WistyGames There are curtains or screens, you can even put up the same "walls" as Okazaki had.
This was such a good video and such a wonderful way to get to know these two lovely Japanese persons
Thanks so much
glad you enjoyed it!
I would genuinely love to live in the first house tho
It's the ultimate minimalist room I love it
The whole apartment seems like a great place for architecture students to live there briefly and learn to make the most out of spaces- very cool
the second room that you showed was by far my favorite and really didn't look that bad
The first tenant was really proud of his bath time. But Okazaki-san really took it to another level. She was really positive. Rather than feeling bad that its small, I feel good about it being small.
@Rpodnee sexual innuendos heh?
@Andy Smith btw i got xbox (400$ so overpriced tho) now :) just feelin the 100gb downloads ..
@Aritra Dhabal congrats! ..I know how frustrating it is to get one without turning to the scalpers.
@Andy Smith man I just watched a Xbox video and here your comment here lol, eagerly waiting for my Xbox to get delivered today 😂
Omg This is so pretty especially the view in the air you must get is amazing soo lucky!! I can imagine all the fun decorating will be here
if you live alone, and don't have friends that come over then this is perfect! I actually really like these apartments, and they're cute too
What a fun video this was to watch! Thank you Norm and Okazaki san!!!
I think I would enjoy such an apartment. Clean, bright, straight to the point and minimalistic.
both the students living there are studying architecture, they know how to plan their living place. and I think it is great to live in a place like this, well, not really too cramp and has all the things you need for a cheaper price (maybe?). A great personal space to relax, let your imagination free or wait for the cats to come across, love it
I think, as future architects, they must just enjoy the challenge of making tiny spaces work and being innovative and creative with it.
@Lena Luthor's Wife in my opinion they only fit things that they need. As Okazaki-san said, even if you have a bigger house, you will fill it with unnecessary items. With a small room, you have to tidy things up. I mean it's great to have space to discover new things, but the students in the video can be creative in their room, they even have plants
yah actually after seeing them putting their things it doesnt look that small I mean is okay
Can totally see y they r architecture major. They use the space well n managed to make a tiny room looks nice n cozy. The girl is super likeable too. ♡
The lady had such a positive attitude and found something great in every tiny space.
The first one honestly looks like a prison cell. The second one is really oddly designed and impractical to live in. The one with the big bathtub is just a bathroom. It's a nice enough bathroom, but still impractical to live in. The last one isn't too bad, it has all the essentials and even has a separate bathroom with a door, if you don't own much it's perfectly fine, you could even have a guest over which you couldn't really do in any of the other ones because what do you do if someone needs to use the bathroom?
Can't help but think that it would've been better to have a shared bathroom and kitchen with each apartment being dedicated to just living space (living room/bed). I wouldn't hire that architect, the layout was clearly not well thought out.
I love it :) but I guess I am that weirdo that would totally be okay with a small space, but living in where I see people in these 30,000 sqft homes and just....Why? I want to buy a bus and turn it into a rolling home for myself
Love Ueda’s apartment, “if I’m not in the bath, I’m outside”. His plants and his books made the space seem full of life and personality. If I lived there I’d think about a custom board to fit over the bath, then it could be a table/seating area maybe? But he obviously loves bath time so having it as is makes sense! Thanks for showing us around.
You could use the toilet as a walkie-talkie to communicate with other rooms or you can prepare salad in it to make it more multi factional.
I would hate having the open toilet like that but as long as he’s not bothered by it more power to him! Love the plants tho makes it feel much more homey
I actually saw a video some time ago with a woman residing in a tiny space and her tub was in the middle of her living area. It had a nice, heavy duty removable wooden topper that doubled as her table.
This room should really have a large wine rack within arms reach...
Very good idea, with that it would make room for about 2 guests or so for drinks. Great to read such ideas.
he could also get a fold out "door" for his bathroom if he ever feels the want to have guests.
I just thought my single wide mobile home was small. This really makes me thankful for my space!
Love how positive this video is!
Okazaki has such a great vibe I loved her cute little apartment 💕
I love how honest, humble and cute Okazaki is
Both of the students were so gracious to show everyone their living spaces. They each used their own space to help maximize the use of the small space the had. They didn't seem to mind living in a small place, both looked content with their own space, although I do believe Okasaki-san may have wanted that that loft space after seeing it lol! I enjoyed both of them! Thank you to both of them for sharing their homes with us!
does anyone know if they’ve plugged in their instagrams ?
1k likes and no replies, well that's rare
The girl had a good point.. smaller places are easier to maintain. I love the freedom of creativity in any space, so from an artistic standpoint.. I would love to stay in one of these nifty lil abodes.
The tiny apartments work for people who aren’t home often and just need a place to sleep and rest from a long day. So it makes sense why they have these in Japan.
Wow that was so amazing. What an exceptionally interesting take too. Very cool video!
i want to be friends with Okazaki, genuinely. we have such similar personalities and i too study architecture 🌻really cool video!
I had to laugh when Okazaki-san mentioned "So im basically just sitting here staring out of the window", but what she said after was very relatable about ending up owning to much if you're in a bigger place. She's so genuine
"The more things you own, the more those things start owning you." -something like that, from Fight Club.
@Sue Jones well i meant owning a big house to me sounds great and i can have all that space and well if your fit like me to clean stuff up😌
@Thomas Corfield Daydreaming.
@Thomas Corfield same 😂
I like her. I’m lazy too. I can’t keep up with this big house
super video, thanks a lot. you definitely need to ask okazaki-san to come back and do other architecture tours with you. arigato!
I love big bedrooms…but we are different.(From Europe.) Thank you for the video. It was very interesting.😀
I'm 6 feet tall, 200 + lbs so all those rooms would be hell for me, but I can see the positive points in living in a small space, low rent (better be low) lack of clutter, easy to keep clean.
I'm not surprised at the size of those apartments, everything I've seen from Japanese architecture and culture tells me they utilize every space.
That girl is adorable! You should have her your units with you once in awhile. Her enthusiasm and optimism is contagious.
Ms. Okazaki was sooo cuteee her reactions to every rooms are sooo precious 🤧 💕
Lovely couple of occupants! They even made the apartments seem appealing!
These are practically cells! So interesting to see how the different residents utilize it
I wonder if Okazaki has an Instagram or something cx. She did say she’s an architect student so it’ll be cool to see what she accomplish
I love how much the young man loves his bath tub 😂 He will definitely be incorporating that into his dream house in the future! There is no going back haha it's so interesting to see tiny apartments in Japan, I myself spent a few years in one just a little bigger than those shown here!
He’s just being polite. You can tell how he really feels when he talks about keeping the windows open. Wax lyrical all you want about cultural differences and so on but the simple truth is that cramped dwellings like this cause severe strain on one’s mental health. It’s like a supermax cell with more amenities.
He'd probably take the tub with him if he could 🤣🤣🤣
@KLondike5 omg you're so right
I thought of the guy in Truman Show that was always in his tub while he was watching TV.
A Murat in the making looool!
I love the concept of this apartment building.
It really helps you be thankful for the homes that you have but I absolutely crave these kind of videos because I want to do something in the house in history but I also don’t know like if I want to be an architect, an interior designer, really anything I just don’t know what I want to do so it’s good to look at these kind of videos and get inspiration
Amazing what you can do if you need to. I was homeless for 6 months living on someone's floor so those apartments would have suited me just fine
Back in college I would love to have the first apartment tho💗 hahaha hated room sharing but it was the cheapest option
I love seeing the different styles of housing all around the world.
Mreeow
Look at chile we have little solid antisismic houses all closed with metal fences.
Weeee my favorite youtube kitteh is here!
Butter! Meow
Butters❤️
This house really took every space seriously 😁
This place would be amazing to live in when you’re a university student pre pandemic!! 😳😳
I'm in Seattle. If it meant I get to live alone paying less than 75% of my income on rent, yes. I'd totally live here
woah before i watched the video, just by reading the title, i was like, yeah i can prolly live here no matter how weird it looks like, then came to watch it and im in shock xD as an architect im also curious how they came up with the space design and orientation, i was also surprised that two architecture students lived there as well! they, of all people should know the japanese building codes, etc. so im glad to hear from their perspective, how they view the weird place they're living in. thanks for the content!