FLIP Guide
FLIP © COPYRIGHT ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

FLIP GuideFLIP Guide

  • Start here!
  • Your local friends
    • Facebook Community
    • Friends
    • Let’s talk!
  • Our Services
    • FLIP Starter Pack
    • FLIP Tours
    • Japan Travel Assistant
    • Move to Japan Assistant
  • Explore Japan Nightlife
  • Blogs
  • Account
    • Login
    • Register

No Space? No Problem! 5 ways to optimise small Japanese homes

Saturday, 02 May 2020 / Published in Blogs
No Space No Problem 5 ways to optimise small Japanese homes

Hi y’all! I’m Mio, a Japanese-American and recent graduate of Sophia University, which is located in the heart of Tokyo! Since moving to Japan nearly five years ago, I’ve enjoyed my student life to the fullest with all that Japan has to offer, and I’m now getting to experience Japan as a shakaijin (社会人, member of society i.e. a working person). Whether you’re still a student, living in Japan, or even just visiting Japan, I hope my insider tips will be useful to help you optimise space with storage and other items in a Japanese home with amazing Japanese homeware tools!

Mio Yamada with camera

Content

  • Mio Yamada
  • Living in Japan
  • Kitchen
    • Storage unit
    • Wall racks
    • Clear storage unit
  • Living room and Bedroom
  • Where to find these items? 

Mio Yamada

Content Creator

Mio Yamada is a freelance bilingual writer, photographer, editor, and content contributor in the Japanese tourism industry since the beginning of her university days at Sophia University.

    Living in Japan

    one room japanese apartment … (With images) | Apartment interior ...
    Credit: Pinterest

    When people imagine living in Japan, some may imagine living in a modern high-rise apartment while others may imagine a more traditional Japanese home with wooden interiors.

    Regardless of what you may have had in mind, now that you’ve moved in you’re probably looking to decorate and spruce up your new place, or maybe you packed too many boxes and have started binge watching Konmari. With the quarantine rules and coronavirus concerns, many of us are now stuck in tiny studios or at best, a 1LDK.

    So today I want to dive into the art of decorating and organizing a small Japanese home to make it feel a little more spacious, and where you can find these items!

    Let’s start with one of my favorite rooms in the house: The Kitchen.

    Kitchen

    Strange kitchen contraption | The Japans
    Credit: The Japans

    If you’re like me and cook a lot at home, or are trying to learn more recipes during this lockdown, a disorganized kitchen can make cooking a hassle and sometimes it gets so mendokusai (めんどくさい, troublesome) that you end up ordering UberEats instead.

    Storage unit

    Credit: Nitori

    The space under your sink might be small but thanks to the height of sinks, a portable and multi-level shelf like the one below will allow you to stack pots, pans, canned food, and other non-perishable items. Unlike a regular kitchen shelf, this doesn’t take up any floor space in the kitchen or get in the way of a walkway, perfect for small Japanese homes.

    If you want to get this Japanese homeware online, you can check it here:https://a.r10.to/hzxy1v

    [商品価格に関しましては、リンクが作成された時点と現時点で情報が変更されている場合がございます。]

    シンク下伸縮棚 USD-2V キッチン用品/収納/小物収納〔キッチン収納 シンク 整理 小物収納 食品 食品庫 調味料 調理器具 鍋 なべ フライパン〕 アイリスオーヤマ
    価格:2261円(税込、送料無料) (2020/4/30時点)

    楽天で購入

    Wall racks

    Credit: Nitori

    For items you don’t want to store under the sink, I recommend small attachable wall racks for spices and cooking utensils you use most often. This way, the items you use the most will be right in front of you while you cook, optimise space and this eliminates the need of opening up different cabinets to search for that one spice you always misplace.

    If you want to get this Japanese homeware online, you can check it here: https://a.r10.to/hIs1Ox

    [商品価格に関しましては、リンクが作成された時点と現時点で情報が変更されている場合がございます。]

    【数量限定価格】突っ張りキッチンラック 棚 3段 棚板ステンレス製 燕三条製 キッチン収納 つっぱりラック 突っ張りラック 突っ張り棚 つっぱり 突っ張り スパイスラック 収納 シンク上 キッチンラック シンクサイド 川口工器 日本製
    価格:9500円(税込、送料無料) (2020/4/30時点)

    楽天で購入

    Clear storage unit

    Credit: Nitori

    Using clear storage boxes to store smaller items on the rack or in the pantry, is a personal recommendation of mine. When we buy items and store them away, we tend to forget them as they’re not out in the open. Clear storage boxes allow you to see exactly what you put in them every time you open the pantry or cabinets, and that alone will remind you of items you have to use up before the expiration date!

    If you want to get this Japanese homeware online, you can check it here: https://a.r10.to/hIUpdY

    [商品価格に関しましては、リンクが作成された時点と現時点で情報が変更されている場合がございます。]

    保存容器 ハンディストッカー 浅型 取っ手付き ( 保存ケース 収納ストッカー キッチンストッカー 食品 保存 収納容器 収納ケース プラスチック保存容器 収納 乾物ストッカー 吊り戸棚 ストッカー 乾物 )
    価格:568円(税込、送料別) (2020/4/30時点)

    楽天で購入

    Now, let’s move on to the living room and bedroom. 

    Living room and Bedroom

    The biggest challenge of decorating your living room and bedroom in your small Japanese home is trying to make the space feel open and larger than it actually is, which is hard to do when your apartment is less than 500 square feet, but it’s not entirely impossible. 

    Credit: Nitori

    A slim but full-length mirror creates an illusion of a bit more space and adds a bit of charm to the room as well. You can match the color of the frame with other cabinets or wall colors in the home so that it blends in nicely with the flow of the room. Nowadays, there are also mirrors that you can hang from a door, which further frees up floor space!

    If you want to get this Japanese homeware online, you can check it here: https://a.r10.to/hInhtt

    [商品価格に関しましては、リンクが作成された時点と現時点で情報が変更されている場合がございます。]

    ミルオ君の ドア掛けミラー エコPSフレーム 高さ調節式 飛散防止 省スペース ホワイト ブラック 女子でも簡単取付け スリムミラー 吊り下げタイプ ミラー 鏡 全身 軽い 壁掛け おしゃれ ウォールミラー 吊り下げミラー 全身ミラー 壁掛けミラー ミラー 壁掛け
    価格:4980円(税込、送料無料) (2020/4/30時点)

    楽天で購入
    Credit: Nitori

    Clear shoebox storage cases are great to help optimise space. At first glance, they seem boring and almost random, but just like with items in the pantry and kitchen, being able to see what shoes you have without opening up every box is a huge time saver during the morning rush. 

    If you want to get this Japanese homeware online, you can check it here: https://a.r10.to/hIa3bU

    [商品価格に関しましては、リンクが作成された時点と現時点で情報が変更されている場合がございます。]

    全国送料無料 6個 シューズボックス クリアシューズケース 透明 硬質 シューズケース シューズラック 靴 収納 スリム 靴収納ボックス 新生活 積み重ね 下駄箱 靴棚 クロゼット 玄関 クリアボックス 収納ボックス クリアケース 靴収納 霜山
    価格:4980円(税込、送料無料) (2020/4/30時点)

    楽天で購入

    Where to find these items? 

    All of the above-mentioned Japanese homeware tools to help you optimise space can be found at furniture and home goods stores such as Nitori, Loft, Tokyu Hands, and even at Daiso! Obviously, the options at Daiso are much less costly but the mentioned major retailers do offer a higher quality finish or customization of colour, type of wood, and even delivery options. All of which are critical factors to consider now with the quarantine rules in place!

    Find out more about tips on travelling or living in Japan. If you have any questions or want to get in touch, feel free to DM us on Instagram or message us on Facebook Messenger! We would love to talk with you!

    What you can read next

    Don Quijote, Everything you need to know about this Japanese megastore
    An evening of bar hopping with Venese
    Japanese Culture The Way of the Samurai
    The Way of the Samurai: Discover Japanese Culture

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published.

    Get your free gifts!

    Recent Posts

    • Earthquakes in Japan: Resources and How to Prepare for the “Big One”

    • Are the Japanese two-faced? Navigating honne and tatemae

    • Robot smile syndrome in Japan

      Japan’s Smile Mask Syndrome and omotenashi

    • Japanese-pod-101

      JapanesePod101 Review on this Japanese learning platform

    • Preply review Japanese language

      Preply review: Honest review on this Japanese language platform

    Get in touch with us

    If you have any questions or any help, feel free to reach out to us, we would love to hear from you!

    Chat with us

    Get FLIP Now!

    Tokyo Nightlife Guide

    App Store
    Google Play
    FLIP Guide Mobile App
    FLIP GUIDE

    FLIP Japan Guide is your local friend, here to help you with your Japan Travel, Move to Japan, Japanese language and Japanese culture.

    Navigation

    • About Us
    • Places
    • Blogs
    • Community
    • Facebook Comunity
    • Affiliate Disclaimer
    • Contact Us
    • Terms and Conditions

    Top Posts

    • Japan’s Problem with Paris, the Paris Syndrome
    • 7 rules of what NOT to do on the Tokyo subway
    • My “Terrace House” Story, what It’s Like Living in a Share house in Tokyo
    • 10 common mistakes people make when studying Japanese
    • Solo Travel Tips in Japan by Tokyo local
    • Everything you need to know before a night out in Tokyo
    • 8 Unique Japanese Gifts, the perfect last-minute presents to get online
    • Corporate Life in Japan: The Everyday Grind of Working in Japan
    • Japan and the beauty of WALKING, Explore through walking in Japan

    COPYRIGHT © 2021 FLIP GUIDE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

    TOP
    fb-share-icon
    Follow Me
    Tweet

    Login

    Sign in to your account
    • connect with Facebook
    or
    Create New Account
    Lost password?