First Day - The Apartment

The First Time in Your Apartment

For more posts similar to this one, see The Series of Firsts

The first time entering a Japanese style apartment will be a bizarre experience for most people. Yes, they are apartments that have the same general amenities as Western style apartments, but they’re extremely different in many ways. Entering one for the first time will be a different experience for everyone.

It will depend on what apartments are like where you are from and, of course, the style and quality of the apartment in Japan you are moving into. Will you have roommates? If you work for a large English conversation school, and are moving into a company supplied apartment in a large city, then chances are yes. If you are going to a small town in the mountains, then you will have a place to yourself.

The ALT companies usually set you up in your own place. Roommates will have a drastic effect on the way you adapt to your new surroundings. I personally think that adults over 25 years old shouldn't have roommates under any circumstance, but that's just me. More on these creatures in a later post – “the supplied roommates.”

Regardless of the roommate situation, rest assured that you will feel one thing as soon as you open the door – slightly claustrophobic. You will feel larger than your normal self for a few moments. Everything will feel small and narrow. The apartment may have a strange scent (usually from the tatami floors - or your filthy new roommates). If it’s your own apartment and you’re in an urban area, you will not be able to describe how small it is to people back home. Pictures and videos will ultimately actually make it look larger, but it will be unimaginably small, and you will need to actually be standing in it to believe it.

There will be no beds, sparse or no furniture at all and wicked tiny closets. You won’t care about the size when you first move in; it will be just another new, strange and intriguing discovery for you to savor during your first few days and weeks in Japan. However, if you spend a lot of time inside your new roach motel, the walls will inevitably tart to creep in on you. But, you’re in Japan!! Get outside and experience the damn place!!!

There’s really not too much to tell about the Japanese apartments. The major differences are the following:

·         No ovens – learn to use a toaster oven.

The Fish Grill

·         Or, learn to use the fish broiler below the range.

·         No beds (unless you are lucky) – learn to sleep on a thin Japanese futon, not the fat soft Western style futon couch thing.

A Japanese Futon

·         A small deck (‘veranda’) that is socially unacceptable to use for anything besides drying laundry.

·         No carpeting – ever! If you do have some ‘carpeting’ in your apt. then it will be super thin and look something you might find in a school or a store.

·         No water heater – 99% of Japanese apartments have on-demand water heating systems. You will love this!!

·         Wicked awesome water pressure!

·         A small refrigerator – better learn to go shopping a bit more often then you are used to.

·         Doors open out (so you don’t bump the shoes)

·         Separate room for the toilet bowl.

Have you eaten yet? You’re probably a bit hungry! So after getting relatively settled in your new abode, if you haven’t down so already, you’re probably ready for your first meal…….. Good Luck!

Do you have a question about Japan or a topic that you are interested in that you haven't found on this blog? If so, please tell me about it in a comment. I will get a post up about it as soon as possible. Thanks for reading!!