It has been more than a year living in Osaka, Japan and I think I have finally settled in pretty well. I finally understood the whole mailing situation (kind of), any payments I might have to take care of, such as my apartment's bicycle parking lot which unfortunately is not free, and I have familiarised myself with my neighbourhood. I can honestly say I love my quaint little studio apartment. Japanese apartments are notoriously on the smaller side, and mine is definitely no different, although I do not see that as something negative. In fact, I appreciate the cosy nature of my apartment. It also means lesser cleaning you need to be concerned with, and who does not like that.
To put in numbers, my apartment is only 23 square metres, which is the norm for studio apartments in Japan. There are also different sorts of layouts, for example, mine is a 1K apartment, meaning it comes with 1 bedroom and a separate kitchen. The number symbolises the number of bedrooms and any additional letters you see after the number means a separate room is present, for example, 'L' for living room or 'D' for separate dining space. On top of that, you can choose from either a single-unit bathroom, where the toilet and bathroom are together, or a separate toilet and bathroom. I have the latter, which is actually different from what I am used to back home but a separate bathroom is quite in demand in Japan apparently. It kind of make sense as single-unit bathrooms are typically smaller and there is no designated wet and dry area. I am not a fan of standing on a wet floor while brushing my teeth or shaving, so having that designated dry area by the sink is a blessing. And lastly, in most studio apartments, you have that one room that serves a multitude of purpose - the bedroom/living room/dining room/office. Because of that, you do need to be mindful of how you utilise the limited space and I do love a good interior design challenge.
Price-wise, my rent for the apartment close to the city, and also a major tourist attraction (I live close by to Osaka Castle), costs about 69,000 Yen. Typical, apartments of this size could range from 50,000 to over 70,000 Yen, depending on how new the building complex is and also how far it is out of the city. Considering my location, and that my apartment building was new when I moved in (I am the first tenant for my apartment), that's why it's on the higher end of the spectrum. However, that said, I save on transportation costs and also I am in close proximity to various amenities, like multiple supermarkets, convenience stores and even a large park. Hence, I think I got what I paid for and can't complain really.
When I was thinking about how to divide up the space, I had to really consider what functions I wanted the room to serve. Since I do not have to work from home, I did not need a workspace. Definitely, a proper bed was a priority (the Japanese-style floor mattresses do not cut it) but I would love to be able to have a separate lounging area for those day-offs. Also, I needed storage for both my summer and winter clothes since we have seasons here in Japan, compared to Singapore where it would not take much to store a whole stack of tees and pants. Now, I have to deal with down jackets, coats and winter boots which are utterly bulky. It does not help that I shop too often as well, but sorry not sorry. Nevertheless, having all these requirements meant that I needed the furniture to be either multi-functional, space-saving or both, and it needed to be affordable, yet stylish because I have to spend money which I rather spend on travelling.
I must say though, it had been quite fun and therapeutic searching for bargains and finally finding that perfect piece at an amazing price. The key points that I have learnt while decorating and maximising the space in my first apartment are to keep the colour palette light and airy, think outside of the box and to only have things that spark joy (strictly no hoarding or second guesses). Only then, can you keep the budget low, use everything that you own and every piece has its own rightful place. Now, I absolutely love the layout that I have finally set up in my apartment. It fulfils all my needs and I enjoy waking up every day looking at a clutter-free apartment as well as having my own relaxing oasis in the middle of the bustling city.
So, enjoy my Japanese apartment tour video and see how my apartment turned out! Let me know what you think in the comments!
Comentários