After living in Japan for quite some time, I’ve had to get creative with how to optimise small Japanese homes. It’s been an enjoyable challenge, and along the way, I’ve picked up some fantastic tips and tricks that have really made a difference. The experience has taught me a lot about efficiency and the art of organisation in small spaces, and now I’m excited to share these insights with you.
Whether you’re a student, living in Japan, or just visiting, I hope my insider tips will help you optimise small Japanese homes. With the right storage solutions and clever homeware tools, you can transform even the tiniest space into a functional and stylish haven. These hacks have made my life so much easier, and I’m confident they’ll do the same for you, ensuring that your home is both practical and beautiful.
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Living in Japan
When people imagine moving and living in Japan, some may picture a modern high-rise apartment, while others may envision a more traditional Japanese home with wooden interiors. Regardless of what you had in mind, now that you’ve moved in, you’re probably looking to decorate and spruce up your new place. Maybe you packed too many boxes and have started binge-watching Konmari.
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 favourite rooms in the house: the kitchen.
Kitchen
If you’re like me and cook a lot at home, or are trying to learn more recipes during this lockdown, a disorganised kitchen can make cooking a hassle. Sometimes it gets so mendokusai (めんどくさい, troublesome) that you end up ordering UberEats instead.
Storage Unit
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.
Wall Racks
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, optimising space and eliminating the need to open 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.
Clear Storage Units
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. 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.
Living Room and Bedroom
The biggest challenge of decorating your living room and bedroom in your small Japanese home is making the space feel open and larger than it actually is. This is hard to do when your apartment is less than 500 square feet, but it’s not entirely impossible.
A slim but full-length mirror creates an illusion of a bit more space and adds charm to the room. You can match the colour of the frame with other cabinets or wall colours 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.
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.
Where to Find These Items to Optimise Small Japanese Homes
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 major retailers offer a higher quality finish or customisation of colour, type of wood, and even delivery options. All of these are critical factors to consider now with the quarantine rules in place!
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