Little House in the City

             

a sign in the elevator to my apartment

and it's no joke, the doors on the elevators 

stay open for only 2 seconds or so and then

are not afraid to close on you.

        There were several non-American things that I expected from moving into my apartment in Japan. For example, I knew that dishwashers, dryers, and beds wouldn't come standard. I expected a clothesline on my balcony. I should do a separate blog on balconies and how much I love them! I expected everything to be smaller, and I expected to take my shoes off at the entrance which has been an unexpectedly easy habit to get into. So in some ways I was mentally prepared for the changes. Even so, here are some of the things which are most notable or shocking for me. Even though I may have been told about them in advanced, 'tis still surprising. 

       Everything is so small! I know I anticipated this in my previous post, but Wow. Seriously. My whole apartment is barely over 200 square feet including kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, living room, bedroom. Im in shock. I like the smaller overall size of the apartment because it means that there is less to clean. It also means that there is less space for me to store things so I can't be a pack rat and collect things... Which is a shame because Japan sells so many cute things! Below you can see my living room with a table and "couch" and TV. Then you see me in the room and (to me) it looks like I photo-shopped a too-big me into the room.
         Also, everything is closer to the ground which I actually kind of like. I always have preferred sitting on the floor and now I can use the floor without seeming weird. 

      I don't have a kotatsu yet. That's the heated table with blankets that the Japanese use in lieu of central heating. My lack is due in part to the fact that I am not sure where to by one and also because I don't know how to get it home once I buy it. Instead this table is my usual work space for my computer. I have a desk in the other room for my paperwork stuff, but I have to sit on a chair for the other desk (eww) so it turned into a storage space instead of a workplace. The TV is more of a decoration than a tool right now because I am not a big fan of the programs that I have on the 6 channels: Japan ninja-warrior competitions, soap operas, food notwork, travel channel, kids show, and news.
       In the top left of the picture you can see the space heaters. There is one for each of my two 15x8 foot rooms. Since they are not part of a central heating system and Japanese houses generally have poor insulation the heaters have to be turned on and off when I enter and leave my apartment. Remembering to do that is a new experience for me. So the first 20 minutes after I come home, it's rather chilly (4C or 39F). Something else I have to turn on and off is the water heater. All of this preheating is making me a pretty good planner. The consequences for not planning is taking an unheated shower, which is a mistake that I will not make again...

     Speaking of showers, bath rooms in Japan are a "shower space" basically a tiled space with a drain on the floor where you shower before getting into the tub. Suds and dirt do not belong in the bathtub. Both the shower space and the tub are small, again. the tub is much taller than western tubs (2 feet high) but only half as long. As you can see, there is not a toilet in the same room as the shower. The toilet and shower are completely separate rooms, although both open into the same hallway.
       The toilet, as seen below, has its own, special pair of slippers. It also has a sink built into the back. As the toilet refills, the water first flows through the faucet on the back of the toilet for you to rinse your hands. I have never seen soap near the toilet sinks... so I question their sanitation and wash my hands again outside the bathroom. Plus, the water refilling the toilet is SO COLD.

   Japan also has magical appliances. The stove will not turn on unless there is a pot on it. The microwave has a setting where it "senses" what's in it and heats it accordingly. The washing machine can tell how much clothing is in it and only uses enough water to wash that amount. Talk about energy saving.

         And finally, because everyone who has Skyped me and seen them have been very excited by them... I have sliding doors between my rooms. 

     Now to unpack my bags and settle in and figure out this Japan thing...