"Our Modest Home" by KevinMichael

Send Photo to a Friend

Our Living Room

We love living here

Many people in Japan do not live in houses. Many live in apartments such as this or smaller. Others live in larger apartments (called mansions by the Japanese).
Although Japanese salaries on average are comparitevely higher than salaries in other countries, most Japanese people live in relative modesty. Japanese people often say that they live in rabbit holes (implying how small their living spaces seem). I admit, I`ve known some foreigners that have lived here in a space not much bigger than a walk-in closet. In our case, we find that our living space is comfortable and we`re happy with it.

We live in a convenient area with a number of restaurants and a shopping mall nearby. We also live by a part of the Shinano River called Sekiya Bunsui (meaning to seperate the water).

Our Living Room

We usually eat our meals here. It's a good place for my wife and I to relax on our very comfortable sofa while watching a movie. Our table and the sofa are reclinable so we can adjust them according to our needs. The sofa is able to recline into a position that the two of us can easily snuggle on if we'd like.

Well, we have a front entrance (called the genkan), a mid-sized Japanese kitchen, a laundry/washroom, a bathroom (of course), a high-tech bathtub/shower, a living room, a bedroom, and a large balcony.

Our bathtub is particularly interesting in that at the push of a button it will recirculate the water and reheat it while we are bathing. It can also draw the water for us and inform us when its ready. One button is to be used in the "I`ve fallen and I can`t get up" situations. And the last button on the panel allows us to call for pizza service. But, this last one should only be used in emergencies.

I love waking up every morning next to my wife. It`s also nice because we can enjoy the sounds of nature coming from outside our window throughout the night. We feel a good deal of serenity from:

...listening to the sound of the falling rain,
...the cawing of the crows (because they have nothing else to do),
...the ducks somewhere on the river doing what ducks do best,
...the chirping of the crickets,
...the sound of snow
...and sometimes the sound of silence

Send Photo to a Friend

A most comfortable bed

Whereas, my wife and I have a great American bed, most Japanese sleep on something called a futon. A futon is comprised of 2 to 3 thick paddings placed on the floor, on top of which people also have several blankets (especially in winter). Futons make great sense for saving space but they aren't as comfortable as a nice soft bed (in my opinion). Many Japanese I know actually prefer somewhat hard, stiff beds. But, the foreigners I know prefer something a little softer. When my wife and I went to buy our bed we decided on what ended up being the most expensive bed in the store... as it was imported from the United States and is of exceptional comfort (it's even more comfortable than a waterbed). This bed is so comfortable that I fall asleep only seconds after laying down (everytime (of course this could be a sign that I'm really tired)). My wife is very happy with it, too.

Send Photo to a Friend

Our Kitchen

Here Tomoko makes the most wonderful meals. She is such a good cook that more often than not I'd just rather eat at home. I can cook as well (but, not as well as her). Tomoko prefers that I do little cooking in the kitchen as she feels I'll make a mess. Tomoko likes are home to be very clean (as you can see). My wife is also particular about the way things are cooked. Anyway, Tomoko loves cooking for me and I love Tomoko's cooking.

Send Photo to a Friend

Great for watching sports, geography specials, etc

HDTV

Normally, I don't have much time for watching TV. But, when I do, I watch the world cup, sumo matches, K1 fighting, historical programs, or something or the other with all of my reception in what is called High Definition Television. This technology has been around in Japan for several years now, but is still way behind in the states. Americans don't know what they are missing.
Not all programs come in HDTV format but this format is becoming the standard.

For those of you who are interested in buying a TV, the latest rage is the flat screen TVs. And although they are space savers, the cheaper models (the ones that only cost a few thousand dollars) actually have much lower quality displays than the one you see here.

I bought this SONY HDTV for a mere 90,000 yen (like $900). That was and probably still is a bargain. At the time the big flat screens had just gone on sale and to reduce inventory the local Yamada Denki (a good electronics store) had the non-flat screen types on sale.

On the downside this TV is very heavy, big (29 inches), and too bulky to risk carrying it myself. It's also too heavy for my wife to carry with me, so if I ever have to move it I'll need the help of one of my buffed friends (Chad, Dustin, Trace, or somebody).

Send Photo to a Friend

Japan is the land of high tech... toilets

The Bathroom

A feature found in modern Japanese homes is the high-tech toilet. Toilets like this one come with a host of buttons for extra comfort and additional hygiene. In the winter the seats are heated.

These toilets are a big step up from what used to be a more common feature found throughout Japan called the benki. Basically, a benki is a hole in the ground (it can hardly be called a toilet).

When Japanese refer to the word toilet they generally mean the room in which the toilet resides. When Americans use the word toilet we mean literally the white thing here. For Americans, "May I use your toilet?" sounds a little rude. In American English it is more polite to ask, "May I use your bathroom?" or "May I use your restroom?" For my Japanese visitors, "May I use your toilet?" is equal to asking "Anata no benki tsukatemo e desu ka." (which is equally shocking in Japanese, isn't it).