Toilet-Kitchen Distance Only 50cm
‘Ultra-Compact Accommodation’ Gains Attention in China
Recently in Tokyo, Japan, ultra-compact apartments with such small spaces that the kitchen is located right in front of the bathroom have become popular due to soaring rent prices.
On the 20th (local time), the British newspaper The Guardian reported on the harsh reality faced by young Japanese people through a firsthand experience of an ultra-compact apartment by Tokyo correspondent Justin McCurry.
The place where Justin stayed for a day was a 9㎡ (2.72 pyeong) duplex apartment in the Yotsuya area near Shinjuku, Tokyo. According to the report, the apartment is so small that when you open the front door, you can see all the spaces except the bedroom at a glance. Next to the entrance is a shower room, and beside it is the bathroom. Notably, the distance between the bathroom and the kitchen was only about 50cm.
The living room on the first floor had a desk and sofa, and climbing a ladder led to a sleeping area. Justin said, "It was so cramped that it was more comfortable to keep the bathroom door open while sitting on the toilet," adding, "If I had closed the door, I might have hurt my knees."
Monthly Rent of 690,000 Won for Japan's 'Ultra-Compact Apartment'
The monthly rent for this apartment is 70,000 yen (about 690,000 won), which is 20,000 to 30,000 yen (190,000 to 290,000 won) cheaper than the average rent in the area. There is no deposit.
This apartment is one of about 100 buildings that the real estate developer 'Spilitus' has built in Tokyo over the past seven years. Keisuke Nakama, chairman of Spilitus, said, "We do not expect tenants to live here for 10 to 20 years," adding, "We want to provide space for those who have moved to Tokyo from other cities and find it difficult to afford the high rent."
The media viewed the popularity of ultra-compact apartments as related to young low-wage workers and the housing shortage problem.
The Guardian stated, "Critics say the boom in ultra-compact apartments has occurred because of a lack of affordable urban housing for young, low-wage workers." In fact, 60% of the tenants in these apartments are male, mostly young people in their 20s and 30s who are just starting their careers. Those aged 40 and above make up only about one in ten.
Toilet Next to Bed Head... 'Ultra-Low-Cost Accommodation' Gains Attention in China
A super-budget accommodation in China with a toilet and sink right next to the bed. [Image source=Bilibili.com]
Earlier, in China, an 'ultra-low-cost accommodation' with a toilet placed right next to the head of the bed became a hot topic. This hotel, located in a residential area of Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan Province in central China, offers rooms of 8㎡ (2.42 pyeong) for just 60 yuan (11,233 won). The accommodation is also designed with the toilet right next to the bed head.
The hotel is reportedly popular among patients visiting a nearby large health center and students preparing for exams. In particular, the hotel gained fame last month when a blogger introduced it on the video platform Bilibili.com.
The video shows the interior of the narrow room where the bed, toilet, and washbasin are placed together. The blogger who posted the video introduced the ultra-low-cost hotel, saying, "There is a slight smell from the bathroom, but the cheap price is very attractive."
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