Tiny living

I first stayed in a tiny Airbnb apartment in Bunkyo, a very local area in Tokyo. No more than 14m2, but it has everything, including a mini kitchen with a mini washing machine and a cozy bathroom with a mini bathtub! I had to squeeze myself to the wall to take the picture. It feels like I live in a campervan. The kitchen is like a miniature from a doll house. I can make tea from my mattress…

I like tiny living (my apartment in Amsterdam is 30m2), but it’s hard to imagine that people in Japan live in such small spaces…

#lostintranslation My sweet Airbnb host kept leaving small presents for me, like different sorts of green tea, heat pads, face masks, traditional sweets, rice crackers and foot masks. Can you tell which is which and how to use them ?!?

She also gave me various pairs of socks to wear in the house… ?!? Like these ‘Hello Kitty’ ones and her favorite food ‘yakisoba pan’ socks…  Even the tables and chairs in the apartment wore socks!

It is customary to take your shoes off inside homes and even some restaurants. There are usually slippers to wear and the Japanese are very ‘religious’ about that. There is a different pair of slippers inside the bathroom and even a separate pair to use on the balcony…