Urban living in Japan: Maximizing small apartment spaces

Various individuals in Japan are demonstrating how to maintain personal style and comfort while living in compact urban spaces.

One resident utilizes a 25-square-meter lofted apartment to create a mid-century modern aesthetic. By selecting long-lasting furniture, such as a butterfly table, and using art posters and small decorative objects, they maintain a sense of individuality in a small footprint. The layout prioritizes keeping furniture against walls to preserve open space.

In another instance, YouTuber and writer Haruko Oki and her husband live in a 25-square-meter, 50-year-old apartment in central Tokyo with their dog. Having downsized from an 85-square-meter home, they focus on maximizing visual openness. Their strategy includes replacing a standard kitchen with a smaller IKEA unit to create a buffer zone, using a television stand instead of a bulky cabinet, and converting a closet into a daybed to prioritize living space over traditional amenities.