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Toilet apartment suumo.jp

posted by  banzaitokyo | 8 years, 1 month ago

It is probably not worth a separate article but this apartment listing got lots of attention on social media yesterday. Personally I am not a huge fan of photos that show "weird" side of Japan - most of the time if you place the image in context it will be less weird.

As for this apartment, I am trying really really hard but I can't find an explanation for this design solution - to place the toilet right at the entrance and not to place it behind any sort of wall, not even a curtain. You would not be able to live in this apartment with someone because it is so small. But placing the toilet this way prohibits inviting someone even for a very short visit.

The apartment is quite small indeed, it is only 9.22m2. But it seems some kind of separation could be made. Especially taking into account that the apartment is new and this design cannot be explained by some "legacy" decisions of the past generations of builders.

Do I miss something here or there is a logical explanation for this architectural decision?

0 | #12886 by  Yubi | 8 years, 1 month ago
This is pretty weird; I have never seen a design like this, and would have taken it for a joke (or a modern architect's exhibit) unless it isn't advertised in Suumo. Let me take there chance to describe the state in normal Japanese apartments, though. Usually, Japanese like their toilets to be separate. Unit baths where toilet seats and bathrooms are combined are not popular here. Besides, I know at least a few Japanese people who complained about toilets being too spacious. Usually they are very small. And they are always equipped with an exhaust fan. I wonder how this even got approved. You basically can't have a visitor, and the air conditioner will scent the room :-p. The only thing that is close to this that I have seen, are the toilets in the International Student Housing (single) in Odaiba. The top half of the toilet walls are made of glass, but at least there are curtains inside that you can close. We used to joke that they are built that way to discourage the Chinese students who often shared or sub-let the apartments.
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0 | #12909 by  BarbaraEbara | 8 years, 1 month ago
I don't understand it at all other than it being out of "art". I mean the toilet being right at the entrance point makes it completely inconvenient and strange to say the least. I am all for creative design but I would never live in something like this!
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