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Japanese apartment layouts terms can be a little confusing for foreigners. When you start hunting for your house, you might come across terms like 1R, 1K, 1DK and 1LDK. Also the term such as 1畳 on Japanese apartment floor plan. This article will explain the definitions of these terms and make you familiar with them. If you’re curious about the initial cost, monthly expenses, or apartment renewal, please refer to the dedicated articles for each.
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The term used on Japanese Apartment Layouts
#1 - "1R" in Japanese Apartment Layouts
The ‘R’ stands for Room. Typically, it refers to an one-room studio apartment where the kitchen is often combined. It consists of a single room that serves multiple functions, such as a bedroom and living dining and kitchen.
The term ‘one room’ in Japanese, is often written in katakana as ワンルーム, which is pronounced as ‘wanruumu.’
#2 - "1K" in Japanese Apartment Layouts
The letter ‘K’ stands for ‘kitchen.’ It consists of a single room that serves as both a living space and a bedroom, along with a small kitchen. In urban areas like Tokyo, due to the size of the apartment, it is common to have a kitchen in the corridor between the entrance and the single room. It’s compact but has a door between the kitchen and the single room, so cooking smells don’t get into the clothes in the single room.
#3 - "1DK" in Japanese Apartment Layouts
The ‘D’ stands for dining area, and ‘K’ stands for kitchen. Therefore, a 1DK apartment typically consists of one room that serves as a combination of living and bedroom space, along with a separate dining area and kitchen. A 1K apartment typically has a kitchen in the corridor area, whereas a 1DK has a dining area separate from the living and bedroom space. Consequently, it offers more space and can completely separate the eating and living areas.
#4 - "1LDK, 2LDK, 3LDK" in Japanese Apartment Layouts
The letter ‘L’ stands for the living room. As mentioned earlier, the ‘D’ stands for the dining area, and the ‘K’ stands for the kitchen. Additionally, the number in front of ‘LDK’ indicates the number of separated rooms. Therefore, a 1LDK apartment typically consists of one bedroom, a separate living room, a dining area, and a kitchen space. A 2LDK has 2 bedrooms, and a 3LDK has 3 bedrooms, each separated from the kitchen space, living and dining room.
#5 - "1SLDK, 2SLDK, 3SLDK" in Japanese Apartment Layouts
The ‘S’ stands for service room. 1SLDK means 1LDK plus the service room. Typically, this service room does not have any windows and lacks good ventilation. Therefore, it is usually smaller than a 2LDK apartment. However, you can use it as a storage room, a walk-in closet, or for other purposes, making it very useful.
What is 帖/畳, JOU , じょう?
When examining a floor plan in Japan, you may come across the terms “1畳” or “1帖.” Pronounced as “ichi-jo,” where “ichi” means one in Japanese, and “畳” indicates a Tatami mat. This means that 1畳 corresponds to the size of one Tatami mat, and 3畳 equals the space occupied by three Tatami mats. However, the dimensions of Tatami mats vary based on the region in Japan and the type of Tatami used. For instance, 1 Tatami mat in East Japan is approximately 1.82 square meters, while in the Kanto area, a common size is around 1.55 square meters. This diversity poses challenges, leading to laws and regulations governing real estate advertisements, such as the Fair Competition Codes Concerning Indication of Real Estate. These codes specify that 1畳 is considered to be 1.62 square meters or more. Therefore, it is conventionally accepted that 1畳 equals 1.62 square meters. Consequently, 10畳 is equivalent to around 16.2 square meters.
| KEYWORD | SIZE |
|---|---|
|
1畳 or 1帖 |
1.62 ㎡ |
What is APARTO / アパート, and MANSHON / マンション?
‘Apāto’ (アパート) and ‘manshon’ (マンション) can be confusing terms. Both refer to apartment buildings, but there are no strict rules for categorizing them. Here are some differences between the two:
Size: Apāto buildings are usually smaller, with around two to three floors.
Construction: Apāto buildings are often made of wood or lightweight steel frames, while manshon buildings are built with materials like reinforced concrete and steel frames.
Ownership: Apāto units are mostly rented, while manshon buildings can be rented or owned by individuals.
Rent: Generally, apāto rent is lower than manshon rent.
Others: Manshon buildings often have on-site managers, resulting in higher maintenance fees and more security features like surveillance cameras.
