There was a Youtuber who had a real estate agent brought him to view 3 apartments on the outskirts of Tokyo where the rentals were less than average. All 3 apartments were within walking distances from the nearest subway stations. 2 of the apartments were really 1R. I thought they were built during the Showa era perhaps. Both apartments were perhaps like 3.5 or 4 tatami mats big (and the floors really were tatami mats), with a small kitchen consisting of a sink plus a small space next to the sink for an induction cooker next to the tiny genkan. There wasn't even a unit bath and communal squat toilets were outside the apartments! If one wanted to bathe, one would have to go to the communal sento (I imagined that was how living in the Taisho or early Showa era was!) I don't quite understand how such apartments continue to exist, even if they were on the outskirts of Tokyo and rent is so much cheaper. I always assumed redevelopment would have taken place and who would actually want to live in such apartments now? There were holes in the crumbling walls and ceilings and the tatami mats would have molds in them! Perhaps they afford more dignity than living in blue tents in Ueno Park.
I tried to sketch out the 1R that made me so shocked:
The 3rd apartment was new, with a squarish layout containing a loft for a bedroom. A loft bed could be fun, but not so fun when one is sick and still has to climb a ladder to get to bed and climb down to use the toilet. The floor is wooden, and it fitted with aircon and a Toto washlet with separated toilet and bath area.
Another Youtuber had rented an apartment for 3 months. I guess from the duration, it might not be a real rental but an AirBnB rental. The Youtuber would only be in Tokyo for 3 months for casting, and it seems she is a model. So her apartment is 1K (yes, a real 1K with another door between the longish kitchen and the bedroom area and she referred to this tall closet at the genkan as a closet. I was going "it's not a clos..." when she opened it to show her clothes and accessories there. Gosh! I hope the landlord or the agent cleaned out that shoe cabinet properly before she moved in or that she deep-cleaned that "closet" before placing her clothes and accessories there. I wonder why she doesn't find it odd that a "closet" is placed at the genkan and it was cubby holes like it is meant for shoes? And that there is another more normal-looking closet in the bedroom area? And I wonder why people like to store their baking stuff and other dry food stuff in the area under the sink?
Yet another Youtuber showed her 1K. What was interesting for me was that her kitchen area was not the usual longish layout like in most 1Ks. There was this squarish nook extended out from the space between the genkan and the door to her bedroom that sit the sink plus hotplate, and the fridge was opposite. Although the nook is probably the size of the ofuro room, it creates the feeling of a kitchen room where she purchased shelves to build a simple pantry.
Quite a number of Youtubers bought their furniture from Nitori too, aside from IKEA, Amazon and their local 2nd hand shops.
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