Last Updated on May 30, 2014 by admin

Housing in Japan

In Japan, the size of a room is measured in joo, which is the Chinese reading of the kanji character for tatami (or straw) mat. The number of these tatami mats placed in a room indicates the size of the room. Generally, a tatami mat measures 90cm x 180 cm, although there may be some differences. In recent times the mats have become smaller than their traditional size. Rooms most often come in size of 4½ mats (yo-joo-han), 6 mats (roku-joo), 8 mats (hachi-joo), 10 mats (juu-joo), or more.

Housing in Japan

Also, real estate agencies often describe apartments in their advertisements as 2LDK, 3DK, etc. Under this system, the L stands for a living room in which a sofa may be placed and a family may gather, D indicates that there is a dining area in which a table and chairs may be placed, and K stands for a kitchen. The 2 or 3 refers to the number of bedrooms in the apartment. However, the true size of an apartment can not be determined without actually seeing it, because a 2LDK may in fact be larger than a 3LDK.