We had fun checking out these tiny buildings around Tokyo. The biggest surprise for me was how normal they felt. - Old school cafe in Taito goo.gl/maps/9PQeqiqWk2QuLyPv8 - Building in the middle of intersection in Edogawa goo.gl/maps/99ngxRjpV7stcoHu6 - Museca times hamburger shop in Yanaka Ginza goo.gl/maps/vSLc2nxaUPWJXWvz7 - Listing for tiny apartment building in Nerima suumo.jp/library/tf_13/sc_13120/to_1001964099/?bs=040
@@cordeliacentauri1737I guess you can’t fit that much furniture in the first place lol probably a futon, a table for 2 with one chair and a mini fridge 🤔
Alex knows where all the most interesting residential buildings are! BTW, the expression on the older gentleman's face watching Akko take her measuring steps at the end was priceless!
My husband and I live in Korea and our first studio apartment was similar in size to the yellow building apartment but it was a rectangular shape. We lived there quite comfortably actually and it worked well for us. The only reason we moved was because I got pregnant and once our son was a toddler that place wouldn't have worked. But for singles or newly weds saving up for a larger place these tiny homes are great. Ours was $500 a month though with a $2,000 deposit so I am a bit jealous.
Alex has such a fun personality. First tim i saw him was in one of Chriss's Abroad In Japan videos, and now he is making an apperance here too! This is great
Honestly I could totally live in that apartment. It looks like a great single / bachlors flat. Only thing that is concerning is that narrow stairway. I could not even fit my suitcase up there.....
I am a firm believer in quality over quantity. I would rather live in a small space in a nice area than a large place in a bad area. Japan is SO nice to live in, that living in a small space is perfectly fine, and honestly living in a small space might be SUPERIOR because it forces you to go out and explore, as well as keeping material possessions to a minimum. Housing depreciates, houses fall apart.... So my mentality is why invest more into housing than necessary? An apartment, home, factory, workshop, store is JUST a means to an end, by staying small and spending less resources I have MORE resources to spend on things that actually matter. That apartment is PUSHING what I think is acceptable, but it is still acceptable. Many people don't actually need a lot of space so why pay for it? Japan is truly remarkable. Here in the USA we simply aren't building cheap housing, we have NO diversity when it comes to housing. Many people might not want to live like this, and that's fine, but at least Japan has the OPTION for the people who do like living like this. That's what's so important. Many people not share my views, and many people might not like small spaces, but I DO like small spaces so I would at least like the option.
@@brycemcewen6146 " Honestly a lot of people rent small flats like that as extra storage space" Could also work as a commuter home, rented for being close to the office, then go to your home further out on the weekend. Or for some high schooler sent off to a private school far from home, bonus of being smaller so they fit better.
Here in Vancouver, BC, "Van Life" is a real alternative to overpriced, tiny apartments, and vans are smaller than these apartments. I lived in a van for 2 1/2 years and my current apartment is just under 28 sq m (about the size of 3 regulation parking spaces). Tiny home life has many advantages; fast to clean and maintain, minimalist lifestyle, creative decorating, use less resources (esp heating/cooling), save money, gets you outside and into public spaces more often. Also, most studies of the way people actually use the space in their homes shows that some entire rooms/areas are seldom used, like closets, dining rooms, etc., whilst eat-in kitchens are used extensively so much less space is required to live than what we currently use.
But isn't the real luxury to have that space available? Sure, when money is tight because you don't have it or are saving it up for other goals, living small and efficiently is a good thing. But ultimately it sucks having to repurpose the same space multiple times per day. People like having spots they can underuse and then leave just as they are.
@@Volkbrecht As a person who's 60 years old now - I can honestly say that I have discovered 'how much is enough' and the answer is 'One actually doesn't need much at all'. Even in my van I did not repurpose space as I set up the bed permanently (easier for napping too!) Backpacking, for years at a time, taught me all that I truly need I can carry in one bag on my back. The feeling of freedom and self-direction is much more satisfying to many of us rather than under-use of stuff or space. Attics, basements, guest rooms, garages (and vehicles themselves), etc., are repositories for things one doesn't really need at the same time enabling excess consumption You (rhetorically) ask, '...isn't the real luxury to have that space available?' and I respond, 'No. The real luxury is experiencing a life unencumbered by excess and filled with new scenery, people, places, foods, languages, nature, etc., etc.'
@@drunkvegangal8089True, but I do feel like some people would have to swallow a very difficult pill to accept that kind of life when most are used to much bigger spaces.
@@theorangeoof926 I do understand your point of view about space. I was born and raised in Canada - land of tons of space - and exactly this shared mentality :D Truth is that the majority, the huge majority, of people never had much space in their dwelling for most of human history. When a child even my grandmother (b. 1903) shared one bed with all her female siblings and the further back one goes the less space most people had. Loneliness and isolation are just two of the mental health concerns we face today which just didn't exist in our past (except for the very wealthy and extremely atheistic/religious practitioners). Image a childhood where you were seldom alone; where whenever you woke up you could hear your loved ones breathing and they kept you warm. Many slept with the whole family in the same room - most of the world still lives like this. Where if you woke from a nightmare you were instantly comforted and, when bereaved, injured, or just sad, the entire family was in close proximity. Makes me wonder what damage our obsession with space (and things) has wrought.
Watching a 164cm man visit these tiny spaces gives an interestingly different perspective compared to someone the size of Norm from Tokyo Lens! I've seen a lot of tiny Tokyo apartments on YT, but it was especially interesting to see some of the tiny business spaces.
The tatami mat size comparison really helped me on the last building. I live out in the countryside of Ibaraki so I get a MUCH bigger place for approximately the same price. But if I lived in Tokyo I see advantage of such a small place. I want to check out some of those cafes if I ever have enough time the next time I’m in Tokyo.
Eating at a place for a few minutes is one thing. But man alive, having to work in such a small space would make me both mentally and physically sick! But, hey, for $250 a month, if I worked full time and used the space mainly for sleeping/showering, I might take that triangle apartment. (For a while.) I can't find anything in Chicago for less than $1,000 a month. So there you go. It's better than being on the street.
Yeah, I'd assume a small place like that isn't a long term solution. Good for a student or some single person who is out most of the time. There's a lot of light from the windows, which I think would help out a lot. I've personally lived in smaller rooms / setups before, so I would have rented a place like this in my 20s.
The people who live in these apartments aren't living on a tent on the sidewalk or being forced to relocate to Texas. We need to make affordable housing legal to build in the US and Canada.
100% of Americans would live in these homes, if the rent was cheep, in my city los Angeles, it's $1800 a month for one bedroom apartment in a decent neighborhood, meaning not middle class, and not dangerous, during daylight, my cousin, an engineer in New York pays $3,600 a month to live downtown Manhattan, also in a decent neighborhood.
as an american, id rather live in a big suburban home with a garage and be free instead of living in a pod and eating bugs like klaus schwab wants, i hope we never build these dystopian apartments in the US
I am weird, in that I love small spaces where I can really use up the little amount of room I have and maximize function. I don't mind a little cramp so I love lots of these!
I mean, if I were a university student or just starting out in life, I think that renting a place like that could be worth the savings. Thanks for the excellent video (as always)! Glad to see Alex again on your channel!
If you were low income it would keep you from being a homeless. If you had a decent job, you could afford a place, and spend your money on a better education or starting your own business.
I think Akko is amazing, really attractive, fun and helpful. Lovely lady. Like your cheerful, humorous approach. Fun video I enjoyed this excursion into smallness. They must be very inefficiently insulated though..
I love seeing the eco system of Japni-tubers intersecting with one another. I'm still hoping one day to see Rachel and Jun to show up on a random cameo, and then I could retire in peace. At the ripe old age of 23.
@@lainiwakura1776 Not as far as I know, but Alex makes the crossover. There is also Alex of Noriyaro who makes a cossover from Trash taste, and many Jpanese Channels and even to beyond Japan
I actually think this is a great idea for mega cities. I live in a mega city, and rent prices are huge - even for a studio. I’d definitely be willing to live in a place like that yellow building for $250/month.
I lived in a 26 foot sloop for two years. Those apartments are huge. In those apartments you don't need a place for a bed. You have a futon and put it away in the morning before unfolding your table.
China´s government "sits" on >80millions of normal sized, newly built, modern smart appartments* (nothing like what shown here !!!), which stay empty, cause the calculations about citizens moving from rural areas to the cities for work, didn´t turn out as high as calculated and expected ...!!! And well, it must be noted, also because the government run just a tiiiiiiiny bit wild at building affordable housing for the masses.... (you know, just the usual evils of socialism) ;-) And you are talking about 50thousand micro-appartments, for a huge country like the US ??? How poor and marginalized do you have to be, after all, when you must have this attitude and way of thinking ??? *Smart appartment: For example, when the fridge orders food when getting empty, and other such stuff...
I loved it! One of the best videos about Japan I have seen in a long time. It seems that when people are more closely crowded together,. it fosters a culture of more consideration for others. You had me chuckling. Here in Los Angeles, we are ridiculously spread out with 12-lane freeways and suburban sprawl based on the old-fashioned automobile. I think it would be quite refreshing to live in japan, at least for a time. With the exchange rate being what it is, it certainly seems like a great time to visit! $250 a month for a bachelor apartment is crazy cheap by US standards. For years, we always thought Japan was insanely expensive. Perhaps this video proves that conventional wisdom wrong.
8:22 I kinda hope somebody saved that keyboard Also! 10:05 We’re the same height so this actually helped give me a real sense of scale, esp because most vloggers seem to be Alex-sized at minimum
My dorm room in the UK was smaller than that apartment (with a shared kitchen though) and was way shittier and more expensive. For a year or so this would absolutely work!
Very interesting. Love that little burger shop and the apartment looks alright for someone living solo since there's good sunlight and decent ceiling height
I wish we could do stuff like this in New Zealand. Instead people have to team up and rent a giant house together, then end up with less personal space than this and having to share bathroom/toilet-which can have a lot of its own issues. I'd love to live in my own place and not have to share with people I hardly know.
that is the thing i luv about japan....if you are into architecture, buildings, smallbuildings, there is just so much to see.......eveyrhting is so unique
@alquinn8576 no need to get political. It's a simple curiosity because the design is odd amd not practical if it's designed to prevent damage to main structure.
@@alquinn8576 "Biden's America" lol, blue states have lower traffic fatalities per capita. Not only did you make this gratuitously political, you got it wrong.
im a little bit tired of japanese tiny apt videos, but i clicked anyway because i knew you'd bring something new, interesting and informative. funnily enough, thats the first thing you address. I love your channel because you really have a great niche in the "japan content" side of youtube in making really interesting, pretty, and chill videos. tackling each topic from a "reporter" kinda angle (idk if that's how you would describe yourself but its the word that comes to mind). YIPPI :)
That yellow building would be a nightmare for me to live in. I am so clumsy I will probably be falling down the stairs on a daily basis. At least it is so cramped there's no room to actually fall down :) That hamburger cafe's upstairs dining area looks great.
McKeesport, PA has that cheapest rent in the US, and even there it averages $350 a month. This is a much nicer area. I would gladly trade off the tiny space for a better area. I wish was had some apartments this small in the US. I don't want to race to the bottom and have everyone living in tiny apartments, but just some to diversify the costs of living in various areas.
Great channel. I was so close to visiting Japan at one point myself. I had experience with modeling and in late 2015 I was in contact with Capcom about the facial likeness role of Leon for the Resident Evil 2 Remake. I failed to mention I also have a voice acting background, in the end I lost the part and I can't forgive myself for wasting such an opportunity. That would've been a real dream come true to visit Asia. All the best!
I wish we had building laws like this in California. I know our land prices would still make these places more expensive than this, but this was well under $300 USD a month. Sounds amazing to be able to have your own place for that price. You'd have to find a very nice person, to be able to rent a single bedroom here for even $300, and I live in a relatively affordable city. Though our bedrooms here are larger than that entire apartment, even small ones, but it's more private, instead of a bedroom in someone elses house. And of course, with building laws like that, you could always find an appartment that's slightly larger if it's within budget.
Very cool! I would’ve lived here when I was younger and just me. It has a nice charming character to it. Would love to stay there a couple nights to experience it.
There’s no way something like these houses would be allowed to be built in Germany, since laws for the dimensions of evacuation routes / staircases in case of fire are basically non-negotiable. These minimum dimensions would literally eat up the entire lot size 😂
@12:47 I know that Japanese people are quiet people but I'm still curious to know as to how thick the walls and floors/ceilings are: enough not to hear your neighbor downstairs talking or neighbor upstairs dragging their chair? 'Coz we all know that even usual sounds tend to be louder/noisier than normal in a really quiet setting.
Uses for long skinny buildings not mentioned: 1. A one lane bowling alley. League nights Mondays through Thursdays. 2. A hotel where adult guests can sleep in midair by wedging themselves between the walls. No beds necessary. 3. A giant novelty credit card that is still thin enough to fit in your wallet in one of three 3 dimensions. Just paint the company name on the outside and remember to have anticounterfeiting devices installed by authorized personnel only to prevent skimming. 4. A movie theater with rows that are one-seat-wide, with a 5-foot-wide screen that is 10-feet-tall, and a two-speaker surround sound speaker system where the speaker in front doubles as a concession stand. 5. An indoor shooting range where you can not miss the target even if you tried.
I live in Freiburg, Germany, in a 23 sqm apartment (balcony space included) and all of a sudden it feels like a castle after watching this video 😂 When I moved in, the amount of space was not my concern at all! As a student in Kuala Lumpur, I rented out a storage room as bedroom for a couple of months, which probably was less than 10 sqm. But I would happily trade my current apartment with a tinier place, all I ask is no noise and pollution of any kind! (loud music, late night family parties, smoke, noisy street, etc). The problem in here is that tiny apartments usually have 1 window or balcony door, but I cannot ask neighbors not to smoke cigarette. On the other hand, landlords state in your contract to open the windows for 10 minutes every day (sometimes twice a day) to ventilate the stale and humid air, even if it was -10 C in the dead of winter. (So much for efficiency, huh?) I have to keep it closed most of the times since second hand smoking gives me a headache and makes my apartment stinking for hours. Living in airtight in summer heatwaves, where no one is allowed to install ac units in Germany, it's a sauna to say the least! 😆 (coolest point before sunrise 27 C!)
We had fun checking out these tiny buildings around Tokyo. The biggest surprise for me was how normal they felt.
- Old school cafe in Taito goo.gl/maps/9PQeqiqWk2QuLyPv8
- Building in the middle of intersection in Edogawa goo.gl/maps/99ngxRjpV7stcoHu6
- Museca times hamburger shop in Yanaka Ginza goo.gl/maps/vSLc2nxaUPWJXWvz7
- Listing for tiny apartment building in Nerima suumo.jp/library/tf_13/sc_13120/to_1001964099/?bs=040
I would be afraid of 5mph winds all the time but I'd still love to live in one. haha
Tokyo Lens also did a tour of the yellow building with the orange accents and he narrowly avoided hitting his head on the staircase on the way up.
his was fosho quirkier. lol@@d0lph1n63
How does one say claustrophobic in Japanese?
I think its pronounced parsimonious scrimp or frugal. lol@@2sday538
I was thinking there was no way I could live in that apartment until you said $250/mo. Maybe I could make it work after all, lol.
Exactly! Fibre internet? Clean facilities? Safe area? That goes for *at least* 1.2k/mo here! :|
Yeah sure until you start to wonder how is the furnitures going to come in...hell delivering packages to the room is a pain too.
futon, small chair and small folding table easy@@cordeliacentauri1737
@@cordeliacentauri1737I guess you can’t fit that much furniture in the first place lol probably a futon, a table for 2 with one chair and a mini fridge 🤔
how wasy is it to get there by the train?
Alex knows where all the most interesting residential buildings are!
BTW, the expression on the older gentleman's face watching Akko take her measuring steps at the end was priceless!
I'm glad you caught that one!
That cafe with the vines just looks like a wall next to that other building 😊
At first glance looks like a leftover wall isn't it?
yea its such a beauty, but I believe they would have some bugs or insect issues.
I like how as soon as literally any UA-camr starts talking about Japanese apartments Alex from Tokyo portfolio just spawns in
I felt claustrophobic watching this.
Was so happy to see a new video from you so soon. Always a pleasure.
Thank you for bringing this to us.
Yes, that made my latent claustrophobia come out. I'm not sure I could make it up that staircase. But for $250/month maybe...
I felt the opposite…I kinda like tiny spaces.
As long as there is a window and I can climb down, I'm in.
What happens if there is an earthquake?
I actually live in a trailer with both of my parents, (I'm not always home though) and I felt uneasy watching it myself lol
I like realtor Alex. You should use him more in videos cause you guy's give off the same good energy vibes!
Still can't wrap my head around that side-mounted toilet
My husband and I live in Korea and our first studio apartment was similar in size to the yellow building apartment but it was a rectangular shape. We lived there quite comfortably actually and it worked well for us. The only reason we moved was because I got pregnant and once our son was a toddler that place wouldn't have worked. But for singles or newly weds saving up for a larger place these tiny homes are great. Ours was $500 a month though with a $2,000 deposit so I am a bit jealous.
You have an uncanny knack for finding very interesting topics to feature in your videos about Japan/Japanese culture. Well done!
Alex has such a fun personality.
First tim i saw him was in one of Chriss's Abroad In Japan videos,
and now he is making an apperance here too! This is great
Alex from Tokyo Profile and Life Where I'm From!!! This is the crossover we didn't know we needed.
Tokyo Portfolio. Not profile. But absolutely agree, this was a great video!!!!
Next, Chris Broad.
@@jtho8937 Maybe Sharla because her and Greg are Canadian and then Chris.
Don't forget Norm from Tokyo Lens is also Canadian! It would be awesome to see a collaboration between all of them.
The architect of this one had a fun challenge for sure.
Everything is a fun challenge when you're on drugs
Honestly I could totally live in that apartment. It looks like a great single / bachlors flat. Only thing that is concerning is that narrow stairway. I could not even fit my suitcase up there.....
You’d be better off buying a wash basin and washing in it in your closet.
And considering how cheap prepared food is at Japanese grocery stores and konbini, it's very doable.
Honestly a lot of people rent small flats like that as extra storage space
I am a firm believer in quality over quantity. I would rather live in a small space in a nice area than a large place in a bad area. Japan is SO nice to live in, that living in a small space is perfectly fine, and honestly living in a small space might be SUPERIOR because it forces you to go out and explore, as well as keeping material possessions to a minimum. Housing depreciates, houses fall apart.... So my mentality is why invest more into housing than necessary? An apartment, home, factory, workshop, store is JUST a means to an end, by staying small and spending less resources I have MORE resources to spend on things that actually matter.
That apartment is PUSHING what I think is acceptable, but it is still acceptable.
Many people don't actually need a lot of space so why pay for it? Japan is truly remarkable.
Here in the USA we simply aren't building cheap housing, we have NO diversity when it comes to housing. Many people might not want to live like this, and that's fine, but at least Japan has the OPTION for the people who do like living like this. That's what's so important.
Many people not share my views, and many people might not like small spaces, but I DO like small spaces so I would at least like the option.
@@brycemcewen6146 " Honestly a lot of people rent small flats like that as extra storage space"
Could also work as a commuter home, rented for being close to the office, then go to your home further out on the weekend. Or for some high schooler sent off to a private school far from home, bonus of being smaller so they fit better.
I don't mind small spaces but it's the noise you hear from neighbors keep you up at night as I'm a very light sleeper.
And the traffic, but it seemed like a low traffic area.
@@gunnar6674 Japanese walls are so thin it can hear every footsteps and neighbor talking
In that yellow building, you don't have neighbors to your sides. You have the floor all to yourself.
Here in Vancouver, BC, "Van Life" is a real alternative to overpriced, tiny apartments, and vans are smaller than these apartments. I lived in a van for 2 1/2 years and my current apartment is just under 28 sq m (about the size of 3 regulation parking spaces). Tiny home life has many advantages; fast to clean and maintain, minimalist lifestyle, creative decorating, use less resources (esp heating/cooling), save money, gets you outside and into public spaces more often. Also, most studies of the way people actually use the space in their homes shows that some entire rooms/areas are seldom used, like closets, dining rooms, etc., whilst eat-in kitchens are used extensively so much less space is required to live than what we currently use.
Plus these apartments are far more stackable than vans (6 stories in this case!) and have full utilities.
But isn't the real luxury to have that space available? Sure, when money is tight because you don't have it or are saving it up for other goals, living small and efficiently is a good thing. But ultimately it sucks having to repurpose the same space multiple times per day. People like having spots they can underuse and then leave just as they are.
@@Volkbrecht As a person who's 60 years old now - I can honestly say that I have discovered 'how much is enough' and the answer is 'One actually doesn't need much at all'. Even in my van I did not repurpose space as I set up the bed permanently (easier for napping too!)
Backpacking, for years at a time, taught me all that I truly need I can carry in one bag on my back. The feeling of freedom and self-direction is much more satisfying to many of us rather than under-use of stuff or space.
Attics, basements, guest rooms, garages (and vehicles themselves), etc., are repositories for things one doesn't really need at the same time enabling excess consumption
You (rhetorically) ask, '...isn't the real luxury to have that space available?' and I respond, 'No. The real luxury is experiencing a life unencumbered by excess and filled with new scenery, people, places, foods, languages, nature, etc., etc.'
@@drunkvegangal8089True, but I do feel like some people would have to swallow a very difficult pill to accept that kind of life when most are used to much bigger spaces.
@@theorangeoof926 I do understand your point of view about space. I was born and raised in Canada - land of tons of space - and exactly this shared mentality :D
Truth is that the majority, the huge majority, of people never had much space in their dwelling for most of human history. When a child even my grandmother (b. 1903) shared one bed with all her female siblings and the further back one goes the less space most people had.
Loneliness and isolation are just two of the mental health concerns we face today which just didn't exist in our past (except for the very wealthy and extremely atheistic/religious practitioners).
Image a childhood where you were seldom alone; where whenever you woke up you could hear your loved ones breathing and they kept you warm.
Many slept with the whole family in the same room - most of the world still lives like this. Where if you woke from a nightmare you were instantly comforted and, when bereaved, injured, or just sad, the entire family was in close proximity.
Makes me wonder what damage our obsession with space (and things) has wrought.
I love those tiny places, they have such a cozy atmosphere.
the thing that I really like is that there are windows on both sides so you can get a nice cross breeze going and a good amount of sunlight.
Please make a video about Japanese train stations that double as malls and other businesses
Or even just a video about Shinjuku Station. It's a complete maze.
All the videos where is Tokyo Portfolio are great. Keep that collaboration going.
Watching a 164cm man visit these tiny spaces gives an interestingly different perspective compared to someone the size of Norm from Tokyo Lens! I've seen a lot of tiny Tokyo apartments on YT, but it was especially interesting to see some of the tiny business spaces.
Great tour, as always! Thank-you from BC!
The tatami mat size comparison really helped me on the last building. I live out in the countryside of Ibaraki so I get a MUCH bigger place for approximately the same price. But if I lived in Tokyo I see advantage of such a small place. I want to check out some of those cafes if I ever have enough time the next time I’m in Tokyo.
Eating at a place for a few minutes is one thing. But man alive, having to work in such a small space would make me both mentally and physically sick! But, hey, for $250 a month, if I worked full time and used the space mainly for sleeping/showering, I might take that triangle apartment. (For a while.) I can't find anything in Chicago for less than $1,000 a month. So there you go. It's better than being on the street.
Yeah, I'd assume a small place like that isn't a long term solution. Good for a student or some single person who is out most of the time. There's a lot of light from the windows, which I think would help out a lot. I've personally lived in smaller rooms / setups before, so I would have rented a place like this in my 20s.
@@LifeWhereImFrom Was the toilet room shared with other apartments, though? That would be a deal breaker for me.
@@Yesica1993 If my memory serves me correct, each apartment gets their own toilet.
@@LifeWhereImFrom Oh, okay!
@@LifeWhereImFrom
"Microapartments are inhumane" say many people who went through college in dorm rooms that were even smaller... drives me nuts.
The people who live in these apartments aren't living on a tent on the sidewalk or being forced to relocate to Texas. We need to make affordable housing legal to build in the US and Canada.
Shops/cafes in tiny spaces are soo cute 🥰
Aloha 🤙 from Honolulu!!! Thanks, Greg and company, for another great video.
I watched your videos for many years now. Thanks for your work. Akko is so lovely. Great your channel still is a family business.
That last bit with the 'measuring walk' and the gentleman walking out of the building, stopping and looking was too funny. 😂😆😄
This is why Japan does not have a cost of living crisis. There is enough supply for everyone. All cities should have living spaces for all budgets
Lol that narrow buiding at 2:00 is actually a sharehouse and I lived there.
100% of Americans would live in these homes, if the rent was cheep, in my city los Angeles, it's $1800 a month for one bedroom apartment in a decent neighborhood, meaning not middle class, and not dangerous, during daylight, my cousin, an engineer in New York pays $3,600 a month to live downtown Manhattan, also in a decent neighborhood.
You guys have homes?
80% of Americans could not fit in these buildings.
No way, most of America is not New York City.
as an american, id rather live in a big suburban home with a garage and be free instead of living in a pod and eating bugs like klaus schwab wants, i hope we never build these dystopian apartments in the US
as a non American I would 100% live in it if the rent was cheep
6:25 Woah Japan better calm down with those excessive setback requirements
Always quality content 👍. Thk u very much.
This is so fascinating! I always learn so much watching this channel 😊😊
I am weird, in that I love small spaces where I can really use up the little amount of room I have and maximize function. I don't mind a little cramp so I love lots of these!
I feel you. I like vast open spaces and really comfy small ones, like a snail house.^^
This video has made the space between the side of my house and the fence feel like a luxurious opportunity!
Wow, Café Semorina.
My neighborhood!!!
Thanks for sharing.
That cafe is my favorite building for months. Do you know what is on the second floor of this building?
@@user-bg2oi4bz3p
Well, I'm not sure what's on the second floor. Maybe the first and the second belong to the same café Semorina.
I mean, if I were a university student or just starting out in life, I think that renting a place like that could be worth the savings. Thanks for the excellent video (as always)! Glad to see Alex again on your channel!
The only tiny building in my small California town is a drive-thru sushi stand in an old photo drop off booth.
4:59
That's so neat. To put the sink on top of the toilet. I bet you even recycle the water that way!
If you were low income it would keep you from being a homeless. If you had a decent job, you could afford a place, and spend your money on a better education or starting your own business.
I think Akko is amazing, really attractive, fun and helpful. Lovely lady. Like your cheerful, humorous approach. Fun video I enjoyed this excursion into smallness. They must be very inefficiently insulated though..
This was a fun one! And the price on the triangle building was incredibly reasonable.
I love seeing the eco system of Japni-tubers intersecting with one another. I'm still hoping one day to see Rachel and Jun to show up on a random cameo, and then I could retire in peace. At the ripe old age of 23.
Was Chris Broad ever on this channel?
@@lainiwakura1776 Not as far as I know, but Alex makes the crossover. There is also Alex of Noriyaro who makes a cossover from Trash taste, and many Jpanese Channels and even to beyond Japan
I actually think this is a great idea for mega cities. I live in a mega city, and rent prices are huge - even for a studio. I’d definitely be willing to live in a place like that yellow building for $250/month.
Would've liked to see the floor plan of the ground and basement units. I'm presuming access to the basement one is in the back.
I lived in a 26 foot sloop for two years. Those apartments are huge.
In those apartments you don't need a place for a bed. You have a futon and put it away in the morning before unfolding your table.
I live in smaller than that for the same price (in US), and my bathroom is in the same area. You can make it work.
$250 a month. We need about 50,000 of those apartments spread throughout the US.
X50
@@rick3747 2,500,000 sounds about right.
Oh but American Karens will call these “inhumane”, outlaw it and tell the homeless to keep staying on the streets 😌
China´s government "sits" on >80millions of normal sized, newly built, modern smart appartments* (nothing like what shown here !!!), which stay empty, cause the calculations about citizens moving from rural areas to the cities for work, didn´t turn out as high as calculated and expected ...!!! And well, it must be noted, also because the government run just a tiiiiiiiny bit wild at building affordable housing for the masses.... (you know, just the usual evils of socialism) ;-)
And you are talking about 50thousand micro-appartments, for a huge country like the US ??? How poor and marginalized do you have to be, after all, when you must have this attitude and way of thinking ???
*Smart appartment: For example, when the fridge orders food when getting empty, and other such stuff...
we do, but sadly our zoning requirements would never allow it to happen. in most cities, apartment buildings require at least two staircases
I loved it! One of the best videos about Japan I have seen in a long time. It seems that when people are more closely crowded together,. it fosters a culture of more consideration for others. You had me chuckling. Here in Los Angeles, we are ridiculously spread out with 12-lane freeways and suburban sprawl based on the old-fashioned automobile. I think it would be quite refreshing to live in japan, at least for a time. With the exchange rate being what it is, it certainly seems like a great time to visit! $250 a month for a bachelor apartment is crazy cheap by US standards. For years, we always thought Japan was insanely expensive. Perhaps this video proves that conventional wisdom wrong.
8:22 I kinda hope somebody saved that keyboard
Also! 10:05 We’re the same height so this actually helped give me a real sense of scale, esp because most vloggers seem to be Alex-sized at minimum
My dorm room in the UK was smaller than that apartment (with a shared kitchen though) and was way shittier and more expensive. For a year or so this would absolutely work!
4:50 the stairs kind of remind me of the stairs at some old Samurai castles I toured, which are practically ladders
Very interesting. Love that little burger shop and the apartment looks alright for someone living solo since there's good sunlight and decent ceiling height
You have got to do more of these, very interesting stuff, maybe a solution for Vancouver's real estate problems.
I need to find a realtor with Alex's vibes in Winnipeg. I love this! And that restaurant is incredibly cute!
Awww, it’s a building you can hug❤❤❤
I wish we could do stuff like this in New Zealand. Instead people have to team up and rent a giant house together, then end up with less personal space than this and having to share bathroom/toilet-which can have a lot of its own issues. I'd love to live in my own place and not have to share with people I hardly know.
11:55 "One and a half Alex hands" That is definitely an American measurement if I ever heard it.
Great video. Loved it!
that is the thing i luv about japan....if you are into architecture, buildings, smallbuildings, there is just so much to see.......eveyrhting is so unique
2:29 curious but is building that sharp stopper structure common/legal? It looks dangerous more so than to protect the main structure
you'd have to be going pretty fast for that to be a problem. not a real problem in Japan, but might be in Biden's America
@alquinn8576 no need to get political. It's a simple curiosity because the design is odd amd not practical if it's designed to prevent damage to main structure.
@@alquinn8576 "Biden's America" lol, blue states have lower traffic fatalities per capita. Not only did you make this gratuitously political, you got it wrong.
im a little bit tired of japanese tiny apt videos, but i clicked anyway because i knew you'd bring something new, interesting and informative. funnily enough, thats the first thing you address. I love your channel because you really have a great niche in the "japan content" side of youtube in making really interesting, pretty, and chill videos. tackling each topic from a "reporter" kinda angle (idk if that's how you would describe yourself but its the word that comes to mind). YIPPI :)
Amazing use of space!!
Alex is well on his way to show up in every Japan based, english speaking youtube channel
I love these tiny quirky bu8ildings. Tons of character in every one. Wish they were more of a thing in the states
That yellow building would be a nightmare for me to live in.
I am so clumsy I will probably be falling down the stairs on a daily basis. At least it is so cramped there's no room to actually fall down :)
That hamburger cafe's upstairs dining area looks great.
Amazing 😀
No matter how big or, in this case minuscule, the bathtubs are, Alex will always sit in them.
This is peak Tokyo Portfolio, Mr. Portfolio 👏
I love these small spaces, I would absolutely move into one if I were in Japan.
So would in that apartment, is the toilet shared with other units like and SRO, or does it just happen to be outside the unit for space reasons?
McKeesport, PA has that cheapest rent in the US, and even there it averages $350 a month. This is a much nicer area. I would gladly trade off the tiny space for a better area. I wish was had some apartments this small in the US. I don't want to race to the bottom and have everyone living in tiny apartments, but just some to diversify the costs of living in various areas.
Ooh another collab with Tokyo Portolio!
I have to do some geometry for your video?! Aw man! 📐 🤣
That last staircase is so scary! Where I live, tiny buildings are so rare I don't even know if there are any.
It's funny that Alex now officially appeared as a cameo on all of the Japan-based UA-cam channels I subscribed to.
7:33 AWWWWWW MYYYYY KHAN ACADEMIA
2.50 , omg kuroge beef for burger , wow , just wow . i would definitely love to try that place out if i am living in japan
Honestly might be a waste. Ethan did a video (youtube ID E6w_W6GyHEs ) on Wagyu and burgers.
some of the really high Hz stopped me from watching this video. Sorry 1:34-1:36 and then 2:55. sorry and thanks!
Great channel. I was so close to visiting Japan at one point myself. I had experience with modeling and in late 2015 I was in contact with Capcom about the facial likeness role of Leon for the Resident Evil 2 Remake. I failed to mention I also have a voice acting background, in the end I lost the part and I can't forgive myself for wasting such an opportunity. That would've been a real dream come true to visit Asia. All the best!
I wish we had building laws like this in California. I know our land prices would still make these places more expensive than this, but this was well under $300 USD a month. Sounds amazing to be able to have your own place for that price. You'd have to find a very nice person, to be able to rent a single bedroom here for even $300, and I live in a relatively affordable city. Though our bedrooms here are larger than that entire apartment, even small ones, but it's more private, instead of a bedroom in someone elses house. And of course, with building laws like that, you could always find an appartment that's slightly larger if it's within budget.
Very interesting and informative. Are the tiny building built to the appropriate earthquake standards?
Thanks. Quite interesting.
Very cool!
Would not want to be a mover going into that yellow building!
Akko is so adorable
Very cool! I would’ve lived here when I was younger and just me. It has a nice charming character to it. Would love to stay there a couple nights to experience it.
This is great!
There’s no way something like these houses would be allowed to be built in Germany, since laws for the dimensions of evacuation routes / staircases in case of fire are basically non-negotiable. These minimum dimensions would literally eat up the entire lot size 😂
How would they get furniture up the narrow staircase into the home?
mostly ppl using window, japanase ppl have company to run this business.
And how do you bring furniture upstairs? Through the windows?
Terrible. Japan has lots of land, there is absolutely no reason to cram yourselves into these little spaces
There is little land to live on
@ there is lots of land to live on. Miles and miles and miles of land
Ohhhh. You also know Alex! ❤🎉
Tiny living gets a new meaning! I could build some of these for a model railroad!
03:20 maybe ~80cm external vs 60cm internal width?
Ako is a lot of fun. Please include her more often.
The kitchens in those narrow shops reminds me of a galley on a small yacht
@12:47 I know that Japanese people are quiet people but I'm still curious to know as to how thick the walls and floors/ceilings are: enough not to hear your neighbor downstairs talking or neighbor upstairs dragging their chair? 'Coz we all know that even usual sounds tend to be louder/noisier than normal in a really quiet setting.
Uses for long skinny buildings not mentioned:
1. A one lane bowling alley. League nights Mondays through Thursdays.
2. A hotel where adult guests can sleep in midair by wedging themselves between the walls. No beds necessary.
3. A giant novelty credit card that is still thin enough to fit in your wallet in one of three 3 dimensions. Just paint the company name on the outside and remember to have anticounterfeiting devices installed by authorized personnel only to prevent skimming.
4. A movie theater with rows that are one-seat-wide, with a 5-foot-wide screen that is 10-feet-tall, and a two-speaker surround sound speaker system where the speaker in front doubles as a concession stand.
5. An indoor shooting range where you can not miss the target even if you tried.
I live in Freiburg, Germany, in a 23 sqm apartment (balcony space included) and all of a sudden it feels like a castle after watching this video 😂
When I moved in, the amount of space was not my concern at all! As a student in Kuala Lumpur, I rented out a storage room as bedroom for a couple of months, which probably was less than 10 sqm. But I would happily trade my current apartment with a tinier place, all I ask is no noise and pollution of any kind! (loud music, late night family parties, smoke, noisy street, etc).
The problem in here is that tiny apartments usually have 1 window or balcony door, but I cannot ask neighbors not to smoke cigarette. On the other hand, landlords state in your contract to open the windows for 10 minutes every day (sometimes twice a day) to ventilate the stale and humid air, even if it was -10 C in the dead of winter. (So much for efficiency, huh?)
I have to keep it closed most of the times since second hand smoking gives me a headache and makes my apartment stinking for hours. Living in airtight in summer heatwaves, where no one is allowed to install ac units in Germany, it's a sauna to say the least! 😆 (coolest point before sunrise 27 C!)