Traditional Japanese Furniture
Seating and Tables
Zabuton: Flat, cushioned floor pillows used for sitting.
Tatami: Woven straw mats that cover the floor in traditional rooms.
Chabudai: Low, wooden table used for dining or other activities, often paired with zabuton.
Kotatsu: A low table with a heating element underneath, covered by a blanket or futon.
Zaisu: A legless chair with a backrest, used on tatami floors.
Engawa: Wooden veranda or sitting area found in traditional houses.
Storage
Tansu: Traditional wooden chests or cabinets, often with decorative ironwork.
Kaidan Tansu: Step-style chest that doubles as a staircase in smaller homes.
Shoji: Sliding paper doors, often used to divide spaces.
Fusuma: Opaque sliding panels used for room partitions.
Chigaidana: Staggered shelves for displaying decorative items.
Sleeping
Futon: A traditional Japanese mattress and bedding set placed directly on tatami mats, stored away during the day.
Shikibuton: The mattress part of a futon.
Kakebuton: The quilt or duvet used as a cover.
Makura: Traditional Japanese pillow, often filled with buckwheat hulls.
Other Items
Tokonoma: A decorative alcove in traditional rooms, used to display art or flowers.
Hibachi: A small, portable heating device, traditionally used for warmth or cooking.
Modern Furniture in Japan
Seating and Tables
Sofa: Western-style upholstered seating.
Dining Table: A taller table with matching chairs for modern dining areas.
Office Chair: Ergonomic chairs used at desks.
Coffee Table: A small table placed in front of a sofa.
Storage
Closet: Built-in or freestanding storage for clothing and other items.
Bookshelf: Wooden or metal shelving units for books and decor.
Wardrobe: A freestanding cabinet for storing clothes.
Cabinet: General-purpose storage furniture with shelves or drawers.
Sleeping
Bed Frame: Modern, raised platform for a mattress.
Mattress: A thick, cushioned surface for sleeping.
Bunk Bed: A double-level bed, commonly used in small apartments.
Other Items
TV Stand: Furniture to hold or display a television.
Shoe Cabinet: A tall or compact cabinet for storing shoes, often near the entrance (genkan).
Desk: A workspace table for writing, studying, or working.
Ancient and Traditional Japanese Homes
Types of Homes
Minka (民家): Traditional wooden houses for farmers, artisans, and merchants, characterized by steep thatched roofs.
Gassho-Zukuri (合掌造り): A specific type of minka with steeply angled thatched roofs, designed to shed snow in mountainous regions.
Machiya (町家): Traditional wooden townhouses in urban areas, typically narrow and deep, with a shop space in the front.
Samurai Residence (武家屋敷, Bukeyashiki): Homes for samurai, featuring wooden structures, tatami floors, and gardens.
Kura (蔵): Traditional storehouses made of clay or plaster, used for storing valuable goods.
Shinden-Zukuri (寝殿造り): Aristocratic residences from the Heian period, with open, airy layouts and sliding doors.
Shoin-Zukuri (書院造り): Residences for samurai and scholars, with defined rooms, tatami floors, and decorative alcoves (tokonoma).
Modern Japanese Homes
Types of Homes
Ikkodate (一戸建て): A standalone, detached house, often with a small garden or yard.
Danchi (団地): Public housing complexes, typically consisting of multiple apartment buildings.
Mansion (マンション): Modern, reinforced concrete apartment buildings, usually taller and with better amenities compared to apartments.
Apāto (アパート): Small, inexpensive apartments in wooden or lightweight steel buildings, typically 1-2 stories.
Share House (シェアハウス): Shared living spaces where residents have private rooms but share common areas like the kitchen and bathroom.
Apartment Size Classifications
Room Layout Terms
1R: One room with no separate kitchen.
1K: One room with a small, separate kitchen.
1DK: One room with a dining area and a small kitchen.
1LDK: One room with a living, dining, and kitchen area (larger and more spacious than a DK).
2DK: Two rooms plus a dining area and kitchen.
2LDK: Two rooms plus a living, dining, and kitchen area.
3LDK: Three rooms plus a living, dining, and kitchen area (common for families).
Apartment Sizes
One-room Mansion (ワンルームマンション): Compact studio apartments, often rented by students or single professionals.
Family-type Mansion (ファミリータイプマンション): Larger apartments with multiple rooms, suitable for families.
Studio Apartment (スタジオアパート): A single-room layout with minimal partitions.
Specialized Homes
Capsule Hotel (カプセルホテル): Compact, pod-like sleeping units, primarily for short stays.
Ryokan (旅館): Traditional Japanese inns, featuring tatami rooms, communal baths, and traditional meals.
Minshuku (民宿): Family-run guesthouses, offering a similar experience to ryokan but at a lower cost.
