surrounded by palaces and mansions
the word choices to describe housing can be a bit misleading as times. for one, a modern apartment is refered to as a mansion but perhaps the most misconstrued is the palace, or to be exact, leo palace. the leo palace is a masterclass in space management, though the living spaces are perhaps more suited to a corgi than a queen.
the white and grey striped boxes can be seen all over japan which are generally 3 storeys and made up of around 20 units. designed for single occupancy, the main draw is that these waive utilities costs, deposit, 'key money' and a guarantors signature - all important factors of renting in japan. key money specifically is a difficult concept for most foriegners to either grasp or want to agree to: essentially it's an initial, non-refundable type of deposit. it pays for new tatami mats and finishes as well as general wear that you subject a property to. we payed about 1000 quid (by no means a lot in japanese standards) for the privilege of moving into our 'mansion' - but I look at it this way: we pay less per month than we would in glasgow (which describes the current house buying climate in scotland and the UK as a whole) and if you break this down over 3 years then it only adds up to 28 quid more a month.
anyway - the palace. the units are essentially one room of 9m2 with a balcony. leading in from the front door you have a toiletroom, shower room and open kitchen. the kitchen is little more than a fridge, 2 ring burner and cupboard - it kind of curbs any thoughts of creative cooking: prep area is virtually nil. above this entrance area is the bed area - accessed by a ladder in the main room and with just enough room to sit up. sounds cosy, huh?
rent is pretty high for what you get but the advantage being that you can let for a short period - as little as a week - and all the other reasons mentioned above. the rooms are tiny by western standards and it's not exactly somewhere you'd plan to bring up children, but it's cosy, manageable and with the ladder up to the bed - a bit like being a kid again!
Posted by stupot at October 21, 2005 11:07 PM