Question # 12. What kind of living arrangements will I have when teaching ESL in Japan?

Question #12. What kind of living arrangements will I have?

Apartments can be studio sized to 1LDK, 2LDk or bigger. L-living, D-dining, Kitchen and a bath (furo) and toilet in a separate room.

In the big city, think small arrangements. In the countryside, think larger.

Rooms are measured by units called a jo = one tatami mat, which is about 3 by 6 feet, about.

roku-jo, or 6-tatami sized room is adequate for a single person to put in a small desk, a cupboard and be able to throw down a futon in the evenings to sleep on. A bed, single or twin sized is possible but a waste of space, unless you have another room.

hachi-jo or 8-tatami sized rooms are plenty big enough for single people to set up shop, I think.

If there is a living room, they might be 6-10 jo big and sometimes have hardwood floors.

For someone who has never been to Japan…ask, how many rooms there will be. Ask if the living and bedroom are separate. Ask how big the rooms are…and go from there.

In any event, it is good to remember that your neighbors are generally living under the same conditions as you are. And, if they can do it, so you can you.

Go ni ireba, go ni shitagau – when in Rome, do as the Romans do.

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