Leave it to the Japanese, the same folks who invented the transistor radio, to come up with a multitude of ways to miniaturize their lives and save valuable space. "Livin' Large"? Not here, buster!
Japan isn't quite as tiny as it looks on the world map, snuggled up right beside big ol' China, but this nearly California-sized country is home to over 125 million people: that's three & a half times Cali's population! What's more, quite a lot of the country is mountainous, forested and so on, yet the place (well, most of it) hasn't been paved over into some kind of oriental New Jersey. How do the Japanese preserve the natural beauty of their land while managing to live prosperous lives packed shoulder to shoulder on subway trains, in ramen restaurants and just about anywhere in overstuffed Tokyo? By taking a page from Steve Martin's book... Let's get small!!!
Here are 10 of the most ingenious ways the Japanese have gotten with the program and gotten small:
Tiny Japanese House
Space-saving Toilet with Faucet
I stayed with friends in Japan once and when the time came to use the facilities, was I ever shocked... the bathroom, while spotlessly clean, offered barely enough room to hold the toilet and a small standing space in front of it. I thought that if the house had a Ladies Room, it would be even smaller. Anyway, although the room was barely the size of an average American broom closet, it did have one redeeming feature: the toilet tank had a concave top upon which perched a gooseneck faucet. Upon flushing, the tank would refill itself through said faucet, giving you about a minute to wash up before the tank filled and the water stopped. I left the tiny washroom greatly impressed - not to mention, relieved. (image via Hangzhou Lovin' )
Tiny Humidifier
So you live in a tiny house - you can't fill it up with regular-size appliances, now can you? Through the miracle of proportional sizing, even a really small Japanese house can feel, well, not so terribly tiny if you stock it with equally tiny appliances. Most Japanese air conditioners, for instance, are designed to cool only the room they're installed in. And take this tiny home humidifier... though anyone who's suffered through a stiflingly sticky Japanese summer would say a humidifier is the LAST thing one needs. Winter is a different story, however, as tiny, thin-walled Japanese houses can get mighty dry. Simply fill an average 2-litre soda bottle with water and invert it onto a teeny tiny humidifier (an adventure in itself, I'm sure), and you'll soon be singing "Turning Japanese" by The (moist) Vapors! (via Weird Asia News )
Miniature Japanese TV
Miniaturization may not have been invented by the Japanese, but it's arguable that they've perfected the concept. I mentioned the transistor radio, and there's no need to mention the Sony Walkman - oops, just did. This, however, takes miniaturization to a higher - make that lower - level: actual functioning TVs for dollhouses. Sure, go ahead and laugh if you must. Yes, I know dolls can't watch TV, but that's beside the point. A dollhouse is a house, for dolls, and it must be furnished. To meet this requirement, Japanese toy company Takara is selling 1.5 inch screen TVs made for them by Sharp Corporation.
Tiny Dollhouse TVThe tiny LCD TVs are controlled from a panel installed outside the dollhouse. You can adjust the volume and even change the channel... turn on "Tiny Toons", please! No way, Barbie, I'm watching "Valley of the Dolls!" (via primidi.com ).
Tiny Toothpaste
Tiny is as tiny does, as Forrest Gump might say, and the best way to save space is to (duh) just make things smaller. Witness a prime example: what may be the world's tiniest tube of toothpaste. There's barely enough in the miniscule tube to brush your teeth once (unless you're a hillbilly, I suppose...). It's the ideal choice for those considering a stay in one of Japan's tiny capsule hotels. (via John Labovitz's "travels & ponderings" )
Comments
My Refrigerator is Rather Large
but I still have a hard time fitting in even one of those small seedless watermelons. Someone needs to come up with a "Side-by-Side Watermelon".....
Another great post! I hate
Another great post! I hate the toilet/faucet things- they are gross to me, even if I know logically they are not.
Here is our post on square watermelons- orginally developed to fit in small Japan refrigerators: http://rinkya.blogspot.com/2007/07/square-watermelon-only-in-japan.html
Also they are a great deal- nearly $200 USD!
Doujin-- Well Said
I think you get the picture, and I would have to agree that use of a word like "jap" is meant to be derogatory and thereby something that decent Americans wouldn't use, condone or tolerate.
Oriental? Who cares
Get your head out of YOUR ass, and quit being so sensitive. I'm Japanese too and I'm not offended by "oriental" or anything else except maybe "jap." And even that seems laughably archaic. What's the difference, precisely, between oriental and asian? "oriental" seems quaint now, if anything.
Thicken your skin, bud. Seriously, don't you have anything better to do than be offended?
"Fact Check" below
Gee, we never read that before......
When In Rome, Do What The Romans Do!
I had to look twice yesterday to make sure I was seeing what I thought I was seeing: A Japanese man walking along a road near a U.S. college campus and chugging down a QUART carton of "Soy Milk". Skeptics might assert that he just LOOKED Japanese or that I am exaggerating the size of the carton, but I am still wondering where he was going to put all that milk.
Fact Check
The Japanese did not invent the transistor radio.
This Wasn't Meant to be Insulting!
I would think that this article was meant to be informative and "amusing", but not intentionally insulting. An article such as this is only "insulting" if one interprets it this way--and that is more of a reflection upon the interpreter and his/her attitudes/beliefs than of the writer's intent.
There are many items in the U.S. that are available in ridiculously small packages. For example, we have individually wrapped Life Savers, Tic Tacs, pieces of bubble gum, etc. We also have single doses of aspirin, individually-wrapped 1" square (?) alcohol pads, and 4 or 6 ounce cans of soda, single-serving drink mixes "to go" (e.g., Propel or Crystal Light) to name a few. If someone from another country wrote about these, I wouldn't be offended. Being objective, I would have to agree that these are wasteful and unnecessary. At the same time, I would acknowledge that it is a growing trend--which some have dubbed "The McDonaldization of Society".
Even if people find another society's practices unusual, odd, or "silly", it doesn't mean these people are making fun of the culture--they just find these things amusing and interesting to read and write about. America is supposed to embrace cultural diversity, and I think an article like this is useful in informing people around the world of various practices. Some wll laugh, some will be offended, some will be amused, and others will wonder "what's the big deal?"
I learned a little about Japanese culture, and therefore believe that the article has value. If I had to pick something that was on the offensive side, it would clearly come from some of the comments made about the author--they were INTENTIONALLY insulting when his article was NOT.
No substance, humour,
No substance, humour, interest nor entertainment. Only insulting thru the use of oriental (New Jersey). WTF - it's the 21st century - get your head out of your ass and maybe you'll write more interesting and less insulting articles.
one sided
Smaller than US does not mean small. Come to UK, house are similar size in London. whole things you said are in Tokyo, not represent whole Japan. Do you compare New York City with Dallas?
Fortunately for most people, world is not all America.