apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

That is SO gorgeous.

please tell me anything anybody knows about the two chairs in the picture, they are against the wall. i love them.

This is such a beautiful home, maybe the most beautiful ever featured. Everything is just so good!

Very beautiful!

I love how those danish chairs discreetly fit into the authentic japanese décor.

Whenever I see something like this, it reminds me to go home and get rid of something I don't need. Can't wait to see what goes today!

Simply gorgeous, makes me want to go to Japan.

A beautiful example of a minimal, but not austere, interior.

Wow ... there is so much to love here - minimal, but still warm, the mix of modern pieces with the traditional ... and that tub!

This reminds me of the house in "The Grudge" the Japanese version. A little creepy but also very beautiful!

A few years back I stayed in Chiiori, Alex Kerr's 300 year old minka in the Iya Valley of Shikoku. It was a wonderful, peaceful experience. This reminds of that, although much bigger than the farmhouse, which was only 2 big rooms, open to the elements on one side in the summer.
Just looking at the photos makes me think about all that I live with and don't need.

"I love how those danish chairs discreetly fit into the authentic japanese décor."

I rather doubt that those chairs are actually Danish - I recall seeing many such chairs during my years in Japan...
...Much of what we consider "Danish Modern" is actually highly influenced by traditional Japanese design.

What's the deal with it being so damn dark? It makes me sad.

"What's the deal with it being so damn dark? It makes me sad."

You think that's sad?
Most Japanese houses and apartments have just a single central overhead light fixture in every room - frequently flourescent.

My dream vacation! Jealous!!!

swooning, hope we get to see A LOT more Asian apartments~!!

Are you sure you were the describing the house pictured? According to the plan's there's no 12-mat room in the place.

I promise you, if 10 people were in there it would not seem peaceful. Whenever I spend time in house like that it always feels like summer camp or a road trip... everyone walking through each others rooms, and then there's taking out/putting away your bedding in the evening/morning.

Also... best to check out the neigborhood before you decide its peaceful. Anyone know Higashiyama Sanso? I thought that would be peaceful but the outside noise was worse that my home in Tokyo!

kushkush - i promise that 10 people would be comfortable - we had 6 and it was crazy spacious. the room we were in was 8 tatami, i was using 12 as an example and have changed the text to reflect this.

very nice, i love japanese architecture. it really is extremely traditional and common, very ordinary for japan. i do like lots of things about their homes, however, and see them influencing my own home one day...

nice to see something different for a change.

I have a friend in Japan who was lucky enough to get a more "westernized" apartment. Real bed, real toilet (not the whole in the floor kind), etc.

Define "real."

'Lucky'? Because traditional Japanese homes suck? Does your friend eat KFC everyday there too?

I would LOVE to visit here! I could only hope our dream home would look similar.

Splendid space.

Define "real."

Seriously. What is the point of going to another country if you're just going to live exactly as you do in the U.S.? Ugh, branch out, explore another culture and live a little. And you make it sound as if there's a dearth of Westernized apartments in Japan, which I doubt is the case.

I love this house and if I ever make it to Japan, I definitely want to stay in a ryokan (traditional inn).

I had complained in the past that AT doesn't show enough traditional Japanese decor. An AT person replied saying they show a lot of Japanese design, and yes, AT does...but it's all very modern and could pass for Scandinavian design half the time, imo.

THIS is what I wanted--traditional Japanese decor.

THANK YOU.

I want that garden. Seriously.

JennyLicht oh she strikes again..wow please enlighten us with the knowledge and expertise you seem to know.

What a nicely updated machiya-style building. I especially love the bath. Its updated enough to give you some luxuries, but while still retaining a traditional feel. You said it was 19th century, but is it Edo or Meiji period? Just curious.

And to add my own to cents to the "real" comments: Let me just say that in Japan there are both older traditional buildings and newer apartments. Both are a part of the "real" Japan. Be careful when talking about the "real" Japan as I think it is too simple to only regard the traditional as "real" and worthy of consideration.

I love seeing places like this for design inspiration, and I'd also love to see more basic, everyday type apartments in Japan, as they often provide great inspiration for small spaces.

For full disclosure, I currently live in Tokyo in a very normal, boring apartment. Nothing as nice as this!

rosenatti -- When I say real she has a platform bed and the toilet looks exactly like one you would find here in the states. It even has a heated seat...lol.

You can kind of see the bed in one of the pictures, but here's her blog about it. http://danasease.blogspot.com/2008/08/so-far-so-good.html

slowdown -- Nice...lol...no she actually happily enjoys eating Japanese cuisine. She was very happy to find she did have a westernized toilet and a bed instead of a mat - she would have accepted the other, but as she puts it, it makes it feel like home. She is staying for a few years as an English teacher (as in teaching the language, not the subject).

oh so beautiful and serene! can i move in? :-)