Name: Maximize Your Space in Tokyo | Life in Japan Episode 41
Uploaded: 2020-03-21T08:20:42.000Z
Duration: 8 min 13 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

If you live in Tokyo, you know that space comes at a premium.

The comparative

The closer you are to the train stations, the more expensive everything becomes.

To-infinitive

Tiny little one room apartments barely big enough to fit a bed can run you at least a thousand dollars a month, if not more.

Coming from America and Brazil, our houses were big and we had plenty of space.

Ironically, as we had kids, we moved to Japan — our family growing and losing space at the same time.

Our house seemed so small when we first moved in.

This is our new home — we're going to stay here. A long long long long time?

However everyone that came over to visit said “Wow, it’s such a big entrance” — which we learned is a good thing in Japan.

A big entrance means you’re prosperous!

One of the biggest adjustments for Ruth in Japan was the size of the kitchen.

There was so much less storage and counter space than she was used to.

The kitchen is Ruth’s creative space, so we really wanted her to like it.

So, I think that every time Dad comes he ends up building us another shelf which is so wonderful.

Both of these shelves. He built an extension to our counter here.

So, is there space for another shelf somewhere?

Yea, we're going to go right on top of the door. Whoa!

Kuruganeya is a Japanese do-it-yourself store, and we love it.

Finding things in Japan is not the same as in America.

One of our favorite places. Yea! Kuruganeya!

It may be winter, but you can still have flowers here.

Not only is there a language barrier, but the products themselves are different than the products oversees.

Many times there were solutions to the problems we faced, but we didn’t even know they existed.

Even if we had, we wouldn’t know what to look for.

But I don't think it's working right now.

Yea... and just so I can write notes and leave it for them

At least we have built many shelves over the years and know exactly what to look for.

We have one other stop we have to make first, though.

Look, he's got a little toy there himself, doesn't he?

How long's it going to be until we have to get one of these?

That's my puppy right there. That's the kind of puppy that Ruth likes right there.

Here, let's look over here. Here's the fish.

There's another one. There's another one.

We need to get what we came for: supplies to build shelves.

Well girlfriend — you're getting another shelf! How about that?

I don't know what — what's off level here?

Dad, if you measure from this door to the ceiling and that door edge to the ceiling, it's going to be off.

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Maximize Your Space in Tokyo | Life in Japan Episode 41

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