How a Creative Couple Live Small in Their Yoshinani House Apartment

For video producer Takashi ‘Ryu’ Harada and graphic designer Nodoka ‘Kamado’ Miyamoto, choosing an apartment was as much about the inside layout, as it was outside lifestyle. In Musashi-Kosugi, between Tokyo and Yokohama, the neighbourhood gave the couple the local convenience they were after while providing enough space to customise the rental to their daily lives. A wardrobe has become a workspace, lighting has been personalised, and walls are decorated with their favourite things, including thrifted and hand-crafted pieces and trinkets.While filled with pieces of personality, the one-bedroom home remains flexible, able to shift depending on how many friends are visiting — their current record is 31. Consciously not minimalist or trend-driven, the apartment lives just like the people inside: comfortable, flexible and full of personality. As Kamado says, "let's get rid of the rules and decorate your room with things you actually like." Here's how Ryu and Kamado do it.

A Small Entrance That Holds The Essentials, And More.

Inside the narrow entrance, each space has been maximised for use, with even the back of the front door, decorated with magnets, utilised as an umbrella rack that solves the building's rule against leaving umbrellas outside. A shallow shoe cabinet stores everyday footwear, while above sit keys, accessories and perfume for easy reach before heading out. Nearby, a neat stacking slipper rack holds the many pairs for all their many guests as well. Given the building is older, the couple were given the freedom to personalise it — from using an old bucket hat as the entrance light shade to drilling holes to display artwork and organise daily essentials, including a glass whiteboard in the hallway. Originally intended for daily tasks, it's been illustrated with portraits of Ryu drawn by friends on his birthday, adding to an entry that's personalised throughout.

A Kitchen That Cooks For Many

As a couple who really love to cook, a sizable kitchen was one of their biggest priorities, and a gas cooktop was non-negotiable. Fortunately, their rental's three-burner stove meant they could continue to use the cookware they already own to make weekly pasta for friends, or, as they did for Ryu's birthday, a taco night. For all their entertaining, the kitchen is surrounded by dozens of small improvements, or as Kamado and Ryu call them, "life hacks." A motion-sensor light brightens cupboards, a MagSafe phone mount stuck against the splashback keeps recipes in view, and drawers are organised by use rather than size,  including useful collectables like mixed paper coasters. Between the kitchen and living area, a small fridge and shelving unit displaying their favourite dishes subtly divides the two spaces, while above, a fabric noren with the Yoshinani House logo hangs.

A Living Room That Changes With The Occasions

Much like the moveable dining table that can shift to fit the event of more guests, the unique collection of accompanying chairs can also change depending on the occasion. "I find it fun that they stand out on their own… I want guests to be able to choose whichever chair suits them," says Kamado. Above, the pendant ceiling light was plugged into a track light so that when the table is moved, the lights can shift too. Also fixed to the ceiling is a convex IKEA mirror, for taking large group pictures at the many gatherings. The living space’s modular sofa, which sometimes also serves as a dining table seat, can also expand into a single bed whenever friends stay overnight. Along a display wall, shelves built from reclaimed apple crates hold books and everyday objects, while the television is cloaked in a patterned towel, blending seamlessly into the living room’s collection of art and personal items. "It felt strange to have a black, reflective void in the room, when you can use it to display something, like an art board, probably another life hack.”

A Tatami Room That Adapts To The Day

The apartment's traditional tatami room takes on whatever role is needed for the day. Sometimes it's a second living room for watching films; other times it's a studio, a reading room or Kamado's workspace. The room’s biggest transformation came when the original wardrobe's doors were removed, and the niche was converted into a dedicated work area. Beneath the desk, a small trolley holds art materials and clay tools that can be rolled into place whenever the need arises, then packed away just as quickly. Items that could no longer be stored in the wardrobe were simply relocated right next to it, in the space that connects to the bedroom, which now holds cleaning supplies, laundry items and medicine, hidden neatly behind a removable curtain.

A Bedroom and Bathroom That Make Every Centimetre Count

As the apartment's only room without a window, the bedroom presented perhaps the biggest challenge. Easy to feel dark and enclosed, Ryu and Kamado warmed the space with a wall-mounted paper-based lighting fixture by Sakae Mark and kept storage open with a large steel shelving unit and a clothing rack for seasonal outfits. The same thinking continues into the bathroom, where improvements come in centimetres, like the narrow five-centimetre gap beside the washing machine that houses a very slim storage trolley. Above, three-tiered shelves are held up by a tension rod, creating space for towels and toiletries. “The wall surface is uneven, so suction cups and magnets don't work. That's why we try to hang things for storage as much as possible,” says Kamado, like the towel rack, which hangs a refill pack of shampoo.

Ryu is often asked: "With such a mix of things, how do you manage to make it all cohesive?" And it's as simple as Kamado says: "buy what you like, you should be able to talk about the things you own." For that, Kamado and Ryu have a lot to show and tell.