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Right when you enter, there is a Japanese-style area where you're supposed to take off your shoes. There is also the "getabako" for you to put all of your shoes, and being the neat person I am, I always" put them in there. (Ha!) (getabako = box to put your geta which are sandals made of wood in the old times.) I'll admit that I've picked up the habit of not wearing my shoes into the house but soft sandals which are very comfortable. This is true except for those times when I forget something in the house,Then I walk on my toes with shoes on and come back in a hurry so that Kiyoka cannot see me. No wonder so many Japanese prefer slip-on shoes! You can see Kiyoka's favorite puppy named "Korokke" and many flowers that welcome our many guests. |
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I bring you right away through the hall and across the frosted-glass door where the living/dining room is. This is the most attractive room in the place because it is wide open and it has got the most furniture. Kiyoka did a good job of picking out cool wood furniture for me, so I can't take credit for having good taste yet. Walking to the right, you get to the kitchen, which is small by American standards but decent by Japanese standards. Either way, I have left Kiyoka cook there alone since we fought about we should cook a meat ball. I usually have the job of making rice balls with left over cooked rice. Since we live together, I've used the stove twice for making spaghetti, and proud moments those were! |
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Continuing the visit of my apartment, we have a "washitsu" meaning "Japanese room". It is kind of funny to have a Japanese room in Japan. Well, recent apartment contains more Westernized rooms than Japanese rooms. Anyway, it is the simplest part of the apartment where we have tea and relax. There is a heater under the table to keep our feet warm. Next, there is the bathroom, which is in its own room. You just step through this door and turn the water on without having a separate partition or anything since the whole room is tiled. Kiyoka always prepare the "ofuro" or hot bath everyday which is great to relieve all the stress of a real Japanese life. Finally,there is our bedroom where Kiyoka should sleep a lot more (meaning that she wakes up very early and goes to bed really late!?). Of course, I always make up my bed this neatly but not Kiyoka so I have to do for her... The room is pretty big but I couldn't get a good angle for the picture. We bought two singles beds at Aisin Seiki fair at a very reduced price. The beds are made with gel packs that are warmed by a heater (one of my co-worker did research on the type of gel that best absorb heat). Our beds are very comfortable during the cold and humid Japanese winters. |
In Japan, company employees have access to apartment rented at half price by their own companies. They are called "Shyataku" (Company home). In my company, there are 5 to 20 people who get married every month (particularly with the recent wedding boom in Japan) and therefore are eligible to enter a lottery to decide who get which apartment. The lottery is organised three months before the wedding in order to give some time to the couples to prepare it before the wedding and in the case where the lottery did not give expected results, the time to find another apartment.
Among the 17 apartments we could choose, there were very old decrepited apartment with only two rooms, all the way to big new apartments with 5 rooms. Of course, everyone wishes to have to best apartment and therefore, the need for a lottery. I figured out different winning scenarios all the night before the lottery. Ouf!
Among the funny things about this lottery is the fact that if the future wife accompanies the husband to the lottery, the couple is usually not lucky at all. However, I really wanted to have Kiyoka close to me because everything is in Japanese. But finally, Kiyoka could not finish her work and could not get on time for the lottery. But it was very simple because I was the only one wishing the apartment I choose and therefore, did not need to fight for it with someone else. Finally, we were very lucky because our new apartment is a 2LDK meaning that it has 2 rooms, one Living room, 1 Dining room and 1 Kitchen. Well, the Living room, Dining room and Kitchen are in fact one big room. There is western room and one Japanese room (with tatami and sliding doors). Included rooms are the bathroom, the toilet room, washing machine room and a spare room which is outside where we can put unnecessary things called the "Soko" in Japanese.
I moved from the company dormitory to the new apartment two months before the wedding scheduled on December 28th. Cruising every electronic stores in and around Kariya, we could find interesting prices for everythings needed for cherish life! Furnitures were ordered for the exact size of our bedroom and kitchen. Arriving by waves, still living alone, the apartment was getting nicer and nicer every week-end. Kiyoka was shopping to get all the perfect colors that would best transcend our new love!
