How about, on a single plot of land, there was a host of custom home builders,
showing off their latest designs and tech?
That'd be a Japanese Housing Exhibition Center.
Last year my wife and I were in the market for a new home
and she suggested we visit such a place.
On top of being free to visit, they also gave you gifts in return!
I mean, look at all this free swag that I now have no clue what do with.
The unfortunate part is that most of them want to talk to you as you explore the house,
but luckily, my wife was able to chat with them while I escaped away.
One thing that I quickly found out, is that while these are show homes,
most of the floor plans aren't what you'd ever actually build.
They're more of a sampling of the various types of designs and rooms you could have.
For people who think Japanese homes are small and cramped,
you probably wouldn't think so after visiting an exhibition like this.
So, I don't want you to leave thinking
that these modern designs would apply to the
majority of houses that average people live in.
They are not as constrained by space or budget as real home buyers would be,
so things are all a bit grander than usual.
Alright, let's take a look at some design features that stood out for me.
One thing was this toilet.
For a Westerner, nothing may seem out of place,
but if you're used to Japanese bathrooms,
you'd know that beyond small bachelor apartments, they're usually housed in a room all by itself.
Speaking of something out of the norm, I asked,
and these glass panels are more for show than an actual design that you'd want,
especially since the bathing room is completely viewable from the kitchen.
And speaking of the kitchen,
this moveable stovetop dial both fascinates the tech guy in me,
and worries the practical maintenance guy in me.
Or maybe it's the father in me.
You just know the kids will decide this is a hockey puck or something.
Since Japanese homes have less square footage than those in Canada,
I find their storage units to be a bit more versatile.
I like how this drawer pulls out to reveal this setup.
If you've seen Japanese kitchens,
you may have noticed they have these little grooves built into the sink.
I've always found this quite useful when wiping the countertop,
as there's no ridge stopping you from pushing water and debris into the sink.
The added benefit of the groove
is that sinks can come with custom fit cutting boards or drying racks.
This kitchen has a built in workstation,
which I feel would come in handy for quickly checking out a laptop or tablet.
A lot of the living rooms you'll see in these homes
are a lot more open than other Japanese homes that I've visited.
As I mentioned, I think it's partly due to not having space limitations,
but it's also because steel beam and concrete construction
allows architects to do away with supporting walls.
You'll often see these open kitchen / living room designs in new homes.
While you probably won't see a dining room, like in a North American house,
some places will have tatami rooms.
The seating will be on the floor,
or the table will be over a sunken floor that you can put your legs into.
Some unique designs I saw were like this one,
where the raised tatami floor cuts away at the counter so you can swing your feet under.
No stools required.
I also found this raised floor kind of design in the bedrooms.
I've never seen something like this before.
While the average homes in Tokyo don't seem to feature walk-in closets,
these model homes had an interesting variety of them.
This one even had carpet in it, which is quite rare in Japanese homes.
I don't know if it simply looks better for show purposes,
but often the bedrooms would have western style beds on low frames.
As you may or may not know,
futons that lie on the ground is the traditional Japanese sleeping style.
The last area you'll visit in these show homes
is the one that highlights what's in the bones of the house,
or in other words, the materials that are used to build it.
If you've seen my other housing videos, this may seem repetitive,
however I need to point out that they do have insulation.
Since these are custom homes, they have displays that will show the different qualities of insulation
and presumably how their house is using the best stuff.
What I saw featured at quite a few of these homes were steel and concrete construction.
If you want a home that'll last you over 100 years,
these are the types of builders you'll want to talk with.
The homes are significantly more expensive than wood frames,
but if you the cash to outlay,
these will be longer lasting and more stable in earthquakes,
at least that's what this floppy looking rubber wooden house is telling me.
I didn't show all the exhibits, but they have some interesting set ups
showing outdoor wall finishings,
comparing the insulation and sound proofing capabilities of windows,
and heating options... including... yes... central heating.
It's kind of like going to a science fair thrown by housing corporations.
While many of the show homes I walked through didn't have real world designs,
this little one bedroom studio was an example of what a real unit could be like.
Here's the genkan area,
and right off of it is the toilet, sink, and washing machine,
all in a single room.
Off of that there is a separate bathing room,
although the bath is smaller than the regular ones found in new homes nowadays.
And this is the main room.
You can see the electric stove top is on the same wall as the sink and desk area.
There's a small closet, and that's it.
Despite the exhibition name, it's a somewhat permanent setup,
with houses staying for many years.
Beyond gifts, these model home centers also provide drinks,
bouncy castles for children,
and some even have childcare services.
If there weren't salespeople, I think we'd just go here to relax every now and then!
If you happen to be in Japan and are looking to check out the latest in housing tech,
there are many of these exhibition centers.
Just make sure to grab a Japanese friend
who can at least plausibly say they're interested in one of these homes.
And before you ask, no, we couldn't afford custom homes like this,
but I hope you enjoyed touring with us.
Do you have any home exhibition centers where you're from?
What are they like?