My Place
I always seem to wake up making some kind of noise. Especially now that its so cold and rainy in Tokyo. Mud is *everywhere*. I might have a problem with that except that my floor is dirt, anyway, all but four tatami mats where I make my bed.
I don't think I've ever really described my appartment, have I? Well, its just a room, really--well, two if you count the bathroom. Its a nice size room--I've seen much smaller ones. There's no raised section of floor like in a "proper" house or appartment. I live in a part of Tokyo that is famous for beggars, thieves, young miscreants, gamblers, drinkers, and every kind of sleeze imaginable--which is why when I visit Kenshin and them, I always to to Kamiyya Dojo and I never invite them over. Frankly its too much trouble, and why should my friends have to deal with the scum of Tokyo? I happen to think they shouldn't, so I go to them, or find them somewhere in town.
Okay, so one room, "plus" bathroom. Its a good size room, though... twelve mats (twelve jou, or six tsubo--your choice), at least, although I've never actually measured, and for what I pay in rent, its not worth the bother to ask. ^_- Its a rectangular room, narrower in width than depth, the back of my room is the back of another guys room right behind me cuz the building is arranged with two rows of rooms up against each other, a little alleyway that's about a meter/meter-and-a-half wide, and then another two rows. Its like this for.... about thiry meters; then there's more but that belongs to another landlord so I don't worry about it. Anyway, my neighbor to the back is really quiet, so its a good place to try to get some sleep, usually.
In my own room, I have, of course, the paper screen doors--which don't keep the cold out too well and take a lot of work when its rainy and storming out; but are really great during the summer, which is very hot and humid. My bed area is against the back of the room so that when its unfolded the long side is parallel to the back wall, in front of that is a low table (kotatsu), which is also a rectangle, and goes the same way as the futon when its open (accross the width of the room). To the left (looking into the room, standing in the doorway), I have some shelves. Some have fronts, like cupboards, some don't. The shelves are about a meter wide, maybe a little more. I keep stuff like candles, oil, dishes, food, and wtvr else on them. On the left side of the room, but in the front, almost to the screen is a big heavy wooden table that I use as a countertop. There's a sink set into it, and that's where I get most of my water--there's a well at the end of my little row of rooms for bathing water, but nobody here worries much about that. I keep my sake jugs under the sink. ^_- Between the counter and the shelves is a very small stove for cooking. It gets done what I need doing. That's prettymuch all there is to my appartment; although there is one shelf that goes all the way across the back wall. It was here when I got here, and would serve the same purpose that my other shelves do. I just didn't like sleeping under my cooking pot....
On the right wall, I have a picture Tsunan drew of a scene from when we were both boys and Captian was still alive. Its not too large, but not small, either, I'd say a little under one jou--it dominates the wall, that's for sure, but its not so large that its like a mural, or anything. Its very classical--mountains, trees, streams, flowers, little amusing characters of farmers off in the distance somewhere, a bit of a camp from some traveling party that stopped overnight. Its done in watercolor; I've gotta give it to Tsunan, he has quite a bit of skill. Its very classical except everything in it has a name and a smell and a feel for me; so its much more... personal. I've been thinking a lot about that time, lately. Maybe its working for a living in the open air that's causing it...
So, yeah... nothing on the floors, and its not even raised. Tsunan's appartment has a pretty good part of the floor raised, but his is also smaller than mine, or at least it looks that way with all the crap he keeps in it.
Hmm.. oh, the bathroom... well, its shared--there's one bathroom every three rooms and it goes across the building--so six tenants use one bathroom. It has a tub, a stool, a sink, a toilet, and a large drain in the middle of the room (one "room" wide, two deep) in the floor for water to run to the sewer; and the screens don't latch closed so you've got to be careful about entering and being in there. Also, the screens open into the alleyway, not any of the rooms, so you'd better remember your change of clothes if you're going to change clothes after your bath.
Its pretty drab, really--white paper screens, worn old wood frames and siding, dirt floor, plain tatami mats where I make my bed, and none of the furniture (shelves and kotatsu) is finished, so everything is very rough and worn and generally dirty--it gets grimey when the weather is like this, but its no use to clean. Beasides, I only sleep here--I work all day, and usually visit Tsunan for meals or eat out by the river or on the job or somewhere else like that where I can at least watch people. For some reason, I just don't like eating alone these days...
Anyway, that's my place, pretty simply.
I don't think I've ever really described my appartment, have I? Well, its just a room, really--well, two if you count the bathroom. Its a nice size room--I've seen much smaller ones. There's no raised section of floor like in a "proper" house or appartment. I live in a part of Tokyo that is famous for beggars, thieves, young miscreants, gamblers, drinkers, and every kind of sleeze imaginable--which is why when I visit Kenshin and them, I always to to Kamiyya Dojo and I never invite them over. Frankly its too much trouble, and why should my friends have to deal with the scum of Tokyo? I happen to think they shouldn't, so I go to them, or find them somewhere in town.
Okay, so one room, "plus" bathroom. Its a good size room, though... twelve mats (twelve jou, or six tsubo--your choice), at least, although I've never actually measured, and for what I pay in rent, its not worth the bother to ask. ^_- Its a rectangular room, narrower in width than depth, the back of my room is the back of another guys room right behind me cuz the building is arranged with two rows of rooms up against each other, a little alleyway that's about a meter/meter-and-a-half wide, and then another two rows. Its like this for.... about thiry meters; then there's more but that belongs to another landlord so I don't worry about it. Anyway, my neighbor to the back is really quiet, so its a good place to try to get some sleep, usually.
In my own room, I have, of course, the paper screen doors--which don't keep the cold out too well and take a lot of work when its rainy and storming out; but are really great during the summer, which is very hot and humid. My bed area is against the back of the room so that when its unfolded the long side is parallel to the back wall, in front of that is a low table (kotatsu), which is also a rectangle, and goes the same way as the futon when its open (accross the width of the room). To the left (looking into the room, standing in the doorway), I have some shelves. Some have fronts, like cupboards, some don't. The shelves are about a meter wide, maybe a little more. I keep stuff like candles, oil, dishes, food, and wtvr else on them. On the left side of the room, but in the front, almost to the screen is a big heavy wooden table that I use as a countertop. There's a sink set into it, and that's where I get most of my water--there's a well at the end of my little row of rooms for bathing water, but nobody here worries much about that. I keep my sake jugs under the sink. ^_- Between the counter and the shelves is a very small stove for cooking. It gets done what I need doing. That's prettymuch all there is to my appartment; although there is one shelf that goes all the way across the back wall. It was here when I got here, and would serve the same purpose that my other shelves do. I just didn't like sleeping under my cooking pot....
On the right wall, I have a picture Tsunan drew of a scene from when we were both boys and Captian was still alive. Its not too large, but not small, either, I'd say a little under one jou--it dominates the wall, that's for sure, but its not so large that its like a mural, or anything. Its very classical--mountains, trees, streams, flowers, little amusing characters of farmers off in the distance somewhere, a bit of a camp from some traveling party that stopped overnight. Its done in watercolor; I've gotta give it to Tsunan, he has quite a bit of skill. Its very classical except everything in it has a name and a smell and a feel for me; so its much more... personal. I've been thinking a lot about that time, lately. Maybe its working for a living in the open air that's causing it...
So, yeah... nothing on the floors, and its not even raised. Tsunan's appartment has a pretty good part of the floor raised, but his is also smaller than mine, or at least it looks that way with all the crap he keeps in it.
Hmm.. oh, the bathroom... well, its shared--there's one bathroom every three rooms and it goes across the building--so six tenants use one bathroom. It has a tub, a stool, a sink, a toilet, and a large drain in the middle of the room (one "room" wide, two deep) in the floor for water to run to the sewer; and the screens don't latch closed so you've got to be careful about entering and being in there. Also, the screens open into the alleyway, not any of the rooms, so you'd better remember your change of clothes if you're going to change clothes after your bath.
Its pretty drab, really--white paper screens, worn old wood frames and siding, dirt floor, plain tatami mats where I make my bed, and none of the furniture (shelves and kotatsu) is finished, so everything is very rough and worn and generally dirty--it gets grimey when the weather is like this, but its no use to clean. Beasides, I only sleep here--I work all day, and usually visit Tsunan for meals or eat out by the river or on the job or somewhere else like that where I can at least watch people. For some reason, I just don't like eating alone these days...
Anyway, that's my place, pretty simply.