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What is "madori" and what do terms such as "R" and "K" mean?

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What is a floor plan (madori)?" Explanation of the meaning of terms such as "R" and "K".

For foreigners, renting a room in Japan can be a daunting task. In particular, the way to write "1R" and "3LDK" is unique to Japan, and may be confusing for many foreigners. In this article, we will explain the Japanese room layout and the meanings of terms such as "R" and "K".

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What is a floor plan (madori)?

What is Madori?Room LayoutIn English, "floor plan" and "house layout" are the same thing.

The floor plan depicts information such as how many rooms there are, how large they are, and how the rooms are arranged.

Other drawings include the location of toilets, baths, kitchens and closets, where the doors are located and which direction they open, and where windows and balconies are located.

The floor plan allows you to get a rough idea of the room without actually visiting the room.

Characteristics of Japanese floor plan notation

Overseas room layouts are often distinguished by how many bedrooms there are, assuming there is a living room and kitchen.

However, in Japan, there is sometimes no room dedicated to the living room or kitchen,Alphabetize whether there is a living room or kitchen with an "L" or "K".It is common for the

How exactly the floor plan is represented in the alphabet is explained in the next chapter.

Meaning of alphabetical terms that appear in the floor plan

In Japan, room layouts are written with numbers and some letters of the alphabet, such as "1K" and "2LDK". It is important to know how to read this and what it means. 

The main alphabets that appear in the Japanese floor plan are,R, K, D, L, and S.are. If you know what these five mean, you will be able to understand most of the floor plan notations.

R (Room)The "R" in the floor plan is "R" for "R".RoomThe meaning of "1R (one room)". A layout with only one room and a kitchen inside the room is called "1R (one room). 1R (one room)" is used only in the case of 1R.
K (Kitchen)The "K" in the floor plan is "K" for "K".KitchenThe meaning of "1R". It not only means that there is simply a kitchen, but also that "unlike 1R, the kitchen is separate from the room.
D (Dining)The "D" in the floor plan is for...Dining(1DK), meaning a room for eating." It is often used in combination with K or L, as in "1DK" or "2LDK," and rarely with D alone, as in "1D.
L (Living)The "L" in the floor plan is for...LivingIt means "room" in Japanese, and refers to a room used in everyday life. In Japanese, it is sometimes called "居間 (居間). In Japan, there are both Japanese-style and Western-style rooms, but "living room" often means a Western-style room.
S (Servise room)The "S" in the floor plan is "SServise roomIt means "a room that is not a formal room. A service room is a space that cannot be considered a formal room due to inadequate window size or ventilation. It is often used for storage, but can also be used as a regular room. A service room is often described as "(Floor Plan) + S", as in "1LDK+S".

What is the recommended floor plan?

Now that you understand the terminology of Japanese floor plans, let's consider the best floor plan for each number of people living in the house. We will look at the following three types of living arrangements: one-person living, two-person living, and three- or four-person living.

Recommended floor plan for single occupancy

Living alone, too many rooms can be inconvenient and expensive. Therefore, it is recommended that you rent a room in a house with a lot of rooms,1R, 1K, 1DK, 1LDKYou will have to choose from the following.

The difference between "D (dining room)" and "LD (living/dining room)" is somewhat ambiguous, but rooms larger than 8 tatami mats are often called LD, while rooms smaller than 8 tatami mats are often called D.

Recommended floor plan for two people

For two people living together, the recommended layout depends on whether the bedrooms are together or separate. If the bedrooms are together,1DK or 1LDKand keep it to about one bedroom and one living room, which will keep the rent low.

If you want a separate bedroom,2DK or 2LDKis recommended. However, the more rooms you have, the higher the rent will be.

Recommended floor plan for three or four people

If you live with three or four people,3 or 4 bedroomsIf you choose a 5LDK, you can assign a room to each person. If you want to have a separate room for work, etc., we recommend choosing a 5LDK.

If you want to keep the kids together and in the same room, you can have four people living in a two-bedroom apartment.

Let's understand the Japanese floor plan and find your favorite room.

Japanese room layouts are written as "1LDK", "2LDK", etc., with "L" for the living room and "K" for the kitchen. LDK" and "2LDK". The writing system is different from that used in other countries, which may be confusing at first, but once you get used to it, it will be easy to understand.

Understand how to write a Japanese floor plan and find your favorite room.


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