The program "Jūnin Toiro ~Ie ni Aru Kazoku no Katachi~" (MBS, Saturdays at 5pm, Kansai local broadcast, etc.), hosted by talent Mifune Mika and actor Taro Suruga, will feature a tiny house in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo, on April 18th, where "one-third of the house is stairs despite having a floor area of only 10 tsubo (approximately 33 square meters)."
The residents are a family of three, a husband and wife, both licensed architects. Five years ago, they renovated a row house in a densely populated residential area of downtown Tokyo and moved in. The house is about 3.3 meters wide and 10 meters deep, with a floor area of 10 tsubo (approximately 33 square meters). It is a small house with parking space for only 2.2 cars, but there is a large staircase right at the entrance. The staircase takes up one-third of the house, but it serves more than just two purposes.
By fully renovating a 50-year-old former row house that connected a residence and a small factory, leaving only the pillars and steel frame, we were able to keep the budget to less than half of what it would have been for a new build. However, the building area is only 10 tsubo (approximately 33 square meters). So, we made the first step a little wider to create a relaxation space. The space under the stairs is used as a base for a cleaning robot. A 2-tatami mat landing halfway up the stairs has been fitted with a desk, serving as my wife's workspace and my son's study area. Further up the stairs is a 3-tatami mat space that is used as my son's room.
The staircase leads to the second floor, and the south-facing bathroom, which has no walls or doors, serves not only as a laundry space but also as a place for their son to relax. Living in a house where one thing serves multiple purposes, the husband smiled and said, "It's relaxing because there are no strict rules about how things absolutely have to be done. It might be more accurate to say that it's not limited in its use rather than that it 'serves multiple purposes'."
"Jūnin Toiro" is a program that visits homes across Japan and introduces the unique features and charms of the homes of their inhabitants. After the broadcast, it is available for streaming on TVer for one week.
