Question 1

Ikea is a famous shop that sells affordable furniture. Yes, I have bought their products, but it was difficult to go to their shop in Osaka.

Question 2

I have two young children, so the most relaxing place is the WC as it is the only place I can be alone - even if it is for only 5 minutes.

Question 3

In New Zealand, I was living in a flat and it had insulation installed which made it much warmer in winter as it trapped the heat in.

Question 4

The worst I have purchased was a chair. It looked comfortable but looks can be deceiving. It was not comfortable at all!

Question 5

I am not sure why, but I imagine that Japanese consumers like the latest trends and this could be for housing too.

Question 6

I would have my own "man cave" that is sound proofed with locks on the door so I can be totally by myself.

Tough Vocabulary

- English -	- Japanese -
affordable	手頃な価格
even if	であっても
trapped	トラップされた
looks can be deceiving	見た目に騙されない
man cave	男の洞窟

Question 1

When I first moved to Osaka, I was shopping in Nitori for some big furniture I needed in my house. I don't go there so often anymore because I've already bought everything I needed.

Question 2

The most relaxing room in my house is the living room. I furnished it myself! I bought the corner sofa from Nitori and everything else from Amazon. I have a gold and marble coffee table in there as well as 2 carpets, a TV board and some cute and soft throw pillows. The free delivery from Amazon Prime is incredibly convenient.

Question 3

My bedroom originally had orange walls, which I really hated and made the room look warm. I spent many hours sticking white wallpaper over the orange walls. It looks far more relaxing now with all white walls.

Question 4

The worst purchase I've made so far was an airconditioner from Iris Ohyama. I only bought it last year and it stopped working from July. I called the manufacturer and they told me that since it's 2 months past the warranty I needed to pay full price for the repairs, which will cost about 40,000 yen, that's about the same price as a brand new aircon! I'm still upset about it.

Question 5

I think it's because the building costs are different in Japan. I once read somewhere that demolishing an old house is more expensive than just building a brand new house at a new lot.

Question 6

If I could have my dream home, I would want a big kitchen that has an island work station with a granite top work surface, similar to the one in my parents' house in Manila. I would also want a library with many cozy reading nooks. For the bathroom, I'd want an onsen type bath in there where I can relax after eating dinner. Lastly, I would want a huge california king sized bed in the bedroom and a bay window with a comfy day bed where I could lounge around with Mogu.

Tough Vocabulary

Question 1

The first brand that comes to mind is Nitori. It's actually my favorite furniture and household goods store in Japan! I buy their products because they're of high quality and priced very reasonably. I've been a member since 2015!

Question 2

It's either my bedroom or living room but if I have to choose one, it has to be my living room. I furnished it by myself and bought some of the furniture from Nitori and Yodobashi Camera.

Question 3

I actually designed the layout of my apartment before having the company renovate it. It was very fun and I learned a lot of things just by planning and designing my own living space.

Question 4

It's probably one of my dining chairs. I bought it from a furniture store called "Interior Hearts" three years ago. The outer layer of the cushion peels off like cheap leather. It doesn't look good anymore and I'm thinking of replacing it soon!

Question 5

I believe that part of it is due to the mentality of Japanese citizens. More and more traditional Japanese houses (i.e. machiya, kominka, etc) are being replaced by Western-style houses. Perhaps that's why there are fewer houses in Japan that are more than 40 years old compared to European countries.

Question 6

The overall design of my house would be minimalistic. I imagine that there would be a gym in the basement as well as a soundproof music studio for my hobbies. I also would love to have a swimming pool that has a glass bed so people can see my car collection in the basement when swimming.

Tough Vocabulary