Anyone who wants to learn Japanese will eventually chance upon this list of household items vocabulary in Japanese! Today’s article is a lesson on the common household items that one may find in a typical Japanese home. We’ll learn all about what kind of furniture is at play, describe how each room is treated in Japan, and whether every house has a washing machine in it or not.
We’ll also be providing lists of words along with their kanji, pronunciation, and more. And don’t worry – we’ll make sure none of this will be challenging to understand! 勉強しましょう! (Let’s study!)
Learning The Home In The Japanese Language, One Room At A Time
Common Items In Japanese Bathrooms
If you’ve ever been online, you’ve probably seen pictures of Japanese bathrooms. They look very different from Western bathrooms and for good reason. Japanese people have a different approach to bathing, and their bathrooms are designed to reflect that.
Japanese bathrooms typically have separate toilet, sink, shower, and bath areas. Another thing that stands out in Japanese bathrooms is washlet toilets – a toilet with a built-in bidet. They’re very popular in Japan and becoming increasingly popular in other parts of the world. Sometimes, a washing machine may be present, but smaller apartments tend to do their laundry elsewhere.
One of the most essential aspects of Japanese bathing culture is the long, relaxing bath. Japanese people believe a long bath is a great way to relax and de-stress after a long day. Some Japanese homes have a full ofuro, which is a large, wooden bathtub filled with hot water. For those that don’t, there are public bathhouses that provide this service.
Check out some of these words for common household items found in a Japanese bathroom!
Common Household Items In Japanese Kitchens
The typical Japanese kitchen is small and compact, but that’s not to say they aren’t very functional and efficient! Japanese kitchens are designed with wabi-sabi (侘寂) – the acceptance of transience and imperfection. You may see this in how some kitchens are designed with natural materials and are kept minimal in appearance. This also helps make cleaning a breeze!
It does, however, share a lot in common with a kitchen in any other part of the world! Check out some of the most common words for household items in a typical Japanese kitchen.
Things You’d Find In A Japanese Living Room
In a Japanese-style household, living rooms are typically small, tatami-floored rooms. They are communal spaces where families can watch TV, do their homework or remote work, or just kick back and relax.
Often, living rooms are furnished sparsely. As tatami is pretty soft to sit on, Japanese-style living rooms usually have a low table with cushions. In the cold months, they may take out their kotatsu – a unique heater for those low tables, to keep warm.
Check out the new words you can add to your Japanese vocabulary in this list!
Words For Bedroom Furniture In Japanese
In Japanese houses, the bedroom is likely the coziest place in the house. A real Japanese-style room will have tatami flooring and a futon to sleep on. However, more modern Japanese houses and apartments adopt a bedroom setup much like you’d find in your own house.
An example of this would be a bed, which has become more common in metropolitan areas in Japan. However, that’s not to say we don’t have more words for you to learn about common items in a Japanese bedroom!
Home Office Supplies And Similar Items In Japanese
You likely won’t find an entire room in a house dedicated to a home office in a Japanese home. Homes are smaller than in most countries, and often there isn’t enough space for a dedicated home office.
However, the rise of remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic has led many Japanese people to build their own home offices! Check out these words in the Japanese language that may be found in a typical home office:
Learn More Household Items Vocabulary In Japanese With Ling
We hope you learned a few useful words in today’s lesson! But if you’re hankering for more Japanese language lessons, we’ve got one helpful tip for you today:
Download the Ling app! This language learning platform has lessons in Japanese that go beyond just words – you’ll learn kanji and how Japanese words are written, with guides on how to sound more local. Plus, there are 60+ other languages ready to be learned, all in one app!
Try it for free today by downloading it for your Android or iPhone.
