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I was amazed today when I had the pleasure to visit a new large luxurious Japanese house. what amazed me was the Kitchen! it was so tiny! similar to an apartment bldg kitchen. The rest of the house was huge! massive open plan with a mix of modern western and traditional Japanese styling.

What gives? does anyone have any theories to why the locals here dont go for big kitchens even when there is the space and money for one?

 

I recently read a "time" article that said the recent western trend was for large kitchen that the rest of the house revolved around, and it got me thinking about Kitchens here.

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Contempt for women perhaps?

 

Even though our life revolves around our kitchen, in all the houses we've lived in the kitchen has always been tucked away somewhere dark, around the back, with no windows. And that's the woman's place. How can the woman be the 'okusan' if she isn't way in the back?

 

I once was invited to a student's house. I taught both the son and the mother, and the mother was more interesting to talk to than the son. But she stayed in the kitchen the whole time cooking up a stream of fantastic food that 2 people couldn't possibly eat, and the punk son just sat there shouting "Oi!" when he wanted more beer. The kitchen in that house was just like a cupboard too.

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I have a western style joint. The kitchen is rather large but has bugger all useful kitchen stuff like bench space, cupboards, powerpoints etc. Big sink though.... the size of a kids bath. Plus I have an oven. Thankyou Lord for giving me the wisdom to get a lodging with an oven and the humility to accept that big lumps of roastable meat are near impossible to buy in Japan.

 

My kitchen has a funny in-floor storage facility. There is a trapdoor-like lid that has a big platsic pit under it. I think that is where my GF keeps the rice.

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Its funny in Japan how the kitchens are so small yet if you go to a house party back home invariably people gravitate to the kitchen. Even when i have parties here we often end up crammed into the kitchen, dunno why, I really dont.

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Beer is usually located in the kitchen... doesn't make sense wasting all that time and energy walking between the kitchen and living room right?

 

That's why I like Japanese kitchens.... because the kitchen is often IN the living room. Japanese efficiency at its finest!

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 Quote:
Originally posted by zwelgen:
if you go to a house party back home invariably people gravitate to the kitchen. Even when i have parties here we often end up crammed into the kitchen, dunno why, I really dont.
'cause that is where the chicks can be found. At least that is where they should be found.
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  • 2 weeks later...

My kitchen is only 2 tatami. Only one person at a time in there. WE have packed it. Oven/Microwave, fridge, toaster, rice cooker, coffeemaker, food processor, range 2 elements standard and the spice rack. In Japan I dont mind a small kitchen if it gives me more space in other places.

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five tatami counter kitchen with TV view. Certainly makes preparing meals a more relaxing event. Previously all kitchens have been a rather depressing place to be, however.

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my kitchen sucks! the room is about 3 tatami mats, plus a bit of lineoleum under the sink. but with a stovetop, there is absolutely no bench/coutner space! i have to balance my cutting board on the edge of the sink, sometimes i put pressure on the wrong spot when cutting and the whole thing falls over and i make a mess. at least my fridge is small so i can use the top of it for my dish rack and toothbrush/soap holder (no bathroom sink either in my small apt).

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Kitchen. Haven't had one for six years.

 

I do have a tiny arse three foot high sink the size of a salad bowl and an electric jug coil element that you can sometimes cook a pea on if you are lucky.

 

I think I have a fridge too somewhere for the important beverages.

 

I am always envious of peoples with big kitchens. mad.gif

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I refuse to call my kitchen a kitchen...i would be suprised if I could fit 1 tatmi in that space...it is a counter with a skink and a one of those fish broiler things...it is right next to the genkan...literally about 6" of space between genkan and the sink...

 

another good excuse not to cook...

 

danz

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Wow Im not complaining anymore! My kitchen is about 5 mats and there is about a 6 mat joined by sliding doors which is the "dining room" that I prepare food in. So total about 9 mats. Ive got a high enough so you dont bust your back bench, huge sink and a kitchen table in there. One of the coolest things is there is a big sliding window into the backyard so you can pass out drinks and food when you have a BBQ and no need to trapise through the house.

 

The only thing I hate is that the washing machine is in the kitchen. It just doenst make sense in my book.

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