Don’t believe people when they tell you that everyone in Tokyo lives in expensive shoeboxes. Compared to, say, London, where you could literally find yourself living on a pull-out bed in some stranger’s kitchen for £700 (US$1,000) a month, Japan’s accommodation isn’t TOO bad. In fact, if you don’t mind a little bit of a commute, it can be downright comfy.

Having said that, we were totally shocked when we discovered a room in a Roppongi share house going for only 29,000 yen ($235) a month. Wow, that’s cheap! So, what’s the catch? Oh, nothing… as long as you’re under 5’5″ and don’t suffer from claustrophobia

The share house is located literally steps away from the fancy Roppongi Hills, smack dab in the middle of Tokyo. It’s a female-only share house with six rooms, each with a TV and wired internet access. Even the staff are all female!

It sounds pretty great, but let’s take a look at the rooms, shall we?

▼ I suppose you could call that cosy!

You can get a better idea of just how tiny each room is if you look at the top-right picture below. The ceiling of each room is only about waist height! In fact, we’re doubtful there’s even room to lay a futon out flat in there. Imagine never being able to stand up, either! Yikes!

The lady in the pictures seems quite happy with the mouse-sized accommodation. Maybe she’s just glad she doesn’t have to ride a packed train every morning.

Some of Japan’s netizens found the room really shocking, too. Drawn in by the cheap rent, they soon found themselves debating whether or not they could really live in such cramped conditions.

▲ “I heard about a cheap share house in Roppongi, and I remember thinking it would have been great for me a few years ago. But then I looked it up, and, wow, look how low the ceiling is! Total hell!”

Here’s what some had to say about the miniature rooms:

“It looks a lot like a capsule hotel to me.”

“Much nicer places can be found for the same price just 30 minutes away by train.”

“Why does that lady look like a giant?”

“It makes me claustrophobic just looking at it. What if there was a fire or something?”

“I could live like this… I think.”

If you’re in Tokyo and interested in this share house, check out the listing here!

Would you live in a tiny room like this, factoring in the cheap rent and low commuting distance? Or is space to stretch out in more important to you?

All images – Tokyo Social Net
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