Parking Space House: Fuyuhito Moriya's Tiny Home In Tokyo (VIDEO)

How would you like to be a 39-year old sharing a house with your mother? What if that house were the size of one parking space? This is Fuyuhito Moriya's life, as well as the situation for a growing number of people.

According to this CNN report, the "ultra-small house" trend is sweeping Tokyo, Japan. In homes like Moriya's, where the kitchen/living/dining room is the size of a walk-in closet, creativity is key. He uses sliding curtains instead of doors, tucks appliances under counters, and has a triangular spiral staircase for his 3-story home.

In Tokyo as well as many other cities, space is scant and the economy is tough. Moriya built his small home (which actually was a former parking space) for $500,000, unable to afford anything bigger, yet determined to build his own house. Architects are seeing this more and more. 70% of business is now ultra-small homes for one architect.

For some, designing ultra-small homes is an art steeped in a fantasy form. According to an NPR report, designers experiment with asymmetrical walls, glass cubes, and translucent skin. As small-home author Azby Brown explains, creating visual tricks like this is "kind of a psychological jujitsu."

While saving money is often the incentive to build an ultra-small home, there can also be environmental benefits, such as less energy wasted on heating and cooling rooms, and the general lifestyle adaptation of learning to live with less, thus creating less waste in the long run.

The next time you pull your car into a parking space, just think... you could be living there.

WATCH:

Comments

[bd red]

10:27 PM on 12/14/2010

Been working on a tiny house of my own: www.blakestinyhouse.com

[Js420]

05:33 PM on 12/11/2010

By the beach, yes

[LightShadow62]

04:12 PM on 12/10/2010

My first house was a bungalow built around 1915 and had just over 400 sq ft. Nothing new here.

[Mary OGarbiadd]

04:08 PM on 12/10/2010

I live in about 120-130 square feet...unused attic upstairs in cabin and I have told my sister she could move in if she needs to. Another 80 or so sq feet. I am quite cozy. mg

[angrymanspokane]

11:29 AM on 12/10/2010

Interesting story to read right after reading about Lebron James' new megahouse.

[wilray]

05:06 AM on 12/10/2010

The average American couldn't fit through the doorway.

[Edward Standley]

11:50 PM on 12/09/2010

Totally off topic, but ya wanna see something really cool that some really creative Japanese kids are doing? - pinktentacle.com/2010/03/custom-scooters-from-japan/

[Beachluvr28]

04:15 PM on 12/09/2010

Already have done. My last place was a total of 378 square feet. Very compact and bijou.

[Tresco]

01:08 PM on 12/09/2010

I could not go that small but I do have a wife, two teenage sons and two large dogs. My home is 1,700 square feet and I think we could get it down to about 1,200 without massive disruption. A trend towards smaller more efficient living makes alot of sense.

[Vivian Alicia Evans]

12:55 PM on 12/09/2010

People say that the Japanese deal well with the lack of personal space, but I wonder about that. I think if a person were to investigate in the mental health of the nation as a whole they would see some not so good effects of lack of personal space. Anxiety, unneeded stress, depression and suicide?

[Dnietz]

11:48 PM on 12/09/2010

yep

but we are probably doing worse

i don't think space is purely it. its overall our culture and theirs. then they get universal healthcare and healthier food, so they live longer

though i would not live in that house without having to. i think space is important

[Denni]

06:50 AM on 12/09/2010

I'm trying to understand the argument that the creation of many more of the ultra small homes would be more energy efficient. Each of those ultra small homes needs a separate HVAC, electrical, water, sewer, etc, system - all of which are eventually replaced over time. Each of those homes needs separate sets of appliances - all of which have to be replaced over time. 2,000 square feet is a waste for two or three people (I read, somewhere, that 300 square feet per person is reasonable) - but 2,000 square fee with more people - maybe more multi-generational families, or families who buy homes together, would seem to be more efficient.

I understand that the homes featured above provide a cost effective way of allowing individuals to become homeowners, but I don't understand the green argument for these homes. I'd love to dialogue with anyone who has a better grasp of this issue than I do. I'm always confused by this 'smaller home' argument rather than the focus on the number of occupants per home and the efficiency of energy systems, plus insulation issues.

I'm horrified by shows like 'House Hunters' where people want to buy larger homes to hold all of their 'stuff'. Two adults, two kids in 1800 square feet but they're tripping over toys so they need a 'toy room'. This story really shows how ridiculous we've become as a culture, Buy your children fewer toys and let them play outdoors.

[Tom95134]

03:52 AM on 12/09/2010

Speaking as someone that lived on a 29' sailboat for over two years, you quicklyu discover all those things that you don't really need and that just end up a clutter around the house.

It can be done. The most difficult problem for Americans would be privacy but the Japanese can deal with this a lot better than Americans would. Keep in mind that Japan has always been a very crowded nation with cramped living spaces. You quickly learn to build your own private space in your mind irrespective of how many people are nearby.

[Tunghoy]

04:08 AM on 12/09/2010

I think I used to see you on TV. Name is Angus MacGyver?

[polishlogician]

01:15 PM on 12/10/2010

I still do live on a sailboat, and you're right about clutter...plus, it's a better age for the space-conscience to exist with flat speakers, flat screen TV, laptop computers...

[nukemind]

03:30 AM on 12/09/2010

Man, what a bummer. Living in a space that small AND with your Mom yet!

[moose and squirrel]

02:58 AM on 12/09/2010

honestly, you're modding clo.set?   how about some context!!!!

[EcoCatLady]

02:48 AM on 12/09/2010

I read somewhere that if population growth continues at its current rate, it won't be long before there's only one square meter for every person on the planet. Guess this home will see really roomy at that point!

All sarcasm aside, when I lived in Europe I was shocked at how small the houses were. Still, I'm a westerner, and I like my space. Of course, by space I mean 900 square feet.

[Vivian Alicia Evans]

12:52 PM on 12/09/2010

EcoCatlady, My husband, myself and my son (almost 6) live in a 900 square foot home, with no basement. To the average home owner in Canada this is small but we can afford our mortgage and have a huge lot. The Japanese owners are right thought, to live in a small space you have to know what is truly needed and what need to be pruned. I live with that motto everyday. Otherwise I would be swamped with cr@p and be the next person in Hoarders.

The one thing I wonder about is what a pyschological toll this is on both the mother and son. What happens when he marries? Does he just build another level or oust the mother?

[Edward Standley]

01:35 PM on 12/09/2010

One of my nephews is structuring his life with the goal of living with the least. He eats very healthfully, but foods that are more along the lines of the foods that 75% of the planet eats. He also has as the goal of living with just 100 possessions. He acknowledges that it may be an unattainable goal, but he wants to work in that direction nonetheless. He's a smart and conciencous young man and really has me looking to restructure my own life.