1R, 1K, 1DK, 1LDK: How to Read Japanese Apartment Listings
Japanese apartment listings compress a lot of information into cryptic codes: 1K, 2LDK, 25㎡, 6帖, 築10年, 駅徒歩5分… Once you can read them, sites like SUUMO and HOME'S become easy to use — even without much Japanese. This guide decodes everything.
The layout code: numbers + letters
The formula is simple: the number = how many bedrooms; the letters = what else the apartment has.
| Code | Meaning | Real-world translation | Typical Tokyo rent* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1R | 1 Room | Studio — kitchen inside the main room | ¥60,000–90,000 |
| 1K | 1 bedroom + Kitchen | Studio with the kitchen in a separate hallway | ¥70,000–100,000 |
| 1DK | 1 bedroom + Dining-Kitchen | Bedroom plus a kitchen room big enough for a table | ¥85,000–120,000 |
| 1LDK | 1 bedroom + Living-Dining-Kitchen | Bedroom plus a proper living room — comfortable for couples | ¥110,000–160,000 |
| 2LDK / 3LDK… | 2–3 bedrooms + LDK | Family-size apartments | ¥150,000– |
* Rough averages for central-ish Tokyo; varies hugely by neighborhood and building age.
Room sizes: ㎡ and 帖 (jo)
Total apartment size is given in square meters (㎡), but individual rooms are measured in jo (帖/畳) — tatami mats, about 1.62㎡ each. A "6帖" bedroom is roughly 9.7㎡ / 105 sq ft — a comfortable single bedroom by Japanese standards.
- 1R/1K total size: 18–25㎡ is standard; under 16㎡ is very small
- 1LDK: 35–45㎡ is typical
- The LDK label legally requires minimum sizes (e.g. an LDK in a 1-bedroom must be 8帖+), so the codes are fairly trustworthy
Other listing terms you'll see everywhere
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 駅徒歩5分 | eki toho 5-fun | 5 min walk to station (calculated at 80m/min — hills not included!) |
| 築10年 | chiku 10-nen | Building is 10 years old (築浅 = newish, 新築 = brand new) |
| 管理費/共益費 | kanrihi / kyoekihi | Monthly maintenance fee paid on top of rent |
| 敷金/礼金 | shikikin / reikin | Deposit / key money — see our key money guide |
| バス・トイレ別 | basu-toire betsu | Bath and toilet in separate rooms (vs. unit bath) |
| 2階以上 | 2-kai ijo | 2nd floor or higher (popular for security/light) |
| 南向き | minami-muki | South-facing (more sunlight — prized in Japan) |
| オートロック | auto lock | Locked building entrance |
| ペット相談 | petto sodan | Pets negotiable |
| 楽器不可 | gakki fuka | No musical instruments |
Reading the money part of a listing
A listing that says 「家賃8万円 / 管理費5,000円 / 敷1礼1」 means: rent ¥80,000 + ¥5,000 monthly fee, deposit 1 month, key money 1 month. Your real monthly cost is ¥85,000, and your move-in cost will be roughly 4–5 months' rent — the full math is in Move-in Costs in Japan.
One thing listings never tell you: the agency fee depends on the agency, not the listing. The same apartment can be rented through an agency that charges zero agency fee — which is exactly what Kurabeel does. New to the whole process? Start with Renting in Tokyo as a Foreigner.
Found a listing you can't fully decode?
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