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.
What do 1R, 1K, 1DK and 1LDK mean? The number is bedrooms, the letters everything else
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.
How big is a room in ㎡ and 帖 (jo)? One jo is about 1.62㎡
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
What other listing terms should you know? Walk time, building age and construction type
| 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 |
How do you read the money part of a listing? 敷1礼1 means one month deposit, one month key money
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.
Frequently asked questions
What do 1R, 1K, 1DK and 1LDK mean?
The number is how many bedrooms and the letters are what else the apartment has. R is a single room, K a separate kitchen, DK a dining-kitchen and LDK a living-dining-kitchen.
How big is a room measured in jo?
One jo is about 1.62 square meters, so a 6-jo bedroom is roughly 9.7 square meters. For total size, 18 to 25 square meters is standard for a 1R or 1K, and 35 to 45 square meters is typical for a 1LDK.
What does the money part of a listing mean?
A listing reading rent 80,000 yen, maintenance fee 5,000 yen, deposit 1 key money 1 means your real monthly cost is 85,000 yen, with a deposit of one month's rent and non-refundable key money of one month's rent.
Is the maintenance fee included in the rent?
No. The maintenance or management fee is charged on top of the rent every month, so add the two figures together when comparing listings.
Found a listing you can't fully decode?
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