Gallery: A Micro Apartment Designed by Muji, the Masters of Simplicity
Illustration: Muji014-001
Muji—the Japanese retailer that sells affordable, design-forward products for the home—has designed a prefab apartment.
Illustration: Muji021-001
The vertical Tokyo apartment is a three-story prefab that's in keeping with the Japanese trend of *kyosho jutaku*, or of building smaller and smaller units.
Illustration: Muji032-005
The design eschews ceilings and walls in favor of open airy space connected by staircases.
Illustration: Muji045-003
The first floor houses utilities and storage, and the second floor has a dining room and living room (seen here).
Illustration: Muji058-001
The third floor is for bedrooms.
Illustration: Muji064-003
Space has been a premium in Tokyo for years, forcing architects to come up with increasingly creative solutions for squeezing people into square footage.
Illustration: Muji074-002
This ethos also means the Japanese view apartments as a depreciating asset (not as an investment). In that light, why not buy an apartment from a consumer goods store?
