Gallery: A Micro Apartment Designed by Muji, the Masters of Simplicity

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    Illustration: Muji
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    Muji—the Japanese retailer that sells affordable, design-forward products for the home—has designed a prefab apartment.
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    Illustration: Muji
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    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.
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    Illustration: Muji
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    The design eschews ceilings and walls in favor of open airy space connected by staircases.
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    Illustration: Muji
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    The first floor houses utilities and storage, and the second floor has a dining room and living room (seen here).
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    Illustration: Muji
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    The third floor is for bedrooms.
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    Illustration: Muji
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    Space has been a premium in Tokyo for years, forcing architects to come up with increasingly creative solutions for squeezing people into square footage.
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    Illustration: Muji
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    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?
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