Millennial moved to Japan, lives in $230 a month apartment with shoes

• LaJuan, a content creator and part-time English teacher, lives in a micro-apartment in Nagoya, Japan.
• His micro-apartment is 194 square meters and pays 32,420 Japanese yen, or about $230, in monthly rent.
• He says living minimally has improved his productivity and helped him achieve financial freedom.

Before LaJuan, 32, moved into his micro-apartment in Nagoya, Japan, he was worried.

The content creator and part-time English teacher wasn’t sure what to expect; she had never lived in such a small house before.

The shoe apartment was only 194 square meters, with a divider separating the living and sleeping space from the kitchen and toilet. With outstretched arms, he was even able to touch both walls of the kitchen.

It would take some getting used to, but LaJuan wasn’t about to back down from the challenge as his goal was to live minimally.

“When I saw the apartment, I realized that it fits very well with one of what I consider tenants because they live a simpler, more intentional life,” said LaJuan, who asked to be identified only by his first name. to protect their privacy. Business Insider.

Moving to Japan

Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, LaJuan first came to Japan in 2016 on a teaching exchange program after college.

“At that point, my goal in life was to be an ambassador. I studied international relations in college and I thought the exchange would be really good for my resume,” LaJuan said.

But getting used to life in a new country was hard, especially since she still didn’t speak Japanese fluently.

“I sat with my thoughts for a long time and realized that I didn’t really want to be an ambassador. I was just chasing something for the sake of it,” he said.

After about three years in Japan, he returned to Trinidad and Tobago to be with his family when his grandmother was diagnosed with cancer.

His return coincided with the pandemic, and his grandmother ended up passing away at the beginning of the lockdown.

“And at the same time, all my friends were having kids. It was a really weird time,” LaJuan said. “With so much going on, it made me really rethink what I wanted out of life.”

He realized that he always had a passion for video editing and decided to throw himself into it.

“I kind of got to a place where I could get clients and work from anywhere for the most part,” he said. It was then that he decided he wanted to move back to Japan.

Transforming a micro-apartment into a house

LaJuan pays 32,420 Japanese yen, or about $230, in monthly rent for his micro-apartment. It is located about a three minute walk from the nearest shop and a five minute walk to the nearest metro station.

The area he lives in has a huge mix of Japanese and non-Japanese residents, unlike Fuji, where he previously lived.

“Initially, when I lived in Fuji, it was the rural countryside. I have fears, I stand out like a sore thumb,” he said. “Whereas here, where I live, my next-door neighbor, she’s Japanese, and then the person next to her, it’s an Indian couple.”

Unlike the hustle and bustle of Tokyo and Kyoto, Nagoya — which is located between the other two cities — feels a little more relaxed, he said.

Tokyo is the most populous city in Japan. It has about 9.7 million citizens, compared to Nagoya’s 2.33 million and Kyoto’s 1.46 million.

“Things are very tight in those spaces and it’s overwhelming because of the amount of people that live there. Whereas Nagoya, for me, is a perfect balance of both city life and just having some space to yourself,” he added.

It’s also the perfect setting for him to lead a slower, more intentional life.

Simplifying things for the better

When he first arrived in Japan, LaJuan’s home was already much more minimalistic than it was in Trinidad.

Even though he lived in a much bigger place than now, he only owned two cups and two plates back then. And whenever he had guests, they always asked him why.

“Well, I’m just one of me – I’ve got double what I need. That’s how I thought about it,” he said.

But he really began to embrace the lifestyle when a friend introduced him to the Netflix documentary Minimalism upon his return to Trinidad.

“I didn’t know it was a movement or anything like that. And after seeing that, it resonated with me,” he said. “I’m like, oh, I’m just going to live life based on what I want to get out of life and purely with intention.”

Part of that included living frugally to achieve financial freedom—hence the micro-apartment.

“I want to have financial freedom and all that really means is I want peace. I don’t want to be burdened by my finances,” LaJuan said. “I could have gotten a bigger place for sure, but here it allows me to live on 25%.”

That way, he’ll always have emergency funds in case he loses his part-time teaching job.

“Things that give me a lot of value, I’ll spend a lot on things, and things that don’t give me value, I won’t spend a lot on,” he said. “The things I care about right now are the work I’m doing, my friends and my family. I care a lot about things like that and they don’t cost a penny.”

Not only has life brought clarity to what he wants out of life, but it has also helped his productivity because he doesn’t get distracted as easily.

“I’m ridiculously productive here compared to my old space,” he said. “I have five minutes to snooze. That’s it. When I get out of bed, the computer is following me.”

To feel satisfied with life

LaJuan is part of a growing movement of people who are interested in simplifying their lives, including when it comes to choosing a home.

With the high cost of living in cities, home ownership is becoming increasingly elusive for people around the world. For some, living a minimalist life means downsizing their homes to stay out of debt. For others, it involves leaving the city to live in tiny houses.

In LaJuan’s case, he also keeps a close eye on his spending. His monthly expenses — including rent, bills and recreational funds — are 170,000 Japanese yen, or about $1,100 a month.

It was still a big lifestyle change for him compared to how he spent before.

“However, what it has done for me has been positive, because now I have to be much more intentional about things. So if I want to go on a trip, for example, I’ll have to save for a longer period,” she said. he said. said.

The best part of embracing minimalism is the change in perspective.

“Living with intention makes life so much better because I don’t feel like I’m missing out,” LaJuan said.

“Where I live now, there are a lot of really nice luxury vehicles, so I see them regularly. There are also very nice houses around me and I never think, “Oh no, my life.” .’ I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m happy for them, I’m happy for me,'” he continued.

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