Minimalism can be lovely as long as it's combined with utilitarianism ... otherwise it's just austerity.

Minimalist Saeko Kushibiki stores away her futon mattress in her apartment

I live in Japan.  As much as I hate the term "fake news", I must call this fake news.  The Japanese are not "obsessed with minimalism" and their homes are often overflowing with stuff. 

Riquez

9 months ago

Agree. Japanese apartments are small & often what you see is stacks of books/magazines towering in corners & plastic boxes piled high filled with things. 

Richard Pearce9 months ago

Somehow, I get the impression that the closest whoever wrote the article got to Japan was when the graphics department handed them the pictures. 

And yes, a Japanese closet only holds a couple of changes of clothes, but the people using them own a lot more clothes than that, it's just cheaper (because of the cost of a square inch more space in your home) for them to store them at the 'drycleaners' (who advertise that service). It's not 'minimalism' that drives the Japanese to not own lawnmowers, or use 'beds' that are rolled up in closets when they aren't being slept on, it is lack of space.

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/christmas/travel/32-photos-that-show-how-obsessed-japan-is-with-minimalism-a8023296.html

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