Japanese House Vocabulary: Learn Japanese Rooms, Furniture & Home Words
Last updated: January 21, 2026
Learning Japanese house vocabulary is one of those practical skills that come up constantly, whether you're watching anime or just trying to describe your own living space in Japanese. The words for rooms, furniture, and home features show up everywhere in daily conversation. Plus, understanding traditional Japanese housing elements like tatami () mats and genkan () entryways gives you insight into how Japanese culture shapes everyday life. Let's dive into the essential vocabulary you need to talk about homes in Japanese.
Understanding Japanese home structure basics
Japanese houses have some unique features you won't find in typical Western homes.
The genkan () is probably the most important one to know. This is the entrance area where everyone removes their shoes before stepping up into the main living space. The floor level actually changes here, which physically separates the outside world from the inside of the home.
Another key term is washitsu (), which means "Japanese-style room." These rooms have tatami () flooring, those woven straw mats that feel amazing under your feet. Traditional homes might have sliding doors called fusuma () between rooms, or shoji (), which are the paper screen doors that let light through.
Modern Japanese homes often mix Western-style rooms, called youshitsu (), with traditional washitsu spaces.
The engawa () is a wooden strip running along the outside of traditional houses, kind of like a narrow veranda. You'll see these in older homes and temples throughout Japan. Pretty cool architectural feature that creates a transition space between indoors and the garden.
Essential rooms in a Japanese house
Let's start with the basic rooms you'll find in most Japanese homes. Here's your core vocabulary list:
- Heya () means "room" in general. You'll use this word constantly when talking about any space in a house.
- Shinshitsu () is the bedroom, literally "sleeping room." In traditional Japanese homes, people used futon () bedding that gets rolled up and stored during the day, but modern Japanese bedrooms often have Western-style beds called beddo (ベッド).
- Daidokoro () or Kitchin (キッチン) both mean kitchen. Daidokoro is the traditional Japanese word, while kitchin is the borrowed English word that's become super common in modern Japanese.
- Ima () or Ribingu (リビング) refers to the living room. Ima is the traditional term, and ribingu comes from the English "living room." You might also hear ribingu ruumu (リビングルーム) for the full phrase.
- Shokudou () means dining room, though many modern Japanese homes combine the living and dining areas into one space called an LDK, which stands for Living, Dining, Kitchen. Real estate listings in Japan actually use this abbreviation, like "2LDK" means two bedrooms plus a combined living-dining-kitchen area.
- Ofuro () or yokushitsu () is the bathroom, specifically the bathing area. Here's the thing about Japanese bathrooms: they're typically separated into different spaces. The ofuro is where you bathe, while the toilet gets its own separate room.
- Toire (トイレ) means toilet. This usually has its own dedicated small room in Japanese homes, separate from the bathing area. Japanese toilets are famously high-tech, with features like heated seats and bidet functions.
- Genkan () is that entrance area I mentioned earlier. You'll use this word all the time in Japan because this space is such an important part of home design and etiquette.
Furniture and household items by room
Now let's get into the specific furniture and items you'd find in each room. When you learn Japanese vocabulary for these objects, you'll notice many modern furniture words come from English.
Bedroom vocabulary
- Beddo (ベッド) is a Western-style bed. Traditional sleeping arrangements use futon (), which are thick quilted mattresses laid directly on tatami floors.
- Makura () means pillow. Traditional Japanese pillows were pretty different from Western ones, sometimes filled with buckwheat hulls.
- Tansu () is a traditional Japanese chest of drawers, often made of beautiful wood. Modern homes might use taonsu (タンス), which is the same concept, or kurozetto (クローゼット) for a Western-style closet.
- Kagami () means mirror. You'll find these in bedrooms and bathrooms throughout Japanese homes.
Kitchen and dining vocabulary
- Reizōko () is the refrigerator. Japanese kitchens tend to have smaller fridges compared to American ones because people shop more frequently for fresh ingredients.
- Konro (コンロ) means stove or cooktop. Many Japanese apartments have compact two-burner gas stoves.
- Denshi renji () is the microwave, literally "electronic range."
- Shokutaku () or teeburu (テーブル) both mean table. Shokutaku specifically refers to a dining table, while teeburu is the general borrowed word from English.
- Isu () means chair. Traditional Japanese dining might use zabuton (), which are floor cushions for sitting on tatami.
- Shokki () means dishes or tableware. This includes plates, bowls, and cups.
Living room essentials
- Sofa (ソファ) is pretty straightforward, borrowed from English. You might also hear sofaa (ソファー) with a long vowel sound.
- Terebi (テレビ) means television, shortened from the English word.
- Hondana () is a bookshelf, literally "book shelf."
- Teeburu (テーブル) works for coffee tables and other living room tables too.
- Kāten (カーテン) means curtains, from the English word.
Bathroom vocabulary
- Sentakuki () is the washing machine. In Japan, these are often located in or near the bathroom area.
- Senmenjo () refers to the sink area or washstand, where you wash your face and brush your teeth.
- Furo () is the bathtub. Japanese bathtubs are typically deeper and shorter than Western ones, designed for soaking rather than lying down.
- Shawaa (シャワー) means shower. The important cultural note here: in Japan, you wash and rinse yourself completely before getting into the bathtub, which is just for soaking.
- Taoru (タオル) means towel, borrowed from English.
House structure and exterior features
Beyond the rooms themselves, you should know vocabulary for the physical structure of a house.
- Kabe () means wall. Traditional Japanese walls might be made of clay and wood, while modern construction uses different materials.
- Yuka () is the floor. In washitsu rooms, this would be covered with tatami, while youshitsu rooms have wooden or vinyl flooring.
- Tenjō () means ceiling.
- Mado () is a window. Traditional windows might have shoji screens, while modern homes use glass windows like anywhere else.
- Doa (ドア) means door, from English. This typically refers to Western-style hinged doors, as opposed to sliding doors.
- Yane () is the roof. Traditional Japanese roofs have distinctive curved tiles, though modern homes often use simpler designs.
- Niwa () means garden or yard. Even small Japanese homes often incorporate some garden space, carefully designed according to traditional aesthetics.
- Beru (ベル) or doa beru (ドアベル) means doorbell.
Traditional Japanese home elements
If you're interested in traditional Japanese architecture or planning to visit Japan, these terms will help you appreciate the unique features you'll encounter.
- Tatami () are those woven rush mats I mentioned earlier. Traditional room sizes in Japan are often measured in tatami mats, like "six-mat room" or roku-jō ().
- Shoji () are sliding doors made of wooden frames with translucent paper. They let light filter through while providing privacy.
- Fusuma () are opaque sliding doors used to divide rooms. Unlike shoji, these are solid and don't let light through.
- Tokonoma () is a raised alcove in traditional Japanese rooms where you'd display art, calligraphy, or flower arrangements. This is a special decorative feature in formal washitsu.
- Kotatsu (こたつ) is a low table with a heater underneath and a blanket draped over it. You stick your legs under there in winter, and it's incredibly cozy. Modern Japanese homes still use these.
- Amado () are exterior sliding shutters, literally "rain doors," that protect windows during storms or provide extra security at night.
Building your Japanese vocabulary effectively
- Learning vocabulary in themed groups like house-related words actually works pretty well. Your brain creates associations between related terms, making them easier to remember than random word lists.
- When you learn Japanese vocabulary for homes and furniture, try to visualize your own living space and mentally label everything in Japanese. Walk through your house room by room, naming objects as you go. This practical application helps cement the words in your memory.
- Use the vocabulary in context by describing your home in Japanese, even if you're just talking to yourself.
- Write sentences about where things are located, what furniture you have, or what you like about your living space.
- Watching Japanese shows or YouTube videos about homes, real estate, or interior design gives you exposure to this vocabulary in natural contexts. You'll hear how native speakers actually use these words in conversation.
Anyway, if you want to practice this vocabulary with real Japanese content, Migaku's browser extension and app let you look up words instantly while watching shows or reading articles about Japanese homes and culture. Makes learning from authentic material way more practical. There's a 10-day free trial if you want to check it out.
FAQs
Sometimes we feel the excitement to talk about our new decor
If you're planning to visit Japan or already have Japanese friends, this vocabulary becomes immediately practical. Being able to discuss homes and living situations is a common conversation topic that helps you connect with people, especially when you have just installed new setups and decor! Additionally, watching dramas, anime, and Japanese videos can not just give you more decor ideas, but also train your language ability immersively.
If you consume media in Japanese, and you understand at least some of the messages and sentences within that media, you will make progress. Period.
Ask your friends about their favorite setup at home!