7. Although the house was built in 1981, the kitchen screams late 70s--stainless steel countertops, green tile backsplash, wood trim--Japanese interior decoration is about 5 years behind America. I loved it the minute I saw it. With all of our pots on display and some green rag carpets on the floor, the kitchen is very homey. Unfortunately, the counters are designed for a woman about 5'2". I have to stoop to cook!

8 & 9. A noren curtain separates the kitchen and bath. The symbol on the curtain is YU, which stands for "hot water" and is used outside public baths. Without the curtain in place, our bath would be very public indeed...at least to anyone standing in the kitchen. To the left of the vanity sink, you can glimpse the deep stainless steel bathtub set into the tile floor of the bathroom.

10. Our Mitsubishi washing machine automatically weighs the laundry and adjusts the water level accordingly. For the sake of economy, it washes only in cold water, unless you use the special pump to reuse your bathwater!