TOKYO — At the end of a long day at work in the offices of Japan’s professional baseball league, Asumi Fujiwara returned to her apartment and changed into pajamas. She wanted to get in a light workout before going to bed, so she placed her vinyl yoga mat on the floor in front of the toilet, rolling it past the single kitchen burner and the one-slot toaster and toward the foot of her desk.

東京——在日本職業棒球聯盟辦公室結束了一天漫長的工作後，藤原安住（音）回到自己的公寓，換上睡衣。她想在睡覺前做點輕度鍛煉，於是把乙烯基瑜伽墊放在廁所前的地板上，經過只有一個火圈的爐灶和單片烤吐司機的廚房，一直鋪展到她的書桌前。

After a bit of stretching, she stood to get into the warrior position. Instead of extending her arms fully, though, she pulled her elbows into her sides. “I need to modify my poses or else I will hit something,” Ms. Fujiwara, 29, said.

做了些拉伸後，她站了起來，準備進入戰士體式。但她沒有將雙臂完全展開，而是把胳膊肘收在身體兩側。「我需要調整姿勢，否則會碰到東西，」現年29歲的藤原安住說。

Such is life in a 95-square-foot Tokyo apartment.

這就是東京面積約九平方米公寓的生活。

With its high property prices and the world’s most populous metropolitan area, Tokyo has long been known for small accommodations. But these new apartments — known as three-tatami rooms, based on how many standard Japanese floor mats would cover the living space — are pushing the boundaries of normal living.

東京是世界上人口最多的大都市，房價高昂，早就以居住空間小而聞名。但這種新公寓正在擴大正常生活範圍的定義，這些被稱為「三疊榻榻米」的房子只有能放下三個標準日式地墊的居住空間。

A real estate developer, Spilytus, has been leading the charge toward ever-tinier spaces. It has been operating these shoe-box apartments since 2015, and with more than 1,500 residents now in its 100 buildings, demand has remained strong.

地產開發商Spilytus一直在引導潮流，向更小的空間發展。該公司自2015年起一直在經營這些鞋盒式公寓，現在有超過1500名居民住在它的100棟樓裡，對這些公寓的需求依然強勁。

While the units are half the size of an average studio apartment in Tokyo, they have 12-foot ceilings and an attic-like loft for sleeping. They are also stylish, with pristine white floors and walls, and with some efficient arranging, it is possible to squeeze a washing machine, a fridge, a sofa and a work desk inside.

雖然這些單元的面積只有東京普通單間公寓的一半，但它們有3.5米高的天花板和一個類似閣樓的躍層，用來睡覺。它們也很雅緻，有嶄新的白色地板和牆壁，通過一些高效的布置，房間裡可以擺放一台洗衣機、一台冰箱、一張沙發和一張辦公桌。

The apartments are not for those on a really tight budget. Cheaper apartments can be found, though they are usually decades old. But the microapartments, which rent for $340 to $630 a month, are a couple hundred dollars less than other studio apartments in similar areas. And they are situated near trendy locations in central Tokyo like Harajuku, Nakameguro and Shibuya, which are generally quite expensive, with luxury boutiques, cafes and restaurants. Most of the buildings are close to subway stations — the top priority for many young people.

這些公寓並不適合那些手頭很緊的人。還有更便宜的公寓，它們通常是已有幾十年歷史的老房。這種新微型公寓的月租在340美元到630美元之間，比類似地區的其他單間公寓便宜近一兩百美元。它們位於像原宿、中目黑、澀谷這樣的東京市中心時髦地段附近，這些充滿奢侈品精品店、咖啡館和餐廳的地段通常很貴。大多數微型公寓所在的建築靠近地鐵站，這對許多年輕人來說很重要。

Over two-thirds of the buildings’ residents are people in their 20s, who in Japan earn on average about $17,000 to $20,000 a year, according to government data. (Wages in Tokyo are on the higher end.) Some are drawn by the minimal initial fees and the lack of a deposit or “gift money” — a nonrefundable payment to the landlord that can be as much as three months’ rent — for many rentals.

超過三分之二的住戶是20多歲的年輕人，據政府數據，這個年齡段的人在日本的平均年收入大約是17000美元至20000美元。（東京的工資更高些）。一些人被微型公寓吸引，因為租它們要交的初始費用很低，而且不需交押金，也不需向房東支付一筆不可退還的、可高達三個月房租的「禮金」。

The small spaces work for the lifestyle of many young Japanese. In Japan, it is not customary to host guests in homes, with nearly a third of Japanese people saying they have never had friends over, according to a survey by Growth From Knowledge, a data provider for the consumer goods industry.

這種小空間適合許多日本年輕人的生活方式。日本沒有在家裡招待客人的習慣，據為消費品行業提供數據的Growth From Knowledge的一項調查，近三分之一的日本人說，他們從未邀請過朋友到家裡做客。

Ms. Fujiwara has not even had her partner over in the nearly two years she has been living in her apartment. “This space is for me,” she said.

藤原安住已在這個公寓住了近兩年，她甚至從未邀請過她的伴侶來公寓。「這個空間是屬於我的，」她說。

Many Japanese, young and old, also work long hours, leaving little time to spend at home. And a growing share of people in Tokyo are living alone, making smaller spaces more desirable. Such people are more likely to eat out, or grab one of the many premade meal options from convenience stores or groceries, so a full kitchen is less necessary.

無論年長年輕，許多日本人都有很長的工作時間，幾乎沒有多少時間待在家裡。而且，越來越多的東京人選擇獨自居住，這使得較小的空間更受歡迎。這些人更可能在外面吃飯，或者從便利店和雜貨店購買預製食品，所以一個全套的廚房並不那麼有必要。

Yugo Kinoshita, 19, a college student who works part time making beef bowls at a chain restaurant, is among those for whom an apartment is little more than a place to sleep.

現年19歲的大學生木下優吾（音）在一家連鎖餐廳兼職做牛肉飯，對他來說，公寓只不過是個睡覺的地方。

By the time his shift is over, it is an hour to midnight and he is exhausted. He eats his free staff meal, goes to a “sento” public bath and passes out the second he gets back to his Spilytus unit. His days otherwise are filled with doing schoolwork for his degree in nutrition and seeing friends.

他下班的時間距離午夜只有一個小時，他已經非常累。吃完免費的員工餐後，他去一個公共澡堂洗澡，回到自己的Spilytus公寓裡倒頭就睡著。他每天的其他時間被做作業和見朋友佔據，他在讀營養學本科學位。

When he does spend some waking hours at home, the box that acts as a TV stand transforms into a study desk and kitchen counter. To clean the floor, all he needs is a lint roller.

當他真的在家裡呆上幾個小時的時候，當電視機架用的那個箱子就變成了書桌和廚房操作台。他打掃地板只需要用一個絨毛滾筒。

Even after having had to bid a teary-eyed goodbye to his collection of Nike Dunks because there was no place for them, Mr. Kinoshita said that at this point in his life, “I wouldn’t live anywhere else.”

即使在由於沒有地方，不得不含淚放棄他收藏的NIKE DUNK系列球鞋後，木下優吾仍表示，在人生的這個階段，「我不會住在其他任何地方。」

For some residents, the tiny apartments offer a gateway to long-deferred independence.

對一些居民來說，這些微型公寓為他們提供了一扇大門，可以走進嚮往已久的獨立生活。

Two years ago, Kana Komatsubara, 26, started looking for an apartment so she could finally move out of her parents’ home in the suburbs of Tokyo.

小松原加奈（音）現年26歲，兩年前，她開始尋找公寓，這樣她就能從東京郊區的父母家搬出來了。

She wanted a recently built space, easy access to work, and a toilet and a shower in separate rooms (a common request in Japan) — all within her relatively tight budget. She was not necessarily looking for a microunit, but her search led her to a Spilytus apartment.

她想找一個新建成的空間，離工作的地方不遠，而且洗手間和淋浴間分開（這在日本是一個常見的要求），所有這些需求還不能超出她不太寬裕的預算。她並不一定要找微型公寓，但她尋找的結果是一個Spilytus公寓。

“Of course, the bigger the better. It never hurts to have a larger space,” she said. “This was simply the best option for me at the time.”

「當然是越大越好。有一個更大的空間總不會有壞處，」她說。「這個公寓只不過當時對我來說是最好的選擇。」

On a recent afternoon, Ms. Komatsubara, a nail stylist, walked a minute from her nearest subway station in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo, through a narrow alleyway lined with worn-down homes, and unlocked the main door to her apartment building.

最近一個下午，美甲師小松原加奈從東京新宿區離她家最近的地鐵站走出來，穿過一條兩旁都是破舊房屋的狹窄小巷，來到她公寓樓的正門前，只用了一分鐘。

She walked up three flights of narrow stairs — the buildings have no elevators — to her room, which was behind one of the identical burgundy doors lining the common hallway.

她爬了三層狹窄的樓梯（這些建築裡沒有電梯），打開了公共走廊裡完全一樣的酒紅色大門中的一扇，進入自己的房間。

Inside, a tiny “genkan,” or entryway, had enough room for exactly three pairs of shoes. A 20-inch-wide hallway led to the main room, past the kitchen sink, where Ms. Komatsubara leaves a tube of toothpaste and a bottle of mouthwash.

裡面有一個很小的玄關，剛好可以放下三雙鞋。一條半米寬的走廊通向主房間，走廊經過廚房洗滌池，小松原加奈在那裡放了一管牙膏和一瓶漱口水。

She stores her work equipment, such as blue-light machines for gel nails and mannequin hands to practice on, in the place intended to hold a washing machine. A plastic trash bag hanging off her door knob must be taken out almost daily.

她把自己的工作設備，比如用來做凝膠美甲的藍光機和用來練習的假手，放在為洗衣機留出的地方。掛在門把手上的塑料垃圾袋幾乎每天都得帶下去。

One benefit of small living, she said, is less ice cream. Her mini-fridge lacks a working freezer, so she eats less of it. That, along with her daily boxing routine, means she has gotten into better shape.

她說，住處小有一個好處，就是可以少吃冰淇淋。她的迷你冰箱沒有冷凍室，所以她很少吃冰淇淋。再加上她每天做拳擊運動，所以她的身材比以前好了不少。

Ms. Fujiwara, the baseball league employee, was drawn to her microapartment after the pandemic began. She had been living in a shared house, but not having space to herself while working from home caused stress and anxiety.

棒球聯盟僱員藤原安住是在新冠病毒大流行開始後被吸引到微型公寓的。她以前一直住在與人合租的房子裡，但居家工作卻沒有自己的空間導致了壓力和焦慮。

Her smaller space has pushed her to live more sustainably, she said. “Small living has helped me think twice whenever I want to buy something new,” she added.

她說，更小的空間促使她的生活方式更可持續。「住的地方小讓我在想買新東西時三思而後行，」她補充道。

Yet hanging next to her sink is a stack of 40 or so brown paper cups. “I don’t have space to dry any dishes,” she said.

不過，她的洗滌池旁邊掛著一疊棕色紙杯，大約有40個。「我沒有地方把餐具晾乾，」她說。

She and Ms. Komatsubara both wish they had more space for clothing, which they neatly hang in their lofts. Ms. Komatsubara goes to her parents’ house at the start of every season, most recently to swap out her crop tops for sweaters.

她和小松原加奈都希望有更多的衣物空間，她們把衣服整齊地掛在躍層。小松原加奈在每個季度開始的時候回一趟父母家，最近這次是為了把夏天的衣服換成秋天的衣服。

Both women gave up having washing machines — they are expected in most Japanese apartments — in order to use the space more efficiently, and they instead go to a coin laundry once or twice a week.

為了更有效地使用空間，這兩名女士都沒有買洗衣機（大多數日本公寓有洗衣機），而是每週去一兩次投幣洗衣店。

Mr. Kinoshita does have a washing machine, but with no dryer, he hangs his wet clothes on the railing where his curtains should be. He also can’t do some of the homework for his nutrition degree at home, because his kitchen is too small.

木下優吾的公寓裡有一台洗衣機，但沒有烘乾機，他把濕衣服掛在本該掛窗簾的杆子上。他也不能在家裡做一些讀營養學學位需要做的作業，因為他的廚房太小。

Ms. Komatsubara has decided to move on from her apartment — because she wants something even cheaper.

小松原加奈已經決定搬出這個公寓，因為她想找個更便宜的地方。

“As I’ve grown older, my requirements, what I want out of an apartment, has shifted,” she said.

「隨著年齡的增長，我的需求，我想從公寓裡得到什麼已有了變化，」她說。