Hidamari Sketch: Apartment Living 101

I can relate to Hidamari Sketch in terms of typical apartment living. Although I have roommates here, my way of life is kinda similar to the four girls. This post is about various stuff in the Hidamari Sketch anime that I find similar to my everyday apartment living here in Japan. This post will be updated, so check back often.

Coverage: Episode 1

Alarm Clock

Indispensable. You shouldn’t live without one, unless you want to anger your boss by being late. If you are kinda deaf like me, get two alarm clocks. I have my cellphone and Nintendo DS as alarm clocks. If you are not a morning person, try Nayuki’s style, if you know what I mean.

Heater

When it’s winter, I tell you, if your heater is not working, just DIE. I live in a tropical country, and so adjusting to the winter season had been a nightmare for me. Sleepless nights, colds and flu, and not being able to go out and play. Our heater doubles as an aircon of course, for the summer heat.

Rice Cooker

Back in my country, we don’t cook rice in rice cookers. They are carefully made manually in some pot, with the right amount of rice, heat and water. It’s a form of art I should say. In Japan, you don’t have time for art, so just clean the rice, add water, push button… and it’s ready to go in about an hour. There’s a “quik cook” mode and a “cook at specified time” mode for the real busy people.

Dishwashing

Piles upon piles of unwashed plates and cups are true stories for the real lazy/busy Japanese people who can’t even be bothered half-an-hour for doing them. Mendoukusai. Sometimes I tend to fall victim to this lazyness, but having roommates it’s imperative to have clean dishes.

Mailbox

Nothing too fancy, it’s just a mailbox. Something odd I noticed though is that random people just fill up your mailbox with random advertisement papers, be it a nearby shop or something. Most of the time, they are advertising new and available apartments for rent, but heck what’s the point when you already have one? Well I may want one, if I can afford it, so I can watch anime in peace. Currently, my roommates force me to watch the horribly boring Naruto anime.

Kotatsu

A table with futon covering and a heater inside so you can warm your legs… or sleep in it? Actually we don’t use this too much, the heater is enough. I use this as a dryer for clothes as well. It’s our dinner table, writing table and card gambling table too.

Bath Tub

Ah, ofuro. My escape from the harsh winter. I used to bathe in the morning, but I feel more refreshed if I do it at night, like all the other Japanese people. You need a heater-shower definitely for this. Wash yourself ‘thoroughly’… this is where Japanese fail sometimes. Try to smell the air of the trains at rush hours, they’re full of smelly Japanese people who can’t get their hygiene right. Yep even hawt girls smell bad here. I’d imagine some are even too busy to take a bath everyday. Try to ask when was the last time they did.