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Japanese real estate listings or advertisements for rental houses or apartments will generally contain information about the floor plans and floor space (measured in square meters).  Also, the descriptions of the houses or apartments will use the term “LDK”.  This abbreviation is derived from the English words: Living, Dining, and Kitchen.  Japanese home designs are special in that they try to make the most efficient use of limited space, and the LDK is an example of how a relatively large room can be created by combining functions.  Separate from the LDK will be bedrooms, laundry/washroom, shower/bathroom, and toilet room.  Some houses or apartments will also have storage rooms or walk-in closets.  A dwelling with three bedrooms will be listed as “3LDK”, two bedrooms = “2LDK”, and so forth.  The LDK will be the most spacious room in the home and will often have sliding window-doors which open out to a balcony or back/side yard.  How furniture gets arranged in the LDK is up to you, with endless creative possibilities.  The kitchen will occupy one side or corner of the room, and after that it will be a matter of choosing where to place sofas, chairs, dining table, television set, house plants, and/or other furniture items based on your own imagination and taste.  The LDK is a multipurpose airy space in your Japanese home, and we hope you will enjoy arranging things there for comfortable living. Written by Goodfield