I thought I'd share some thoughts on sliding doors. Yes, they're a little more exciting here than in the US.
If I ever see a house in America with a sliding door for the front door, I usually think it's really tacky. No offense if anyone has this!
However, sliding doors are very common here, and they're quite useful. You see, houses in Tokyo are often butted right next to the street. So if a door were to open outward, you would risk hitting a car, bike, or pedestrian! And houses are so small that if a door opens inward, you lose valuable space.
While walking around, I tend to take a peak inside houses if the front door is open. Just from a quick view, it looks like Tokyo families have maximized their allotted space, right up to the sliding door. There are usually shoes lined up right as you walk in, and then you would walk right into the living room. There's really no such thing as a foyer or a mud room.
By the way, my dream house (wherever and whatever that is!) needs to have a mud room. Thanks for listening.
Even though our house in Milwaukee is quite small, it's gargantuan by Tokyo standards.
