Wandering inside the house of Tatsumi Terado and his wife Hanae can be quite disorienting.
Unless of course, you’re a ninja or someone who doesn’t mind climbing ladders and jumping over gaps to reach your bed or enter the living room.
This is precisely the reason the couple calls their four-story home the “Ninja House”, because it takes some ninja skills to balance your way around the place.
“We feel we’re getting in better shape these days,” Hanae told CNN when the house was completed in 2013. “We never fall.”
Hiroyuki Shinozaki Architects, the creators of the house design, call the structure House T, which is situated in a convenient spot between two other townhomes in Tokyo, Japan. The one of a kind residence, completed by the firm in 2013, deceivingly looks like a normal home on the outside.
Subscribe to
NextShark's Newsletter
A daily dose of Asian America's essential stories, in under 5 minutes.
Get our collection of Asian America's most essential stories to your inbox daily for free.
Unsure? Check out our Newsletter Archive.
Only upon entering the house will one notice its unique and mesmerizing design, which features several wide holes in the floors and walls. Such a complete interior design must’ve been well-planned by topnotch professionals.
An office and living room can be found on the first floor which connects to the upper level via a bookcase that also functions as a flight of wooden stairs. Reaching the second floor, however, requires a little bit of a jump.
There are four different spaces on the second floor which are peppered with minimal ornaments and furniture. Despite its small floor space, its unique interior design allows for a wide open and spacious feel.
In an interview with Business Insider, lead designer Hiroyuki Shinozaki revealed that the design can accommodate different preferences.
“This house has flexibility so that its residents can change the layout to fit their way of life,” he explained.
More ladders connect to the other levels, which has a kitchen, a bedroom, dining area, and second living space. The structure impressively makes good use of natural light, illuminating the house at no cost at all.
The top floor even houses an attic which has more than enough space for storage. Another ladder finally leads up to a terrace nestled quite nicely on the roof.
The couple mentioned in jest that they have developed some ninja techniques just from moving from one room to another.
Photos: Hiroyuki Shinozaki Architects
