1. Types of apartment buildings

●　Apartment (apato)
This type of building is made of wood　or light steel. It is usually only two stories or less. Walls are thin, and you can usually hear noise from neighbors' homes.

●　Mansion 
This type of building tends to have three or more stories, and be made of a steel framework and reinforced concrete. Rent is typically higher han the 'apato'.

 2.Types of flooring
Japanese apartments may have one of several types of flooring:

● Tatami
If you are familiar with Judo, you may have heard of 'tatami'. It is the traditional type of flooring used in Japan, and is a knitted mat made of a plant called Igusa (rush). Igusa is said to have a gentle calming scent, so tatami rooms are ideal for relaxing in. As an added benefit, tatami is soundproof!

● Flooring
'Flooring' is made of wooden board. Although is tends to look neat, it scratches easily, and it not soundproof.

● Cushioned floor
Cushioned floor is floorboard covered in a type of plastic. Since it is rather soft, it won't hold up well in a fire. On the plus side, it's waterproof.

●　Carpet 
Carpeting is effectively soundproof and, of course, very comfortable. On the down side, since Japan is so humid, carpet owners need to be wary of ticks and other bugs breeding in their flooring. Carpet is also very hard to keep clean. These two reasons are why rental rooms with carpeting are rarely found in Japan.

3. Apartment measurements
There are generally 3 measuring units used to measure apartments in Japan.