TL;DR
Livingetc published five kitchen storage principles associated with Japanese homes, based on comments from designer Yoko Kloeden and Nakagawa executive vice president Tasuku Ogino. The advice emphasizes decluttering before adding storage, matching containers to their contents, keeping frequently used items accessible, choosing multifunctional cookware and limiting countertop displays.
Livingetc has outlined five Japanese kitchen storage lessons aimed at helping households organize their kitchens: clear out items before buying organizers, choose containers for specific jobs, keep cooking essentials within reach, use cookware for serving as well as cooking, and leave only selected items on counters. The report draws on comments from London-based interior designer Yoko Kloeden and Tasuku Ogino, executive vice president of Japanese home-goods company Nakagawa.
Kloeden’s first recommendation is to declutter before adding storage. Rather than filling shelves with new organizers, she suggests reviewing what is already there and asking what purpose each item serves. That approach, she says, can help avoid spending money to make crowded storage more complicated.
The report also recommends selecting containers according to their function and contents. Kloeden describes using paulownia wood boxes for dried goods and tea, and clear containers when visibility is the priority. She says salt and sugar can be kept in ceramic jars to address clumping, while an ohitsu—a lidded pot designed to draw moisture away from cooked rice—is one example of choosing a vessel for a particular food.
For everyday cooking, the advice is to give frequently reached-for items a convenient place and select containers with lids that are easy to open with one hand. Kloeden also points to cookware that can move from cooking to serving: a pot or bowl used for both can mean fewer transfers and less washing. On countertops, her proposed test is whether an object is used daily and contributes to the look of the space. Ogino describes the resulting visual effect as “merihari,” or deliberate contrast.
Practical Gains From Fewer, Better Choices
The advice matters for readers dealing with limited cabinet and counter space because it treats organization as a matter of deciding what to keep and how to use it, not simply adding more products. Starting with a clear-out may also prevent unnecessary purchases, while storing regularly used ingredients and utensils where they are easy to reach can make routine cooking more straightforward.
Some suggestions can affect cleanup as well as storage. Cookware that can go from stove or oven to table may reduce the number of dishes used, according to Kloeden. The report presents these ideas as design guidance, rather than measured evidence that a particular system will work for every household. Kitchen size, cooking habits, food-safety needs and the items already owned will shape what is practical.
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The Ideas Behind the Five Lessons
The Livingetc report frames the advice as lessons drawn from Japanese kitchen storage practices, where Kloeden says restricted space can make each container’s purpose more important. Her comments connect the recommendations to the demands of keeping ingredients, cookware and tools accessible without overcrowding a room.
The fifth principle concerns what remains visible. Kloeden cites the phrase “dashite totonou”, which she translates as “out, and in order”: an item should be used daily and have visual presence to earn a place on the counter. Ogino’s term “merihari” describes deliberate contrast. These are attributed explanations in the report, not rules shown to be followed by every Japanese household.
““Before you add storage, take one shelf and ask what each thing on it is for.””
— Yoko Kloeden, interior designer, as quoted by Livingetc
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How Widely the Advice Applies
The report offers expert design recommendations, but the supplied material does not include research comparing these methods with other storage systems or evidence that they produce the same results across households. It also does not establish that the practices described are universal in Japan. Advice about particular materials and food containers is attributed to Kloeden; readers’ storage needs will vary with ingredients, kitchen conditions and product instructions.
The source material does not specify the report’s publication date, provide measurements of space or cost savings, or set out a single storage plan for different kitchen layouts. Readers should treat the five points as options to adapt, not as a one-size-fits-all system.
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Applying the Advice at Home
The report does not announce a product launch, study or scheduled follow-up. Its immediate next step for readers is practical: choose a shelf to review, remove items that no longer have a clear purpose, and identify which ingredients and tools are used most often. Only after that inventory can a household judge whether additional organizers are needed.
Readers can then match containers to their contents, check that frequently used lids and utensils are easy to handle, and assess whether any cookware can serve more than one role. For counters, Kloeden’s suggested test is whether an item is used daily and adds to the arrangement. The source provides no timetable or measured outcome for these changes.
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Key Questions
What are the five Japanese kitchen storage lessons in the report?
Livingetc lists decluttering before buying storage, choosing containers for their purpose, keeping frequently used cooking items accessible, using cookware that can also serve food, and leaving only selected items on the counter.
Why does the report recommend decluttering before buying organizers?
Designer Yoko Kloeden says reviewing what each stored item is for can reveal what is unnecessary before a household adds more containers or shelves. The report presents this as a way to avoid crowding storage further or making needless purchases.
What does “one object, many uses” mean here?
Kloeden uses the Japanese phrase ichibutsu tayō for cookware or vessels that can serve several roles, such as holding leftovers, reheating food and going to the table. She says this can reduce transfers and washing.
Which items does the report suggest leaving on the counter?
Kloeden’s test is whether an item is used daily and has visual presence. She gives examples such as a utensil holder or a row of condiment jars, while saying branded packaging should be put away.
Source: rss
