When Life Gave Them an Oddly Shaped Lot, a Young Family Made a Superbly Skinny 868-Square-Foot Home

Tsuyoshi and Maya Ōhama were living just north of Tokyo with their then-toddler, Nana, when the high school sweethearts learned they were expecting twins and decided to move back to their hometown, Osaka. After welcoming their daughters Kano and Yuno, the family settled into a 646-square-foot apartment in the Hirano neighborhood, near Maya’s parents. But after three years, they started to feel the squeeze of apartment living: "Our kids were younger and noisier, so we were always worried about disturbing the neighbors," says Maya. They began to search for land where they could build a home to give their growing girls more space.

Adamant that their kids remain in the same schools, Tsuyoshi and Maya kept the search to their existing neighborhood. They came across a 937-square-foot "flag" lot (an irregularly shaped parcel named for its resemblance to a flag on a pole), one of six contiguous lots that had been subdivided after an old apartment building and parking lot were demolished. It was on sale for less than the others. "It was cheaper because of the shape, but we saw it as a benefit, not a drawback," says Maya, noting that the narrow "pole," or strip of land leading to the main plot from the street, meant the house would be set back from the road and offer more privacy.

"We wanted it to feel connected, but also have cozy spots where you can be alone."

–Maya Ōhama, resident