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So I found a joke that goes like this:
私の家はそりゃもう狭かったのよ。どれくらい狭かったかって？ 横に歯磨きができないのよ。
Now, if translated correctly, it should be saying:
My house is like already very narrow. How narrow? From the sides you can't brush your teeth.
Is the joke just lame, did I translate it incorrectly, or is there a double meaning that I am not seeing?
To bring this to a finality, I will answer my own question.
横に歯磨き refers to brushing teeth sideways, and the joke, which is more of a comical overstatement, is referring to a living space that is so crammed that he does not have space to brush his teeth. So while there are cramped spaces in larger cities in Tokyo, it is not necessary a pun or a particular reference.
