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Towards a Society with Appreciation for Differences ▏A New Base – BORDERLESS STATION is opening!

Hello everyone, I am Seiichi Lee, the representative of BORDERLESS HOUSE Co., Ltd. Our company was founded in 2008, and the goal of our share house business is to create a multicultural society where people can mutually understand each other’s background regardless of race or nationality, and without prejudice or discrimination.

Almost 3 years into the pandemic, our business has been affected by COVID-19 due to the entry restrictions for foreigners to Japan, fortunately, the situation has gradually gotten better. Thus, we’ve started to create a place full of “Cross-cultural Understanding & Multicultural Coexistence”, which also will be a new base for people from around the world can gather together in Japan.

About the New Project

◆The approach to social problems

With the increased number of foreign tourists and foreign employees, the situation of “foreigners not being able to rent a house in Japan” has drastically improved in the past 10 years.

However, originally, the cause of this problem was because of the prejudice of people who think that “foreigners are different from us”, and I kindly ask you to think about it with us.

One of the surest ways to eliminate this kind of prejudice is to create an opportunity that allows everyone to interact with people from different backgrounds. 

We believe that through building relationships among people, we can learn about and embrace each other’s differences in values, in other words, foster mutual understanding.

In order to achieve that goal, BORDERLESS HOUSE has been offering the environment and experience of communal living.

We have also been proactive in building relationships between the residents and the local community, in order to provide local people with opportunities to encounter different cultures.

 “Share house” is our first step, but now, it’s time to take the next step with our new project.

What’s needed to create a multicultural society where people respect each other’s differences is to – not just learn about those differences but also directly interact with them. We believe that experience is necessary.

We have newly established a new center to provide this kind of opportunity to learn about “differences”. At the same time, we will create a community that is involved in different cultures.

This is our new project – BORDERLESS STATION.

The base of this new project is in Asakusabashi, Tokyo

We rented a guesthouse and cafe bar that was closed down due to COVID-19 and used the upper floors as a share house and the first floor as the base of this project.

It was a challenge for us to revive this place from the aftereffects of a pandemic with a new community and our vision.

※2For detailed information on the share house, click here＞＞

The Concept of BORDERLESS STATION

There are two main concepts in our new project.

The first one is to create a broadcasting booth to share a podcast on the theme of “Understanding the differences” and to communicate various topics on diversity.

The second one is to have a lounge space that will be used for various events and workshops that will provide opportunities to learn about different cultures.

①Broadcasting station for sharing information on the theme of diversity 

The theme of the broadcast is “Let’s start by learning!”

We will have a broadcasting channel that will help people get involved in diversity and cross-cultural understanding. We will invite guest speakers from different backgrounds and countries to share their stories.

Also, as the broadcasting booth will be facing the lounge, so it can be used for event broadcasting. We hope that this place can help the community to promote and communicate its vision and values. 

We would also like to provide an opportunity for young people who are struggling with problems of “minorities” and “identity”  to share their experiences in order to develop new values.

② Bar with a theme of Cross-cultural Understanding and Exchange

The bar with a daily theme is where people can gain a deeper understanding of diversity, arouse interest in cultural differences, and induce empathy with different values through “Participation and Discussion”

On Wednesdays and Thursdays, the shared kitchen will be operated by exotic restaurants. They would bring authentic and exotic cuisine home-cooked to BORDERLESS STATION.

So everyone can enjoy learning about the “differences” through “food”. We would like to use this shared kitchen as a gateway to different cultures. 

At the moment, an Argentinian restaurant has been selected to join us, and we are still accepting more partnerships with amazing restaurants!

Friday and Saturday will be a dining bar run by us, BORDERLESS HOUSE!

The dining bar is where you can enjoy food and drinks from various countries while adding diversity and multicultural-themed content to make it much more fun.

For example, on Fridays, we plan to have multicultural organizations and communities join us to share their activities and create a place where people can talk and think about how to make the world a better place together.

And on Saturdays, our multicultural residents of BORDERLESS HOUSE will be the host of the bar. There will be a place where people can encounter new values through workshops and fun activities that expose them to the cultures and values of different countries.

Speaking of the dining bar, it will be supervised by Okaneya-san, who is an explorer of the world’s kitchens, and she will offer “snacks from around the world” that cannot be found anywhere else!

※For more details about Okaneya-san, check here＞＞(Japanese only)

In this project, we wil also be working together with BORDERLESS HOUSE staff, residents, and partners to create a project that will allow us to get close to the local community. 

Based on these contents, we aim to make BORDERLESS STATION a place where anyone can easily have opportunities to learn about “differences” and get involved in the community.

(A community event planned by BORDERLESS HOUSE residents in May 2022)

※For the details of the event that is organized by Borderless House residents, check here.

*The details of the operating hours of BORDERLESS STATION will be announced later.

How to support this project (Sept 2022)

Rather than the relationship between a business owner and customers as a typical restaurant/bar, we would like to work as a community with people who can sympathize and share the same vision and thoughts with us. 

Also, this project is not just a business that expects a return on investment, but a social activity. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, we would have to ask for your help to support this project.

Most important of all, we want to make it a place where everyone can make good use of it. I’ve decided to start with crowdfunding.

Click here for the crowdfunding page ＞＞＞
※We are sorry but since the webpage is only in Japanese, please click the right button on the mouse and translate the webpage to your preferred language if needed.

The support from crowdfunding will be used only for the initial start-up costs and does not cover any subsequent operating costs.

In addition to the existing business of share house approach as a place to nurture mutual understanding, this new community place – BORDERLESS STATION (abbreviated as B station) will be opened soon!

Thank you very much for your support!

Last Message

Our cross-cultural exchange project has had a very difficult time over the past two years due to borders closing. 

At the same time, in our society, we are facing the same problems as in the rest of the world, such as the hate against Asians due to the spread of COVID-19, BLM in the US, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the conflict between China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, and the conflicts between countries, cultures, and ideologies.

These are big and serious problems that we cannot seem to confront, and for this reason, I believe that what we can do is foster mutual understanding among citizens, transcending each other’s values. Connecting and building relationships with people of different backgrounds and countries is more important now than ever before.

We at BORDERLESS HOUSE believe that creating such connections will sow the seeds of peace for the future, and we will continue to do so.

We look forward to your support.

 

 

 

 

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We are Social Business – BORDERLESS HOUSE

Do you know that Borderless House is a “Social Business”?

Perhaps I should have asked – Have you heard of Social Business? 

In general, it refers to a company or a business that tries to create value or impact society in a positive way by offering a service or a product that meets the needs or by presenting new solutions to challenges brought on by society.

And there are more and more people talking about it around the world, actually, you can also find some TED TALK videos talking about it too! 

Even though “Social Business” is a term that you should know, it may sound a little complicated. But don’t worry, let me clearly explain it in a simpler way below.

What is Social Business

The phrase ”Social Business” refers to a brand of entrepreneurship rooted in funding or implementing solutions to cultural, social, or environmental problems. 

Image credit: Devon Bunce/Digital Storytellers

Social Business seeks to maximize profits while maximizing benefits to society and the environment, and the profits are principally used to fund social programs.

The key traits and characteristics of Social Business

• The primary aim is to address a social problem
• It is financially self-sufficient
• It does not pay dividends to its owners
• It is guided by how its operations benefit the causes and communities of interest

What’s the difference between social business and regular business

Maximizing profits is not the primary goal of a social business as is with a traditional business – What sets a social business apart from a traditional business is that while the traditional business’s ultimate goal is to create wealth, the social business seeks to create lasting societal change.

What’s the difference between social business and non-profit organization

Unlike a non-profit, a social business is not dependent on donations or on private or public grants to survive, and to operate it is self-sustainable. While non-profit organizations where funds are spent only once on the field, funds in a social business are invested to increase and improve the business operations on the field on an indefinite basis.

Why is Social Business Important

Now, let’s go a little bit in-depth to see why social business is important, especially in our society and globally.

  • Social businesses have the potential to change society and the world.

As social business concentrates on developing, financially backing, and executing ideas that contribute to finding solutions for social, cultural, and environmental concerns, it can make a huge impact on our life, in a positive way – and that’s why social businesses are much-needed, considering the times that we’re living in. The vision of a social business is usually social well-being related and a broader idea to excel as a community.

So social business is also a business that gets everyone in the world involved. People say that change-makers are those who take creative actions to solve social problems for the good of all – and this is who we are.

‘Creator’ of Multicultural Society – BORDERLESS HOUSE

So, for Borderless House, the social problem that we aim to solve with our business is – Prejudice and Discrimination.

We aim to build relationships among people with different backgrounds, such as different nationalities, races, and religions, and gather them together to live under the same roof in our share houses.

There are not only benefits but also conflicts sometimes when living in a mixed-culture environment. However, by sharing thoughts and feelings from time to time with each other, people can build a strong relationship in which we can understand other cultures and perspectives deeply.

Creating such a connection is the greatest value of BORDERLESS HOUSE.

The goal of our business is to create a multicultural society where people can mutually understand each other’s background regardless of race or nationality, and without prejudice or discrimination.

Our Vision

As more and more foreigners are settling in Japan, and it is important that there are places where they can live in peace and harmony. We believe that this solution which gathers people from around the world to live in a share house together is essential in a multicultural society.

As a ‘creator’ of Multicultural Society, we hope to accelerate the creation of an ideal society and to provide more people with opportunities for international living experiences, we aim to keep expanding our business and keep offering and creating opportunities for In-depth international exchange.

Planting the seeds of world peace is our mission and we welcome you to be a part of BORDERLESS HOUSE.

 

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WASEDA x BORDERLESS HOUSE ▏ICC One-Day Share House

On June 17, 2022, BORDERLESS HOUSE was honored to be invited to hold a collaboration event with Intercultural Communication Center (ICC) for Waseda University students. At the event, the students got to have a discussion on some topics with people from different nationalities and backgrounds, which was exactly the same as living at Borderless House!

As when you live with people from various countries, there could be some moments you may have been shocked at some of the differences. And this is when we learn to understand different cultures and to think from a new perspective without holding any discrimination and prejudice.

Before we take you back to this One-Day Share House Experience event, let me give you a brief introduction to ICC!

About the ICC (Intercultural Communication Center)

The ICC is a venue and global community that gathers both local and international Waseda students together for intercultural exchange and interaction.

Since Waseda University has over 5,000 international students enrolled from over 100 countries and regions, the ICC was established to utilize such a diverse international environment, and further enrich on-campus intercultural exchange.  Through such interaction, students develop a new understanding of the world around them, while creating new values and interests.

The purpose of this co-living workshop – ICC share house

As the vision of Borderless House is “to create a truly multicultural society in which people can live together in harmony regardless of race or nationality,” we hope to provide Waseda students with opportunities they could learn and realize the importance of recognizing and accepting each other’s differences by exchanging thoughts and sharing own experiences.

We are very glad that on the day, there were around 30 multinational participants came, so we have many “cultures”, “personalities” and “backgrounds”, which just like our share houses.  

Workshop Agenda

There are a total of 5 main parts of the workshop:
① Icebreaking!
② Presentations by the President and Manager of BORDERLESS HOUSE
③ Workshop1: Is everyone’s life routine different?
④ Workshop2: What is senior/junior culture?
⑤ Workshop3: Share your understanding and learn about

When you move into a new share house, the first thing is to

That’s right! It’s “self-introduction”! Tell others something about you and get to know all your housemates too! Maybe you’d be very lucky to make good friends who share the same interests or like the same animes as you, and you’d create a bond right away!

Presentations by BORDERLESS HOUSE

Next. our President, Seiichi Lee, and Manager of BORDERLESS HOUSE Tokyo Office, Takuya Hosogi had presentations to let the students have a better understanding and idea about what an “international share house” is.

From sharing about the vision and mission of Borderless House.

To show students the special characteristics of our share houses and the values of living at Borderless House. And of course, the photos of real share house life from our tenants!

Workshop1: Is everyone’s life routine different?


 In a communal living share house, everyone has their own lifestyle; everyone is on different schedules. So at the first workshop, we talked about each other’s lifestyles and schedules and figured out how to live under the same roof with minimal conflicts due to the differences.

When you live with someone else, it’s important to show respect for others in your everyday life, you need to be more aware that you share the space with others. So open communication is a key to making everyone live together comfortably!

Workshop2: What is senior / junior culture?

I believe a lot of you may already know about what “Senpai-Kohai culture” is, you can see the senior-junior relationship commonly in organizations, businesses, schools, associations, and clubs in Japan. So at this workshop, we talked about if this kind of culture and relationships also exist in other countries.

Everyone shares their thoughts and opinions about the “sempai-kohai” (senior-junior) system and its pros and cons. Some Japanese students also shared their own experiences, and it seemed to be very shocked for some foreign students who are from countries that don’t have this kind of culture!

Living with people from around the world in a share house, you may find some cultures or value systems that may be totally normal to some people, however, they are quite strange to you. And it’s very interesting to talk about the difference together!

Workshop3: Share your impressions and what you learn about

Lastly, there was a presentative from each group to share what they learn from today’s workshop. And we are so impressed how much the students have learned from today’s workshop:
“I am a university student right now so I have more chances to meet foreigners, but if there’s a wall between us, it would waste such good opportunities, so we should build bridges, not walls”

“I think to be able to respect each other and to try to understand each other’s differences is very important. For example, if you can’t understand well because of language barriers, there are translation tools that you can use. And there are many ways you can use to communicate with each other. But the most important of all, you need to be willing to embrace new cultures and respect them.”

Thank you very much for joining us at the ICC Co-living Event!✨

It was a valuable experience for BORDERLESS HOUSE to have close interactions with Waseda University students, not only just sharing, but also hearing their voices, ideas, and thoughts!

In the future, we hope we can have more opportunities to share our vision with the young generations and let more people experience multicultural and multilingual BORDERLESS HOUSE! If you also like our vision of creating a free of discrimination open-minded multicultural society and would like to cooperate with us for any events, please feel free to contact us HERE.

Let’s promote a wonderful community that is built on mutual understanding and active participation together:) 

 

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Is it a good idea for women to stay at a share house?

If this is your first time living with people you don’t know, and if you are a woman, you might be thinking “ Is it a good idea for me to live in a gender-mixed share house?” But meanwhile, as we all know – it is not so easy for a foreigner to rent a place in Japan, so a share house could be the easiest option.

To ease your concerns and worries about living in a share house as a girl. we would like to share some pros and cons of living in a share house from a women’s perspective!

We hope this article can help you to find a place where you feel safe and comfortable staying in Japan!

Benefits of women living in a share house

Security Side | It’s actually SAFER!

In terms of security, compared to living alone in an apartment, it’s safer to live in a share house with other people. Here are the reasons:
◆ There is a MUST screening process with all the tenants who book the room at BORDERLESS HOUSE, so you don’t need to worry about who your neighbors are and if your current or future neighbors would be nice people or not.
◆ There is clear and transparent information about all of your roommates! You can see their basic info and self-introduction on the webpage before booking the room!
◆ You’d have less possibility to be targeted by stalkers, burglars, or robbers if you are living in the sharehouse.

Make Besties | You can talk about anything with your roommates

If you need someone to give you advice or suggestions on fashion, costume, cosmetics, or even your love life, or if you simply just need someone to talk to, chat, or rant, there will always be girls for you!
◆ If you stay in a shared room. you can have more time to enjoy the conversations with your roommates. It’s easier to build bonds in your relationships, and your friendships would be tighter!
◆ You will never feel bored or lonely because you will always have someone who would be there for you, listen to you, and someone who would study, watch animes and go shopping with you!
◆ If you want to brush up on your Japanese, you have more chances to practice your language skills too!

If you are the kind of person who needs more space and time for yourself, you can keep decent privacy if you live in a private room, and you can enjoy fun social life at the same time in the common areas at a share house!

Things that need to be aware of when women living in a share house

At a gender-mixed share house, 2 things here you may already expect as well as you might need to keep in mind.

1. Men and women use a toilet and bathroom differently, so you can make some rules based on your mutual agreements with your housemates to avoid any issues.
2. It’s important to be considerate of others, so pay attention to what you wear, especially in the shared spaces, such as the kitchen and living room.

So we’d like to give you some tips if you are interested in living in a share house to prevent any stress or trouble:
◇ Establish rules together
◇ Be open to communicating anything with your housemates
◇ Be careful not to interfere much in each other’s private spaces

I hope this article solves your concerns, and if you have any further questions or would like to know more about living in a share house as a girl, please feel free to check our tenants’ interview from BORDERLESS HOUSE OSAKA-TSURUHASHI1 below:

Of course, feel free to CONTACT US, so we can answer all your questions ☺

Check available rooms for girls ▶▶▶
• SANGEN-JAYA1 share house
• ITABASHI-KUYAKUSHOMAE1 share house
• NIHOMBASHI1 share house
• SHINAGAWA-TOGOSHI3 share hose

*Please note, that the rooms might be booked by others at any time.

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ASAKUSABASHI FESTIVAL! An event host by the tenants of Asakusabashi share house and local people from the neighborhood

Hello everyone! This is Picasso, a resident of Asakusabashi.

We held an event (festival!) at BORDERLESS HOUSE Asakusabashi on Sunday, May 29, 2022! This event is a cultural festival-like event where share house residents can enjoy eating, singing, listening, finding, and talking all at once, with the themes of “making things together” and “getting involved with the community”.

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Then, let me take you back to the event!

The event was planned and executed by all of the tenants at Asakusabashi House! 

Fun English Lesson!

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We also have an English lesson on the day that was taught by an American and an English native speakers of our Asakusabashi House residents. They were teaching English in a fun, game-like way!

There were many games that were not so common in Japan, such as games using cards and the body, but the children were very interested in them and had fun playing all of them.

Homemade smoothies

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Freshness is the key to smoothies! Vegetables, bananas, milk, and other ingredients are delivered freshly in the morning! It took some time to prepare all the ingredients, and the blender was even louder than we expected, so we had to reconsider the work area, but we still made it in the end!

We expected to serve 40 cups, and the smoothies’ popularity is beyond our expectations! Almost all of them were drunk by everyone. And after lunch, more smoothies were served.

This smoothie was very tasty, with a hint of greenery from the vegetables while retaining the fragrance of the banana.

Asakusabashi House Flea Market

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Asakusabashi House currently has 16 residents from 5 different countries.
We collected some original and interesting things from these 16 residents. When we looked through the items, we found a collection of DVDs of anime, travel books about other countries, as well as colorful clothing, and more!

We have tags attached to each item to tell you:
– what kind of people produced these items
– who donated them to us?
– what were the thoughts behind the items?

It was interesting to see the thoughts and meanings of each item.

Let’s make our own Watagashi (cotton candy)

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The watagashi machine became a trademark of this festival! This was a hands-on corner where visitors could operate the machine and make their own cotton candy and everyone enjoyed it, especially all the kids!

It was very impressive that children kept coming to the booth saying, “I want to make a cotton ball! One of our residents, Takumi carefully taught the children how to make them, and they all enjoyed making and eating their own unique style of watagashi.

Watagashi is actually difficult to make, even for adults, so I am impressed to see the kids try their best to learn how to make it! Regardless of the shape of the cotton candy they made, the event was very lively because the children seemed to be having fun with this experience.

Compost & Soil Improvers – Eco Sustainable Solutions

In our daily lives, we produce garbage constantly. With the composter, by putting food scraps into the soil with microorganisms, the microorganisms eat and digest the food scraps, then return them to the soil where plants can grow again.

In this event, we tried putting the food scraps from our daily life into the LFC compost box and putting pepper and marigold seeds into the composter. And now, we still continue doing it at Asakusabashi share house.

On the day of the event, small seedlings emerged from the seeds, indicating that the soil had actually been revived. We hope that this event will provide an opportunity for people to think about the waste produced in our daily lives.

Free Lunch!

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The lunch was a keema curry that has sticky rice and crispy edamame beans. The keema curry was super delicious, not too spicy, and very easy and smooth to eat. The lunch was free of charge on the day of the event.

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The lunch was also made by our tenants from Asakusabashi House! The curry was made with soybean meat, which is environmentally friendly. It was a satisfying yet tasty curry that gives people a chance to think about what they eat as well!

Desserts from overseas

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All the desserts were lined up for everyone to enjoy. Each of them is different and none of the sweets were left! All kinds of desserts were so delicious that once I started eating them, I just couldn’t stop.

Live Singing by Mayowa

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It was a hot and warm afternoon on the day of the festival, and the live show started with songs that make you feel relaxed.

Mayowa had performed a solo show two days prior to the festival. So he was already an accomplished MC, he performed a wide range of acts, including looper* to liven things up, and ukulele! He’s so talented! All residents danced together during the final performance called “September”, it was so fun and full of energy! I really like the energetic vibes of the house.

Lastly

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From left to right: Pikaso (reporter), Ryosuke (CM), Yuki (staff & former resident)

Until the festival was held, I wondered how many participants would show up? We were talking about what we would do if no one showed up at all… but when the lid was opened, so many people were there, and we were very grateful and had a lot of fun.

Even though Asakusabashi Share House is still very new, many people and the people of the Yanagibashi area graciously accepted us, making it a day we were much appreciated for.

This festival was the first of many we have planned, and we hope to hold more interesting events on a regular basis with the themes of “making things together” and “getting involved with the community”.

Thank you for reading this to the end!

If you want to see more details about this event, please check HERE! (in Japanese) 
Here are more blog articles that are written by our residents from Asakusabashi Share House!

 

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Language Exchange｜How should I prepare for Language Exchange and practice speaking?

Do you want to practice your speaking skills for free through “Language Exchange” and meet new foreign friends, but don’t know where to start preparing? Or have you tried “Language Exchange” before, but after encountering some difficulties in the process, and you just left it at that?

Then this article on language exchange prep will help you a lot!

What is Language Exchange?

Language Exchange is a reciprocal activity in which you practice the language that you are learning by chatting with a native speaker or someone who is fluent in that language. In addition, to quickly improve your speaking skills, you can also learn cultural knowledge not found in textbooks and make new friends, which is a great way to kill two birds with one stone.

Am I a good candidate for language exchange?

When you want to practice a language through Language Exchange, here are some tips you can check to see if you are a good candidate.

1) What is your purpose? Do you really want to practice the language? Or do you just want to meet foreign friends?

Because Language Exchange is not mandatory, there must be a strong motivation to learn each other’s language in order to be sustainable.

2) How is your language ability?

Usually, I suggest that it is better to have at least a daily conversation level, so that you can correct and improve your speech step by step during the conversation. Otherwise, it is easy to keep speaking only one language with each other.

3) Do you like to interact with people?

In fact, Language Exchange is also a kind of meeting internet friend activity, whether online or face-to-face, the first meeting will inevitably be awkward. So before participating in Language Exchange, you can ask yourself, do you want to meet a new stranger? Will you be curious about your partner?

What to prepare before Language Exchange?

The preparation content will vary depending on the length of time you work with your language partner, and is divided into early and late stages：

Early-stage：

1) Confirm meeting time and language appointment (1 hour of full Chinese conversation, 1 hour of full foreign language conversation). And set an alarm before you start so that you don’t forget to change the language when you’re having too much fun conversation.

2) Usually, the first meeting is just about introducing yourself, why are you learning this language? What are your hobbies? Where have you traveled to? What kind of music do you prefer? Basically, it’s the same as a blind date, in the process of talking to each other to find out what you have in common and whether we have a mutual connection because this part will also affect the subsequent contact.

Late-stage：

When you get to know your partner better, you will gradually start to run out of topics to talk about, so it is very important to prepare some beforehand.

1) Note down any problems of language learning that you have, such as being unsure how to translate a sentence or whether there is a more authentic way to say it. You can also bring your own textbooks or assignments and discuss your questions together.

2) If you have a grammatical problem, try not to ask a native speaker, because they usually don’t know how to explain it, either. Unless the partner major in linguistics, otherwise a lot of time will be wasted trying to explain grammar.

3) Share something interesting that happened recently, or any interesting articles, news, videos, cultural differences or interesting topics to discuss. It is better to have questions with a little depth, such as environmental protection or social issues, so that you can practice expressing your own ideas, and hear the results of your partner’s opinions from different perspectives.

4) Write an exchange diary! Language Exchange is not only to practice speaking, writing is also a very important part of it. You can write a short article about your reading experience or a movie afterthought. Gradually your writing skills will be greatly improved without you even realizing it!

5) Let’s hang out together! Hiking, movies, museums, whatever you and your friends like to do, invite your language partner to go with you as well! Since you’re going out together, you don’t have to be too strict about which language you speak for how long, so just switch between them! Be flexible!

6) Register for the language test and get certified! You can practice for the content of the exam, with specific topics and sentence patterns. When you are under pressure, you will be more prepared for each Language Exchange!

What should I pay attention to during Language Exchange?

1) When introducing to each other, observe the language level of your partner and adjust your speaking speed according to the language level, pronouncing your words as clearly and standardly as possible.

2) When practicing the language, instead of expressing yourself in your native language, ask more questions so that your partner can answer his/her thoughts more often. For example: Why? What do you think? What would you do?…etc. Try to use these questions often.

3) Use the cloud notepad to record words or sentences during the meeting, so that you can easily re-read them afterward.

Where can I find a Language Exchange partner?

Nowadays there are many ways to find language exchange partners, through mobile apps, websites, or by staying in a multicultural share house.

APP& Website recommendation：

1) Hello Talk: You can send texts, voice messages, voice calling, and video calling, and you can also help each other fix sentences, translate, and other auxiliary functions. You can also upload pictures and short articles. The overall function is very similar to Instagram.

2) Tandem: It is very similar to the function of HelloTalk, except that this app will actively send the notification about the info of other members to increase the chance of matching.

3) HiNative: It is a Q&A platform where you can ask questions about grammar, wording differences, or articles, and there are usually enthusiastic answers from native speakers.

4) BORDERLESS HOUSE: It is a multicultural share house with locals and they also organize a variety of events and provide free Language Exchange opportunities from time to time.

BORDERLESS HOUSE is an international, multicultural share house with locals. There are 17 houses in Taipei City and overseas branches in Tokyo, Osaka(Japan), and Seoul(South Korea).

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Borderless House is featured in NHK WORLD “TOKYO EYE 2020” ▎Watch Now!

Borderless House is featured in NHK WORLD “TOKYO EYE 2020“!
You can watch the show here to know more about “share house”!

【Broadcast Information】
■ Date and Time: Wednesday, December 29, 2021, 9:30～ / 14:30～ / 19:30～(JST)
■ Television Station: NHK WORLD
■ WEB LIVE Streaming: Live streaming on NHK WORLD website at the same time
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/live/
■ Television Show Name: TOKYO EYE 2020 (Hosted by Chris Pepler)
■ Content: Tokyo Share Houses: The Latest in Communal Living
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Borderless House will be introduced as one of the places that offer communal living, and how share houses are gaining fresh attention.

＜Rebroadcast＞
■ Broadcast Date: December 31, 2021 (Fri.) 4:30- (JST)
■ Television Station: NHK BS1

Tokyo Share Houses: The Latest in Communal Living

The show of TOKYO EYE 2020 (NHK WORLD) explores the latest trends, meets people enjoying the share house life, and discovers the communities that are emerging from these spaces.

Large share house with pandemic-preventative measures

A sharehouse that opened in April of 2021 during the pandemic. It’s built like a hotel, complete with a large lounge, cafe space, and other shared spaces with 150 seats. There are also facilities for remote work and a gym. With multiple places for residents to spread out, close quarters are avoided.

International exchange share house

A share house with a good balance of international and Japanese residents living together, allowing for cultural exchange. Japanese people can improve their English, and international residents can make friends with Japanese people and experience the Japanese lifestyle.

Africa-Japan exchange share house

The idea behind this share house is to connect Africa and Japan. It opened in August 2021. Although the current residents are only Japanese, in the future, Africans will also live there, making it a place where people can feel at home in Japan. It’s also used as a venue for Africa-related events, providing a place for exchange.

※Original source:  TOKYO EYE 2020

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✨Rent Prepay Discount✨

Hello everyone!

Thank you for your continuous support and love for BORDERLESS HOUSE! We hope that each tenant can find a sense of home here and create wonderful memories with friends from all over the world.

In appreciation of our long-term supporting tenants, we have specially introduced exclusive discounts for those on long-term leases, making your life at BORDERLESS HOUSE even more exciting. Join us in creating more unforgettable memories and enjoy this unique international exchange experience together!

Plan Details

Prepay your rent and utilities to enjoy the following exclusive discounts:

1. Half-Year Prepayment Plan:
• Receive a half-month rent reduction.
2. One-Year Prepayment Plan:
• Receive a one-month rent reduction.
• Utilities will be a fixed monthly charge of NT$800.

Important Notes:

1. Not affected by any adjustments in rent or utilities, and cannot be combined with other promotions.
2. In the event of early termination due to personal reasons, prepaid rent and utilities are non-refundable.
3. If there is a violation of the contract or circumstances deemed unsuitable for residing at BORDERLESS HOUSE, we reserve the right to terminate the contract immediately. We will refund the remaining rent for the period, but the tenant must reimburse the discounted amount during the promotional period.

Application Process

Form Submission ▶ Contact Staff ▶ Email Confirmation ▶ Contract Signing at the office and Payment (within 7 days)

*Please proactively reach out to us after submitting the form. Thank you!

Q&A

1. After applying, when is the earliest I can enjoy the rent discount?
The effective date for the prepayment discount is the 1st of each month, and the application process takes 3-5 business days (excluding the signing procedure). Please make sure to apply in advance to avoid delays.
2. Is it possible to request the relocation of the house or room in the future?
Yes, it is possible. The discount will be recalculated based on the duration of residence in the two rooms.
3. Can I apply for the prepayment discount with a one-year contract?
Yes, you can. The contract type and prepayment discount do not conflict.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. Thank you:)

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Introduction to Kansai Area, Japan ▏Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe

Back in the days when Tokyo was called Edo and the nation was still un-unified, the Kansai region was where all the economic, technological, diplomatic, industrial, and cultural development happened. Whether it be the imperial court at Kyoto or the main trading ports at Osaka and Kobe, Japan truly started in these regions and still holds massive importance in Japanese, and even Asian, culture, even after almost 2,000 years.

After Tokyo, these are the most popular tourist, developing, and economical areas in Japan. Therefore, many cultural locations, universities, and global companies reside here. With easy access to transportation and their close vicinity to each other, it is common for both locals and tourists to commute between these cities on a daily basis.

Osaka

Starting at its center around Osaka – Umeda Station, you will leave the station and be taken aback by the glorious and grand skyscrapers surrounding it. A great way to start getting familiar with the city is to visit the Umeda Sky Building and view the city from its 170m high viewing platform. Around the station, you can find many different shopping areas, many of them to the east. Like the Hankyu-east shopping street, Izuma-no-Hiroba, the Tenjinbashisuji shopping street, or the Dotonbori, with the famous running man sign, further south!

Hosting both the Osaka international airport and the Kansai international airport, while also having great long-distance shinkansen trains and highway busses, Osaka is in a fantastic location for further travels inside the country. With many low-cost flights, you can take trips wherever and whenever you want.
Culturally, Osaka hosts many memorable locations. Osaka castle, once the largest and grandest castle in the country, lies just a few minutes away from Umeda.

And on one of the artificial islands on the west part of the city, lies the Universal Studios Japan park! Directly connected with its own train station, it is a perfect destination for all movie fans. Take time to also enjoy its more peaceful locations, like a picnic in the tranquil Ryokuchi park, or walk along the green and great Yodo river!

【Borderless House in Osaka】

➤BORDERLESS HOUSE OSAKA-BENTENCHO 
➤BORDERLESS HOUSE OSAKA-TOYONAKA1
➤BORDERLESS HOUSE OSAKA-TSURUHASHI1
➤BORDERLESS HOUSE OSAKA-TAMATSUKURI

Kyoto

For over 1,000 years, Kyoto has been the capital of Japan. Having been so vital to the culture and politics, it has been spared from a lot of the damage and degradation other modern cities have. Because of this, many shrines, temples, and other structures are hundreds of years old but still kept fresh and clean.
Around Kyoto station, there are various clothing stores and shopping malls, especially around the Kyoto tower. Outside of that, there are small shopping streets scattered all over the city, like the Teramachi shopping district accessible via subway or bus.

In this city lies some of Japan’s most historically famous locations. Here lies the famous Kinkaku-Ji, The golden pavilion, the Kyoto imperial palace; home of the emperor for centuries, Senbon Torii; the thousand Torii Gate, Heian Shrine; build to celebrate the cities 1100th birthday, and the great Kiyomizu-Dera; a great temple complex with its famous wooden balcony. Nearby to Kiyomizu-Dera, you can also find the Sanneizaka and Nineizaka area. This entire area is built to look like old samurai-era buildings, and many of them are still the same ones from that period.

But that does not mean all in Kyoto are historical buildings and shrines. For non-historical scenery, there is the Arashiyama Bamboo forest; a stunning walking path in the middle of a bamboo forest, and the nearby Arashiyama monkey park as well! The local Kyoto city zoo, Funaokayama Park, with peaceful zen-like isolation, the Toei Kyoto studio park; home of so many old samurai era films, with many performances made by local samurai! Or take a lovely relaxing stroll along the great Kamo River, an especially beautiful location during sunny summer days.

【Borderless House in Kyoto】

➤BORDERLESS HOUSE KYOTO-HANAZONO1
➤BORDERLESS HOUSE KYOTO-KINUGASA
➤BORDERLESS HOUSE KYOTO-NISHIJIN
➤BORDERLESS HOUSE KYOTO-SAIIN1
➤BORDERLESS HOUSE KYOTO-SAIIN2
➤BORDERLESS HOUSE KYOTO-KAMIGAMO
➤BORDERLESS HOUSE KYOTO-KURAMAGUCHI

Kobe

Home of the world-renowned Kobe beef and the 7th largest city in Japan, Kobe has, among Osaka, being the two most historically important ports in Japan. During the Meiji period, Kobe became one of the biggest ports for western industrial and economical research, so even today, Kobe has a visible mix of Japanese and western architecture in many of its districts. Especially in the Kitano area, which used to hold the foreign diplomats and merchants. Many of Japan’s industrial powerhouses lie here as well. Companies like Kobe Steel, Kawasaki Shipbuilding, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

While being an industrial city, there are many benefits to living here. From its harbor, there are many short-distance ferry rides and several cruise lines going all over Japan and Asia. Take a relaxing boat trip over a weekend to places like Kyushu, Hokkaido, or even to other countries like Taiwan and South Korea! Also accessible, is the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge, which leads to the great island of Honshu.

Some of the local hotspots among locals and tourists are the Arima onsen, a historical hot spring resort that is still considered one of the best hot springs in western Japan, and the breathtaking Nunobiki Herb Garden, which lies high up the mountains, so whether you want to view the city night lights, or see as far away as Osaka during the day, this is a fantastic option for a relaxing trip.

【Borderless House in Kobe】

➤BORDERLESS HOUSE KOBE-MOTOMACHI1

With these areas being so varied and grand, it is difficult to mention or guide anyone to all their unique locations. But hopefully, this guide has given some more clarity over what each area has to offer. Since all these three areas are great tourist locations and often deal with global industries, Using only English is not such a big hindrance as it is in many other Japanese cities. Ask locals or any information desk in these areas and they will likely have a huge array of guides and tips for any first-timers around!
Enjoy, and stay safe!

★Enjoy RENT-FREE for some of the houses in Kansai Area with Summer Free Trial Stay Campaign★

Borderless House just launched a “Summer Free Trial Stay Campaign” that allows foreigners who are currently living in Japan to stay at Borderless House for FREE as a trial! You can stay at Borderless House for up to 2 months without paying rent! If you just want to stay for only one month is also no problem!

Because we hope to have more foreigners experience international share houses in Japan and create more international exchange opportunities for all our tenants in our share houses! Especially during the pandemic, having a social life and meeting new friends is difficult now.

This is a great chance for you to stay safe at home in a new environment with many wonderful Japanese housemates! You can also brush up your Japanese language skills by listening and speaking in Japanese on a daily basis!
Make your Japanese learning experiences reach beyond the textbook!

★★★Feel free to check our Campaign Page for further details★★★
https://www.borderless-house.com/jp/blog/tokyo-20210601/

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Where to Stay in Japan? Accommodation option – BORDERLESS HOUSE

Visiting Japan for a few months but do not know where to live? Yes, a hostel is a general option but is it a good choice for a long visit? Hostels only provide you with one room. That one room is the only place where you can be if not outside. And if you chose the one with a bigger space, such as an apartment that includes a living room, it will be considerably expensive.

In a BORDERLESS HOUSE, you have the option of both private and shared rooms. There is a common area where you can interact with other housemates. And every room has some personal space for tenants in the shared room too. BORDERLESS HOUSE is fully furnished with basic necessities.

Moreover, we have the following advantages where you can not gain if you stay somewhere else!

Staff Support

Whenever BORDERLESS HOUSE residents face troubles of any kind, its staff is at their service. The staff teaches them everything from cleaning equipment to fixing the internet connection. The staff also helps residents with relationship building during times of conflict.

At a new place, you find new tools and technologies. You do not always know their working process. If any residents face issues with anything staff helps them. It includes teaching them how to run a washing machine and helping them fix the internet when it’s slow or not working at all, etc.

Solving issues together

When people from different backgrounds live together, sometimes there will be conflicts no matter how well they get along. The issues can be based on different living habits, housework, personal or cultural differences. Sometimes tenants also face conflicts with their neighbors, such as noise issues, etc. In these scenarios, BORDERLESS HOUSE staff encourage residents to communicate with each other and help to arrange house meetings to resolve the conflict together along with the residents. The staff will always be there listening to the residents, get to the bottom of the conflict, and help tenants resolve them.

All the support you need 

When you land in Japan you might have some knowledge if you did research in advance. But this internet knowledge does not come in that much hand. Yes, it will give you tips about where to eat and what to see but it can never help you when you are planning to live in Japan for a long time. BORDERLESS HOUSE staff helps you with everything you might need from the day you land in Japan till the day you leave. If you need to find a job, if you want to learn the basic knowledge of living in Japan or if you are worried about when you get sick, Borderless staff is there to help you with everything. We are not only providing a place to live, but we are also helping youngsters setting up their new lives at a new place.

How to Make Your Stay More Fun at BORDERLESS HOUSE

There are four special programs available for BORDERLESS HOUSE mates to connect with each other. All these activities allow residents to connect with more than 10,000 residents and share their experiences with each other.

Borderless Mates Library

Living in a BORDERLESS HOUSE feels like living in your own personal library with exciting new neverending books. You will be at a great exposure which will allow you to learn new exciting things. Borderless mates from Japan, Taiwan, and Korea who are willing to share and make friends from all over the world all gathering here! We hope you will find the person that you want to connect with and share your knowledge, experiences, interests, skills, or specialties with each other!

Borderless Mates not only have diverse nationalities and language abilities but also have a range of international experience in specialized careers and hobbies. Undoubtedly there are Borderless Mates around the world who have the same interests or areas of specialization. It would be wonderful if we could connect these Borderless House Mates around the world!

There are many topics and interests that we can find in common!!
People should take advantage of every possible chance to be active in their fields of expertise or interest, even across geographical borders. The more common points shared between two people, the more intimate and deep the conversations and exchanges can be. Through BORDERLESS MATES LIBRARY, forging a deeper and more meaningful interaction with the Borderless House community, you will be able to gain valuable experiences and your global mindset will certainly grow stronger!

You can connect with other residents online living at other BORDERLESS HOUSE through this program and learn new things from each other!

Language Exchange

LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PROGRAM is an online service that allows you to brush up your language skills while having fun chatting with other Borderless Mates from different countries and making friends!

With various people from various countries, you can learn various languages from all over the world. The small chats will not at nothing by the end of your visit to a BORDERLESS HOUSE. You will have a working knowledge of a different language if you practice a little every day. 

Club Activities

Based on common hobbies, a community program – Club Activities that bring everyone together! These activities will help you connect with people who share the same interest! 

You can enjoy offline activities, online activities that you can participate in anywhere, and regular offline events hosted by Borderless House.

Borderless Travel

Taking small trips to explore the country better? Well, no worries your BORDERLESS HOUSE mates have your back. You can stay for free at the overseas Borderless House in the place where you are traveling by using Borderless Travel Program! Take trips together and explore areas while enjoying every second of your trip with local housemates!

※Borderless Travel is scheduled to start after the travel restrictions lifted due to COVID-19