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【Build bridges not walls】～What We Can Do Now～

Hi all, this is Lee from Borderless House.

Currently, the impact of the new Coronavirus can be seen and felt all over the world. Various individuals and industries have been hit very hard by this pandemic and its effects.

As you may know, Borderless House is a company which heavily relies on the support of tenants from overseas. In particular, March and April are commonly two of the busiest months for Borderless House as many students begin their new semester, and post-graduates begin a new chapter of life.
The impact of the Coronavirus has by no means been small, and we have been disheartened to see many long-awaited individuals forced to cancel their trips to Japan, and current tenants need to unexpectedly return home. It is a time of uncertainty for many.

However:
Even during these times, we will persist in our mission to create a multi-cultural society void of discrimination.
In light of the current worldwide pandemic, I’d like to introduce some things that I feel we can and should do to support this mission.

Discrimination and Division as a Result of the Coronavirus

The novel Coronavirus has been labeled as an “Asian problem,” and has lead to severe discrimination against Asian residents, particularly Chinese individuals. Human rights organizations in various countries have reported shocking cases of harassment and assault. Awareness of discrimination against Asians has been once again brought to light. However, this discrimination is by no means a foreign affair unrelated to Japan. We cannot claim with certainty that Coronavirus-related discrimination against foreigners will not be born in Japan.

The rampant virus has been kept under control by immigration restrictions as well as self-isolation and restraint measures. As a result, immigration measures have built “physical walls” and the unending stress and uncertainty has built “emotional walls.”Anxiety surrounding the invisible enemy which we are now all fighting has been misplaced as hatred and discrimination towards a specific race. Specific groups of people are now experiencing prejudice and isolation, as others intentionally make efforts to avoid these individuals. My fear is that this prejudice and discrimination against foreigners will continue to visibly increase in Japan even after travel restrictions are lifted in the future.

Now is a critical time for us to come together. Let us build bridges, not walls.
Not all recent events have been negative. The entire world has united to take action during this crisis by cooperating across various fields, exchanging knowledge and resources, as if confronting a common enemy. Here at Borderless House, we have been doing our best to decide on and implement the necessary measures which will prioritize the highest level of safety and health for our tenants, partner companies, and for our staff and their families.

※Click here for more information regarding the Borderless House Coronavirus measures

With this all being said, and given the current state of the world, we are faced with a few questions.
What can we at Borderless House do?
What should be our approach and response?
I am convinced that our current role is to promote connections rather than divisions. Our staff has summarized this sentiment with an encouraging and impactfull phrase:“Build bridges, not walls.”

Due to the Coronavirus, business at Borderless House has been heavily impacted in various ways. However, what overshadows our business worries are our tenants, a community of individuals who had been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to foster connections and make memories with people from all over the world. Our hearts ache hearing the stories of tenants who have lost their dreams of coming to Japan, individuals whose once-in-a-lifetime work and study opportunities abroad have been cancelled, foreigners who have been forced to return home due to travel restrictions, and those who have been robbed of the ability to make long-lasting memories with their housemates, never given the time needed to have felt fully at home in Japan.
Even if they are not in Japan, will these individuals be able to build up excitement for the next opportunity to come to Japan, to learn something about Japanese culture or language, or to build international friendships? Are these things that we at Borderless House are still able to provide?

We should aim to eliminate discrimination, prejudice, and division! We should strive to take our society in the opposite direction!
It is important to say these things and to put them in writing, however, arguably more important is taking direct action to support these claims. Borderless House exists to support this type of action by challenging individuals to leave their comfort zone, directly confront their own preconceptions of foreign societies and individuals, and join a multicultural environment. This is the mission, brand, and purpose of Borderless House.

 

We have taken action and started an online “Language Exchange” matching program.

This new program is based upon a simple idea.
We will be matching foreigners who no longer are able to come to Japan with current tenants of Borderless House to create a free online language exchange program! Therefore, housemates who were supposed to meet will have to opportunity to do so virtually and can still form lasting friendships which transcend borders!

By speaking with Borderless House tenants, we can use this program to provide a look into life in a multicultural environment in Japan, and reignite some of the excitement that may have been extinguished by the ongoing pandemic. We hope that these language partners will ultimately have the opportunity to meet face-to-face in the future.

Please check out the program page for more details regarding this new program!

Ultimately, we would like to extend this program not only to those who were unable to come to Japan, but also those who were unexpectedly forced to post-pone or cancel their reservations with us.

As self-isolation measures persist around the world, I, as well as all the staff at Borderless House, hope that these small and impactful actions will help restore any lost anticipation and excitement, and help redirect our focus from the dark present to a bright future.

Additionally, for tenants who made reservations with Borderless House but were forced to cancel, we have prepared personalized video messages from the staff members who coordinated their reservation details.

With the combined efforts of all members of Borderless House, we will continue to move forward with passion and heart!

 

The worldwide fight against the Coronavirus is expected to be a long battle.
If the role of the government and politicians is to build walls in order to keep the world safe, I think the response of all global citizens should be to build bridges between our hearts to overcome these barriers.
And we as Borderless House aim to be one of the engineers crafting these bridges. Although not always perfectly made, we will continue to build bridges with a smile, and take pride in our efforts!

 

Borderless House has previously experienced a similar unexpected and tragic event in the past, and was able to persevere and overcome the resulting challenges.
During the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, fears of the earthquake and radioactivity lead to the evacuation of both Japanese and foreign tenants from Tokyo, resulting in many cancellations.
Despite this, we continued to maintain the ratio of our tenants at 1:1, foreigner:Japanese, and did not abandon our mission. We held out hope that people would return to Japan again, and by standing firm, Borderless House survived this hardship, our brand grew, and we emerged stronger than ever before.

In light of the current virus situation, we will of course work to prioritize each individual’s health and safety.
We may continue to face difficulties in all aspects of our life, both in the personal and economic spheres. However, Borderless House will continue to face these challenges head-on, doing whatever we can do to help and keeping our eyes fixed on the hope of a bright and exciting future!

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What Is A Sharehouse?


A sharehouse is a rental space where people who are living independently, gather to live together. Except for private rooms, all other spaces are shared with fellow tenants. The shared spaces include the lounge area, where tenants can interact with one another, the kitchen, where they can prepare a variety of cuisines and meals, and the bathroom.

Share houses are mainly occupied by similarly aged (young and middle-aged) independently living locals or foreigners who have moved to Japan. Share houses appeal to this group of people due to the diversity, comfort of living, and fun that they offer to its tenants.

In the 1990s, with the increase of the foreigner population in Japan, people were introduced to a new accommodation medium called ‘gaijin houses’ or ‘foreigner houses’. Share houses are the modern version of a gaijin house. Today, these houses have become multicultural environments, providing shared spaces for locals and foreigners to interact with one another.

Popularity Of Share Houses

The increasing focus on shared spaces in television dramas and the collective generational desire to interact with new people and explore new things has led to the popularity of share houses in east Asia.

The Share House Culture

According to a 2015 study, 1.75% of Japan’s population consists of immigrants. Some of these immigrants are foreigners who have moved to the city for work, education, or travel. With the growing population in metro cities, accommodations in Japan are getting harder to find and more costly. Sharehouses offer a fully-furnished space for independently living locals and foreigners, providing both a cost-effective and a multicultural option.

Different companies provide sharehouses with different themes, aiming to bring like-minded people together. Some shares houses are based on similar interests like sports, while there are some share houses that are only for girls or for single mothers, etc.

When living at a share house, one can learn about local culture, taste authentic local food, understand the local lifestyle, and make friends with local residents. BORDERLESS HOUSE is one of the leading share house companies in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, as they offer a variety of multicultural shares houses.

After co-living for a period of time, and in some cases even sharing a room, housemates leave their sharehouses with strong friendships with individuals from various countries across the globe.

Share House v/s Room Share: The Better Rental


When moving to another country, most people go for the conventional choice of a rental accommodation i.e. leasing an apartment or sharing a rental house. While the cost of a rental is divided between flatmates in a shared rental, the overhead costs and the money spent during the first month of leasing can empty your pockets.

A rental apartment has to be furnished, the monthly bills for electricity, gas, internet, and water have to be paid, and the cost of repairs, if any, must be shouldered by the flatmates.
By contrast, when renting a space in a share house, the tenants all pay a monthly rent and maintenance fee, and the management details are all handled by the sharehouse company.

A rental apartment or room is generally shared by people who either are friends or have previously decided to group together for the purpose of leasing the space together. While living with someone you already know may sound more comfortable, it leaves little space for learning. If you and your roommates are all foreigners, then it will be increasingly difficult for you to immerse yourself in the local way of living.

What Kind Of Personality Fits Share House Life well?

1. An open heart

Obviously, a share house constitutes communal spaces, which means you’ll share your space with your housemates who come from everywhere around the world. Everyone has their own different backgrounds, personalities and experiences, so, an open heart and mind are important for anyone considering staying in a share house.

2. People who love to make new friends!

Communication is one of the main concept points of BORDERLESS HOUSE. Most of our tenants expect to be placed in an environment where tenants are willing to communicate and interact to each other! So, make an effort not to hide away in your room, and instead, join your housemates, enjoy your time together, and make it memorable!

3. Maintain house cleanliness and environment with other housemates

A clean and comfortable environment requires all the housemates to work on maintaining it together. In BORDERLESS HOUSE, all tenants will need to take turns to do the housework together!

BORDERLESS HOUSE

BORDERLESS HOUSE is an International share house company with 122 share houses and 1285 rooms available for rent in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. BORDERLESS HOUSE caters to a large number of tenants every month. These tenants are from around 50 different countries and come to the share house with their own cultural knowledge to impart and a lot to gain from other housemates.

The ratio of locals and foreigners in a share house depends upon each share house company. The resident ratio between locals and foreigners at BORDERLESS HOUSE share houses is equal. This guarantees foreigners an opportunity to interact with locals and learn the culture, language, and traditions of the country.

The essence of a share house by BORDERLESS HOUSE is to create a multicultural space, where borders do not matter- where people from different countries across the world live together and share experiences. Residents teach and learn from each other, and become lifelong friends.

The Benefits Of Staying At A BORDERLESS HOUSE

● When you move to another country, you come across a lot of new and unexpected things. The food, the lifestyle, the language, the culture, and people’s perspectives are all new and strange at first. While some people find it easy to adapt into new spaces, others might have trouble interacting with people and making friends. Living together under the same roof, provides an immediate community of friends and a great environment for people to start talking.

● When living together for an extended period, housemates can learn each other’s culture and way of living. Interaction with people from different cultures helps you broaden your perspectives and learn new things about human nature.
Living with locals can help you learn the culture and folklore of the country. You can even celebrate local festivals, i.e. Chinese New Year, Seollal, and Shogatsu with local people!

● If you have moved to either Japan, Korea, or Taiwan for the long term, then knowledge of the local language will certainly come in handy. With the help your local housemates, you can simplify your life by learning the local language. Knowing the local language will help you better navigate around the country and take a step towards being accepted as a resident of your new country!

● When living at a share house, you can benefit from the advice and knowledge of your local housemates. Once you become friends, you can visit popular local restaurants and bars together. If you need to buy something, they can recommend the best shops in the area, or even accompany you to one. Basically, when living in a share house, you will never feel alone despite being in a foreign country.

● While there are many social benefits of living at a share house, it is also economically beneficial for people who are living alone. The monthly cost of staying at a share house is generally cheaper than that of a private apartment. Apart from the rent and maintenance fee, the tenants are not expected to pay for additional facilities like the internet, water, gas, etc. In some cases they can share the cost of cooking with other tenants and save money while making friends.

● Considering that a lot of people are housed together, share houses generally offer better and smarter house appliances. Some share houses even offer home theatres and fitness studios.

● To make the life of tenants at the share house easier, share house companies have dedicated house management staff to oversee the maintenance of the share house. From broken appliances to leaking pipes, every big and small maintenance job is handled by the company staff so that the tenants of the share house have one less thing to worry about.

BORDERLESS HOUSE is located in many different cities, including Tokyo, Seoul, and Taipei, amongst others. These houses are located in areas that are nearby to local markets, stations, and other regularly visited places to ensure maximized convenience and ease of living for the tenants.

We are a customer-oriented rental share house company and provide free special programs for our tenants.

➔ House Exchange Program: We are an international company. When a tenant from BORDERLESS HOUSE is traveling to another country or city, where another BORDERLESS HOUSE is located, then they can stay at one of our other houses without any additional charges. This exchange can last for a week or even a month! The tenants can arrive in a new country, meet local people at the sharehouse and benefit from their knowledge of the city. Who knows, they might even find someone to take them sightseeing!

➔ Language Exchange Program: The Language exchange program enables foreign tenants to learn the local language from other local tenants at our share houses.

➔ BORDERLESS Diners: Every once in a while, there is an international cuisine gathering for our tenants. This gathering is a place for tenants to get to know one another and enjoy delicious delicacies together.

➔ BORDERLESS events: These events are organized for the occupants of multiple share houses to come together. This way, the tenants have a wider networking platform, and can meet new local and foreign BORDERLESS HOUSE residents for a fun time!

All the programs and features offered by BORDERLESS HOUSE are created with the focus of erasing borders at the forefront. Our goal is to create culturally enriched spaces for independently living people in the respective countries.

If you’re looking for a share house rental either in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, you can reach out to us at BORDERLESS HOUSE.

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What Is the Cost Of Living In Japan?

In recent years Japan has witnessed a lot of progress.

The nation has developed on the economic, art and defense fronts while still not losing sight of its tradition and culture. The place offers a calming and serene countryside and is also home to some of the world’s biggest cities.

And not just that, but Japan also offers world-class amenities to its residents, which by far are only familiar to the people of the west. Lastly, the nation also boasts of the best transportation and health insurance services.

Thus, as a result of all these factors this country in the last few years has become a home to many expats.

So, if you are also a foreigner who is considering moving to Japan then here is all you need to know about the cost of living in this nation. Here we go!

What is the average accommodation cost in Japan?

his Island nation which is surrounded by water on all sides is one of the most costly places to live in the whole world. However, if you have a steady job in Japan (finding a job should not be so difficult), then affording the accommodation cost should be manageable.

The cost of accommodation can be a significant part of your cost of living in Japan. Come, let’s get to see it closely!

Below is the list of typical accommodation types with overnight charges!

● Budget hotels
These types of accommodations are meant for short stays and are much cheaper than the other modes. Such hotels typically include accommodations that offer up to 3-star services. These hotels can generally cost anywhere between 8,000 to 50,000 yen per room.

● Business hotel
These hotels are typically meant to host people who visit Japan for business meetings. However, this is not the rule of thumb with business hotels and thus, anybody who can afford the charges can stay in a business hotel. These hotels are typically meant to be comfortable but not luxurious. They usually cost 5000 to 10,000 yen per room.

● Minshuku
These are basically traditional Japanese hotels, which provide Japanese style bed and breakfast lodgings. They usually cost 4,000 to 10,000 yen per person.

● Capsule hotels
These hotels provide very little space for living and thus cost very less. They are typically meant for people who need nothing but a bed. These hotels accommodate their guests in small capsules that have a bed, a TV, a shared bathroom and coin lockers.

● Hostel/Dormitory
Hostels provide accommodations at the lowest budget levels which are 1500 to 4000 yen per person. Such spaces usually offer shared bedrooms.

● Manga café
These are typically cafes that offer their customers a room to read manga comics. Some people use them for overnight stays since they are available at very cheap prices. They usually cost 1500 to 3000 yen per person.
Hence, these are the accommodation costs in Japan for options that involve a short stay. However, if your visit is for a long period then we suggest checking out the rental costs.

What is the average cost of housing in Japan?

The cost of renting a house in Japan differs greatly when you compare the city and countryside prices.

So, if you are considering renting an apartment then here is what you need to know about the costs.

Monthly rent for 900 sqft furnished accommodation in the main city

197,391 yens

Monthly rent for 900 sqft furnished accommodation outside the main city

112,128 yens

Monthly rent for 480 sqft furnished studio in a good neighborhood

119,023 yens

Monthly rent for 480 sqft furnished studio in a normal neighborhood

92,673 yens

Utilities for one month for 2 people in 900 sqft flat

15,296 yens

Utilities for one month for 1 person in 45 sqft studio

11,742 yens

Internet (8 Mbps / month)

3,714 yens

40 flat-screen TV

37,069 yens

Microwave 800/900 watt

10,892 yens

Laundry detergent

749 yens

How much does food cost in Japan?

When you think about the cost of living in Japan, you will never be clear about it without knowing the food costs.

Japan is an island nation and so there is not much that is grown and cultivated in this country. As a result of this, most of the food items here are exported from outside, because of which the cost of food and drinks in this nation is higher as compared to that of other countries. Now if you are wondering about the average grocery bill of an individual in Japan then here is all you need to know about it!

Food Item

Yens

One liter of whole fat milk

215

500 gr. of boneless chicken breast

467

One dozen eggs (large)

287

One kg tomatoes

484

One Bottle of wine

1700

One pound of chicken

470

500 gr of local cheese

1246

One kg of Apples

610

One kg of potatoes

381

Bread for 2 people

242

2 liters of coca-cola

223

Cigarette

477

What is the average cost of eating out in Japan?

If you are residing in Japan and you love eating out, then here is all you need to know about its prices and costs.

If you like eating out and you are looking for inexpensive restaurants in Japan, then you can try eat-outs located at train stations and business areas. Here you can find a dinner meal including noodles (ramen, udon, soda), curry, rice, donburi, hamburgers and much more in only 500 to 1000 yens.

However, if you prefer eating at a more average restaurant then it can cost you anywhere between 1000 to 3000 yens. And when it comes to high-class restaurants then no upper limit can be declared.

Now, another thing you should know about eating out in Japan is that here during the lunch hours many restaurants serve inexpensive set menus at around 1000 yens.

Lunch box also known as bento that you can buy from a convenience or departmental store is another cheap deal. Next, let’s look into how much utility bills are, as an unavoidable part of the cost of living in Japan.

What is the average utility cost in Japan?

Utilities like the gas, electricity, and water are not typically included in the house rent in Japan except for when we are talking about some gaijin houses.

Now, in the utility section, electricity is usually the most expensive utility followed by gas and water.

On average, an expat can expect spending around some 20,000 JPY (190 USD) on the utilities. These costs can vary depending upon what part of Japan you are residing in.

What are the average internet connection charges in Japan?

If you want a household broadband internet connection then you can have your choice between various internet service providers. Some of the popular names amongst ISPs include Asahi net, Rakuten broadband premium, au Hikari, Softbank, Assist Solutions, etc. In general, all these service providers offer you internet speed between 100 Mbps and 1 Gbps and their monthly rates lie somewhere between 4000 to 8000 yen. So, depending upon the internet speed that you require and the minimum contract period that you can sign, you are free to make your own choice.

However, if you are more likely to get yourself a post-paid SIM in order to enjoy mobile postpaid internet at lower costs, then there are three factors that you should consider before choosing your MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) are the amount of data being offered, choice for opting English language support, and contract cancellation fees. We recommend making a choice depending upon these answers. The popular postpaid sim providers include names such as Sakura mobile, Umobile, IIJmio, nuromobile, mineo, etc.

How much does commuting and transportation cost in Japan?

If you are a newbie expat who is tired of using public transportation services in Japan and considering buying a car for himself, then think again. Wondering why we said that? Well, that is because unlike other countries, in Japan passing the car inspection is not easy.

Moreover, having a car is also a costly affair. It is so because in Japan you will find that for parking your car the average fee is about 16,000 yen and even at that cost you have to park your car some 200 meters away from your apartment. Add to this, the cost of gas which is 127 yens/ liter, the cost of cleaning which rounds off to about 400-1600 yens, and the cost of servicing which is about 50,000 to 80,000 per year, and you will understand the meaning of our above-mentioned statement. Hence buying a car is no-go. As owning a car will increase your cost of living in Japan significantly, it’s recommended to consider your commuting style in Japan before you move to the nation.

However, in Japan, the public transport is very popular and well-connected. Here one can find every type of transport like bullet trains, buses, ferries, etc. and that too at affordable rates. The one-way ticket to bullet train in Japan costs only 20,000 JPY, while Tokyo metro single fare is about 170 to 310 JPY.

Also, the taxi standard fare here is again a costly affair. It is about 500-1000 JPY on an average.

Is UBER operational in Japan?

Well, the direct answer to this question is yes. But wait, there is a catch.

In Japan, the government does not allow e-hailing services to function, so basically, no cab service provider can operate in Japan. But presently, the Japanese government has allowed UBER to provide Uber black service, which only sends luxury cars. So, if you are looking for normal cars to drive you to your destination then UBER is not your answer.

How much does the personal care cost in Japan?

Personal care in Japan is not a very costly affair especially when you compare it with the costs in other countries. Here a short visit to the private doctor costs 8,740 yens, but with the healthcare insurance, an individual only needs to bear with 30% of her/his treatment costs. The price of other medical products like cold medicine for 6 days is about 1,406 yens, and that of 1 box of antibiotics is 929 yens.

Other personal health care products, like a box of tampons (includes 32 tampons) cost 554 yens, a bottle of hair shampoo 2-in-1 costs 525 yens, a deodorant or roll on costs 669 yens, 4 rolls of toilet paper costs 218 yens, haircut in an expat area costs about 2654 yens, and a tube of toothpaste costs about 251 yens.

How much does a visit to the doctor cost in Japan?

Falling sick is an unpleasant affair in any scenario, but in case an expat falls sick in a foreign country where he/she has no one to look after him/her then the affair becomes even more dreadful. So, in such a case in order to avoid any mishappening, the best move is to visit a doctor as soon as you can. But how much does it cost to visit the doctor in Japan? Let’s find out!

Japan has excellent healthcare insurance known as NHI, the national healthcare insurance scheme. Typically, it is mandatory to have been registered under NHI, or many hospitals will deny you the treatment. Under this scheme, the patient is required to pay only 30% of his /her treatment costs while the rest 70% of the cost is paid by the government. The insurance can be availed by both the citizens of Japan and the expats who are there for a long haul.

How much does the treatment for an insured cost?

If you are insured under NHI, then as already mentioned above, you will only have to pay for 30% of your treatment costs. Of course, this cost can vary depending upon what kind of treatment you are looking for, but generally, the first visit to the doctor is most expensive. Now, the most common consultation fee in Japan is 3000 to 5000 yens with the follow-up fees being 600 to 1000 yens. However, if you go to a clinic that has English speaking doctors then it will cost you about 10,000 yens even with your NHI card.

How much is the cost of treatment for an uninsured?

But if you are an uninsured resident in Japan because you have come to Japan under a special diplomatic visa or if you are here for a very short time, then we are afraid that your treatment charges will burn a hole in your wallet. They can lie anywhere between 10,000 to 50,000 yens in upfront costs.

In a normal clinic, the MRI can cost you around 40,000 yens, an ECG about 2600 yens, endoscopy about 40,000 yens and even getting a simple x-ray might cost an uninsured patient as much as 3500 to 8000 yens. In order to maintain your cost of living in Japan at a manageable scale, to purchase insurance plans should be considered.

How much would entertainment cost you in Japan?

If you are in Japan for a long stay then you might be interested in knowing about the entertainment charges here. Well, here they are.

In Japan, a movie ticket is between 1000 to 2000 yens, for visiting a karaoke, the hourly rates start from 200 yen, and if you are interested in live performances and concerts of popular international performers then get ready to spend around 6000 yens at the very least. Apart from this, you can also attend theatre performances here, as they are held all year round.

However, if you like visiting attraction sites, then we have provided a list of prices below.

1) In Tokyo
● Tickets for Disneyland for an adult for a day cost 6200 JPY
● For visiting Tokyo tower is it costs around 1420 JPY.
● The entrance fee for nightclub Ageha is 3500 to 4000 JPY.
● Beer in a nightclub costs 500 to 700 JPY.
● The museum admission fee is about 400-600 JPY.

2) In Yokohama
● For visiting the skyscraper landmark, it costs 1000 JPY.
● Visiting the polytechnic museum costs 600 JPY.
● An entrance fee for the Silk museum is 300 JPY.

How much does moving service cost in Japan?

If you have been in Japan for a long time, then you might be familiar with the need for learning about the cost of moving services here. After all, you have to leave one place and settle somewhere else sometimes because of your job, or because you get better housing services in some other part of the town.

Hence, we will tell you some tips here that you can use while negotiating the moving charges with the movers and packers.

● Food
Food is one of the major streams where you can reduce your expenditures. For that, you will have to start cooking your own meal instead of ordering in or going out to restaurants to find dinner. Also, for purchasing veggies and ingredients for your meal, start shopping from the wholesale markets as there you can usually find cheap products.

● Entertainment costs
There are some local tourist bureaus that are looking for people to tour their cities. For this tour they don’t charge you anything, instead, they only ask you to fill up a feedback form. This way you can score some free trips.

● General shopping
In order to decrease your shopping expenses, consider buying second-hand stuff. If you don’t want to do that, then you might want to shop online as there you can find some good deals too. Also, remember to shop for stuff from places that offer some points or rewards which you can redeem later.

● Transportation cost
Cycling is a good way to save up on your transportation as well as health costs. However, if the distance is too much and cannot be covered by cycling then use public buses. And lastly, for traveling inter-county distances search for budget airlines.

● Renting costs
In order to reduce your rental cost, you can try looking for share houses, like a BORDERLESS HOUSE. Another tip for you is to look for apartments without a bathtub, as they might cost you less.

Cost of living in Japan as compared to South Korea

Stat

Japan

South Korea

Average monthly disposable salary

$2,782.23

$2,174.36

Cinema ticket price

$17.67

$8.41

Clothing and footwear costs

$79.42

$102.38

Internet charges

$36.58

$24.75

Price of eggs

$2.09

2.98

Price of milk

$1.81

$2.21

Price of water

$1.41

1.19

Real  estate prices

$ 1,912.91

$2,234.53

How much does it cost to learn the Japanese language?

If you are an expat who has moved to Japan for a long stay then it is a good idea to learn Japanese, as it will make your life easier and inexpensive. But how much does it cost to learn Japanese? Well, for a full-time course of 6 months, the language classes will cost you around 4,00,000 yen, however, if you want a short course in the language school then one month will cost you around 45,000 to 90,000 yens. Apart from these choices, you can also opt for private classes which will cost you about 4000 yens per hour.

What is the average salary in Japan?

The average salary in Japan is estimated to be around 4.14 million ($37,800) annually, according to a survey conducted by the Japanese online job-search website Doda.

Is it easy for foreigners to get a job in Japan?

It is a fairly easy affair to get a job in Japan if you have your degrees and certificates in order. For getting a Job in Japan you either have to have a university degree or you will have to have 10 yearlong work experience in your department. Apart from that, it is usually a good idea to first move into Japan and then begin job hunting, as that increases your chances of landing a job.

Will Japan be cheaper or more expensive at the cost of living in the future?

As for now, as per the growth reports and the latest data, it looks like rentals and other expenses in Japan will stay the same. However, an exception to this analysis remains the country’s capital Tokyo which will continue to witness a rise in the prices of rent and other basic necessities in the future too!
So, this was all you needed to know about the cost of living in Japan. you are an expat who is about to move to Japan, we hope that this article answered all your significant queries.

Tokyo share house list

About BORDERLESS HOUSE

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【Ridilover x Borderless House】We held a study tour to learn multiculturalism in our international share house

Hi ! This is Yuya of Borderless House, and I am in charge of this blog .

Today’s story is about high school student who come to Borderless House for class trips.

The main mission of this trip is to break down the unconcern to society.

We held this trip with Ridilover, a general incorporated foundation who held a lot of study tour business to high school students and adults.

This time, 30 students from Hiroshima and Nagasaki came to Borderless House and we did 2 study tours.

I am going to explain the Nagasaki student trip.

Borderless House become a destination of school trip !? ~ We have thought about multiculturalism~

Why we have to do some experience of social challenges in a share house?

think some people have this question in mind.

Borderless house is a place in which ” Youth people from everywhere in world live together and experience different cultures together“.

and our goal is to make a society which ” regardless the country you came from, everyone is respecting multiculturalism.”

“Do you want to try to hold a study tour about multiculturalism at a sharehouse ?”

It was a 2-hour tour.

During the tour, we have first a discussion and a workshop about “multiculturalism in Japan” with our foreigners tenants.

First, let look at the house ! The first time to enter in a share house!

For highschool student who is living with their parents, sharehouse is an unknown area.

They all know about it because of TV but they don’t know about life in it. So, we invite them to have a house tour at the beginning.

We calculate the interior of the house to be able to promote communication.

For example, in Hounancho house, you have to pass over the living room to get access to your room. So people interact naturally in the house and greeting like “welcome back” or “I am back!” happen.

and by making an atmosphere that communication is usual, the interaction between Japanese tenants and foreign tenants become easier.

When we are explaining the concept and the interior, some students said that they wanted to live in this house.If you are planning to move to Tokyo or Kansai area, we are welcome to receive you!We are waiting for you !

What are you going to bring to a deserted island ? Let have a international communicatio by workshop

After the house tour, let have a workshop.

Before the study tour, we have asked our student to prepare some answers
The question was: think about every contact you have with foreigners.

The answers of highschool students were: the shopman of a convenience store, exchange student, teacher of ELT, tourist, etc…

If we put attention, foreigners are everywhere in our life.

However, when we ask them if they talk to them, most students say no.

We have asked them the reasons. They cannot talk about the language or they don’t have the opportunity to meet them.

But the main reason is that they feel scary to not be able to understand each other by not having the same values.

But do you think the way to think is going to differ from the country you have born?

We cannot understand each other if we don’t talk the same language?

As a student do not have interaction with foreigners, it is not easy to have an answer to this question. So, we invite some tenants of Borderless House to create interaction.


The theme of the workshop is easy.

If you have to go to a deserted island, and you can bring 3 items, what are you going to bring?

Have a talk with your team and decide it!

All our tenants were people who just have come to Japan and everyone can speak only English or another language.

In the beginning, the student has some difficulties to tell the name of the item they want to bring. But they start to communicate by easy word, some imitation and by drawing.

By seeing the effort of our high school students, our tenant did also some effort to communicate by using easy English word or the Japanese word they know
In the beginning, they were a distance between tenants and students.

However, after they have finished the workshop, they were all became friendly.

” It was not easy to tell the item or group our idea. but everyone was so kind that I wanted to talk to them more.”

We could get some good comment from highschool student.

Neighbor from foreign country is grworing up ! Do you want to know more about each other ?

In 2018, 31million people come to Japan. And in 2020, the year of Olympics, we expect that more than 40 million people are going to visit Japan.

In addition, they are 26.3 million of people living in Japan, which mean 1/50 of people in Japan are foreigners.

And because of the aging population, Japan is planning to recruit 30 thousand to 14.5million of foreigners to fill the lack of workforce in the domain of nursing care and healthcare.
Interaction between foreigners is important for Japan and the Japanese people.
However, governmental support in the domain of language and public administration are not in good condition yet. So for foreigners, it is not easy to live in Japan.

In our usual life, it is difficult to find an opportunity to meet and make foreign friends.

I am too bad to make a wall because of the country or difference od culture even if we are living in the same country.

They are not people from a different country, we are and they are our neighbors

We want to make our city, and our country better all together

This is how Borderless House think about coexistence.

They are no wall of language. The most important think is the sentiment that you want to tell to this person.

” When I sit down on the train, nobody wants to sit next to me.”

“When I go to Udon or Soba restaurant, the staff serve me some spoon and fork instead of the chopstick.”

” I can speak a little bit of Japanese. However, even I ask the road in Japanese, they just say: sorry I don’t speak English and avoid us.”

These are the answers to our tenants when we ask them if they have ever experienced prejudice in Japan.
” I think the Japanese are very kind and friendly, and Japan is an interesting country easy to live in. You know, we really like to live in Japan and we really want to interact more with Japanese.

About the chopstick, I think it is the kindness of the staff, so I feel happy.
I really want to communicate more, Like that, we can understand more each other. “

After they listen to the voice of our tenants during the workshop, students left us these comments ( image ).

 

When we live in Japan, we are not trying to avoid or foreigners.

I think, our shyness and our over-kindness keep away from foreigners and the distance between us has increased.

Thanks to this tour, we had this feeling to be able to create more opportunity to meet people from diffenrent background.

What is the multiculturalism that Borderless House want to spread to the society?

Borderless house has started 12 years before.

At this time, the number of foreigners was not like today. And many problems like people could not borrow a room or get some social security. In the hospital, as they were not a translator, it was not easy to get good healthcare.


In addition, because we have different culture, we believe in a different religion, we talk different languages, they were many Japanese who have a prejudice toward foreigners.

We wanted to change this society, we wanted to take all the distance and the misunderstanding between Japanese and foreigners. This is why in order to know each other, we have started an international interacting share house business.

Since we have started the business, the number of foreigners has increased and Japanese society became more globalized.
In our sharehouse, we have some trouble between tenants because of language or culture.
but by having a face to face communication and the action to try to solve the problem with patience, lead us to find new values.

And coexistence between people who have different backgrounds is not as difficult as you think. Just small respect for people who have different backgrounds and enjoy differences is needed.

We think this is the way to our ideal multicultural society

Borderless house will continue to try to create a multiculturalist society!

This study tour help to our high school students to understand and experience multiculturalism.

In 2020, we are going to try to hold 10 study tours with Ridilover, and we will continue to tell about multiculturalism, understanding different cultures and diversity to the society.

We are also doing a lecture and discourse about how multiculturalism is appearing from Borderless House. or how Japanese and foreigners can live together in the future?

We are looking forward to be able to meet you soon !

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Hyper international interaction ! Borderless Christmas with more than 120 people was held on the 7th of December !

December is the Christmas season!

All the street is illuminated and we see more and more chicken advertisement on TV and in the city! Don’t you think that the enhancement of the city increases our desire to have a Christmas party? Because it is Christmas!

To satisfy your desire, we held a Christmas Party like every year!

We rent a space in Jinbo-Cho called “EDITORY” and more than 120people came to our party! What kind of party it was?

In this blog, we are going to show the content!

The person who is going to do the Christmas Party tour is me, Pakuchi!

I am working at Borderless House as a student worker and I am in charge of the event!

So, CHECK IT OUT !!

International interaction and Christmas Party represent so much Borderless House !

                 

In Borderless House, we organize twice a year a party with 80 to 100 people who are living in our sharehouse!

Christmas wich I am going to explain to you is one of the big events! Every year, a lot of our sweet tenant is joining the party. However, this year was not the same year as usual.

MORE than 120 people come to our party. What is going to happen to this memorable party? All the staff was surprised at the beginning!

When we start the reception, a HUGE line of people was in front of us.
and the event space becomes full in a second!

The receptionist, the bar, and the cloak were full of person and everybody was an assembly into the room.

We could hear people in many spaces starting to cheers because they could not wait for the beginning of the party. That represents our tenant so well!

They could not wait to start to interact with people and start to enjoy the conversation. Their communication skills are so remarkable!

And the sweet cute person who was charged to do the facilitator is our tenant!

Yes, this year also, our tenant help us for the Christmas Party!

The cute Santa Claus is Ashley, she is living in Itabashikuyakusho-mae House!

She is like a mother of the house and makes the community warm-up!

She is a big fan of Borderless House and she also help up for the event “Borderless Olympics”!

Thank you always, Ashley !!

The facilitation of Ashley, gives a tremendous boost to the atmosphere of the party!

You cannot say that you are shy! A very close linkage program heat the party!

The theme of this year’s Christmas party is “extends beyond the house, the nationality and the connection !“

This year, we invite tenants, people who reserve a room of Borderless House, people who are interested in international interaction and people’s friends!

The fact that a lot of people with different backgrounds can come is one of the characteristics of the party.

This is the reason why we always prepare some good programs in order to make the com munition between people easier! So, even you are a little shy, it is completely okay!

You will become quickly socialize with people around you! Let’s enjoy it!

You are my man of destiny ?! Number and color matching!

The first program is called number and color matching!

Everyone gets some wristband with a number and a color. You have to find the person who has the same color and number and form a group.

It is quite simple but fateful. In this huge universe, we all grew up in a different country, and we all gather in Tokyo and find together by coincidence.

Is it not fantastic ?!

Is it destiny ?!

All the groups did an introduction of themselves and the voltage of the room was in high gear! Everybody was so excited to find their fateful! People make some high-touch when they find they’re fateful!

 This meeting is forever!

We don’t need language, what we need is an only passion! Let’s do the gesture game!

The next program is a gesture game!

After we all find our fateful, let start the game! The winner of the game can get some luxury prizes!

Everyone thought that gesture game is easy, but it is not the case!

Even if it is difficult, cooperation leads us to win! Everybody makes their own gesture and express the theme.

The first theme was the one of the difficult ones!

“zoo” Everybody did some gestures about the gorilla, monkey, etc. and people answered the name of animals. However, the word “zoo” is not appearing.

The floor is in chaos.

I know, we are vicious that we make this theme. When almost every team finished answering, only 2 teams didn’t finish to answer.

Even they could say that they have finished even if it is unfinished, they did so much effort to do it properly!

All of our staff were touched by their passion.

We really wanted to give them some gifts!

In the floor mix of passion and chaos, the 2nd theme is … “Disney Land”! This is also a difficult theme! Everyone answered “mouse” or “Mickey”.

At the moment we regret a little bit that we make so much difficult theme, a team who answer 2 right answers appeared!

As is it a team made by only fateful, the heart-to-heart communication is working very well!

They get the luxury price !! We didn’t expect that the gesture game reaches a fever pitch!

Are you interested in the content of the gift?

A set of world craft beer AND Order-made leather products from JOGGO AND AND a huge box of different sweets etc. Some presents from Borderless Santa!

We all envy….

Who are going to get the next prizes ?! The exciting bingo game!

We cannot forget the face Bingo game of Borderless House!
It became an annual event but let me explain the rule!


Borderless bingo is not a normal bingo game.

The face of each people who are coming to the Christmas party is becoming a number!

Thanks to you we can play the bingo game and thank to you someone can get the prize ! It is a very special bingo game.

Let start the bingo!

Everybody is paying attention to the face of people turning around!

This year, we choose as a prize: Amazon card, Borderless T-shirt, as a small present,  land of Moon which gets famous in Terrace House and A5 rank ( higher quality ) Matsuzaka-beef!

And finally, don’t forget … 1-month free fee ticket !!

The happy girl who gets the 1-month free fee ticket is…

 

The tenant of Shinjuku-Nakano 3 !!!

Congratulation!

All the people you cheers are your family! It doesn’t matter which share house you are living in!

The party approach to the end.
People who came with their housemate of a friend were enjoying communication with people they just have met at the party. This is one of the pictures!

The nervous face at the beginning just go away at the end of the party! Everyone was at the party and enjoy their time.

We can conclude as the floor was on over-capacity, it makes the relation between people physically and psychologically more close. 

The atmosphere filled with excitement doesn’t end even after the Borderless Christmas !

Good time end so quickly, we took a souvenir picture at the end!

See the close relationship between people! It looks like a family picture!

We cannot imagine that they are all just met a few hours before.

Even after the Christmas party, people cannot forget the atmosphere of excitement and they all went to an Izakaya ( casual Japanese restaurant).

This is a picture of the people who were gathered naturally after the party.

In this picture, we can]j see, a Japanese, a Korean, an Italian, a Russian, a British, and an American.

It completely represents this year’s theme: “extends beyond the house, the nationality, and the relation!”


By our Borderless party, a lot of emotional ties beyond nationality and language have arisen!

YOU, who wants to learn English or make international friends, YOU who are interested in a share house!

Borderless House is making many events that can maximize the connection between people.

Borderless House is a place that more than 50 countries are gathering. You can experience English but also so many other languages and cultures. It is a place that you can try national-oversea-experience!

Each sharehouse is made of 50%of foreigners and 50% of Japanese so you can surely experience international interaction!

You are always welcome to experience national-oversea-experience!

The next event is in May 2020 ! We are all waiting for your visit!

Merry Christmas and Happy New year everyone!

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【International Exchange Program】 Summer is about Somen!? Let’s experience Japanese cuisine that you can feel the season!

Hi! I’m Yuya, in charge of our blog.

The Food Experience Program  “BORDERLESS DINERS ~Experience International Restaurants and Travel around the World~”

It’s been half a year since we started this program! The theme for August was Japanese food to go back to the basics and know about the food culture in the place we live!

Have fun and get full with two of our staff from Shimane and Yamagata, the good old countryside, Takuya and Takky!

Let’s start BORERLESS DINERS!

Happy Half a Year Anniversary for the launch of the program! Satisfying Japanese cuisine that you makes you feel summer!

Japanese cuisine is very deep and has various types of dishes and ways too cook.

One of the best parts of Japanese cuisine is you can feel each of four seasons from it.

There are a lot of dishes which express the beauty of nature or a season and are closely related to the Japanese annual events. 

“So the Japanese menu this time is from the dish with a plenty of summer vegetables to the food for the summer festival.

Let’s enjoy summer in Japan in terms of food!

Flow, Flow and be Flown! Kick-start with Flowing Somem.


There is no summer without Somen!

When we dip the cold noodles cooled by ice in the cold soup and eat it, it feels like we get back the appetite that we lost because of heat.

Flowing Somen (Nagashi Somen in Japanese) is the summer tradition! In Flowing Somen,

Somen is flowing down a bamboo chute with ice-cold water and you catch and eat it!”

Someone just randomly thought “if we throw somen into flowing water, we will feel
summer very much, won’t we?”

As such, Flowing Somen was born in Kyushu and now it is the summer tradition.
So we kick-started with Flowing Somen to feel the absolute Japan.

First, we built the bamboo, then started throwing somen.


The flow was too fast to catch and eat Somen!

But gradually they were getting the tip and able to catch it!

One trouble of Flowing Somen is catching Somen is so much fun and eating it too much.

On the other hand, somen flowing in the bamboo chute looks so elegant and tasteful.


It was supposed to be a kick-start but we were already full.

Tried the traditional food “DASHI” (not the soy sauce dashi) of Yamagata!

The next cuisine is “DASHI”.

It is not about the “Dashi” (Japanese soy sauce beased on fish) but about a traditional food of Yamagata eaten in the summer.

It is a mixture of cucumber, eggplant, and myoga (japanese ginger). It can be use in many way, like put on tofu, on somen etc…

It is also a high nutritional value food so, it is the perfect food when you lose your appetite in summer!

In Yamagata region, DASHI is a soul food which appear in the fridge every summer. And people feel the begining of summer by seing the DASHI.

“DASHI” is highly recommended by our staff Takky !

The french resident who have tried “DASHI” said: ” It is similar to the ratatouille of France!”

Ratatouille is a french cuisine which is a simmered dish of summer vegetables, and it is normally eaten itself but it is also tasteful to put on cheese and meat !
Don’t you think that it is quite interesting that french cuisine and the cuisine of Yamagata region have some similarities ??

Finding similarities between different culture is one of the enjoyable point of this program.

Cucumber and Miso soup is our friend (OR BEST PARTENER) of summer ! Let’s resolve summer weariness!

The second cuisine is Cold miso soup.

It is a typical summer food eaten in different regions like Yamagata, Saitama, and Miyagi.

The recipy is : make some cold miso soup of cucumber and seasoning and put on hot rice. It is easy to make and easy to eat even you have lose appetite because of the high temperature of summer.

In the world, we can find some cold soup like vichyssoise or gazpacho. But in Japan it is not common to eat cold soup, and as we usually eat hot miso soup, for some Japanese, cold miso soup was a culture shock!

“Cold miso soup is delicious so we will made it in our house!” said our residents with their shiny smiles and they all have a refill of it.

Kaki-gori (shaved ice) the typical food of Matsuri (summer festival) was also eaten by Murasaki-shikibu (Japanese novelist) !?


Kagi-gori is the perfect dessert for summer!

Kaki-gori is normally eaten in Natu-matsuri or Ennnichi ( japanese summer festival).

These days, Korean and Taiwanese kaki-gori is famous globally, we all have an image that kaki-gori is a modern food. However, the first time it was eaten was in Heian period (794~1185)!

In the famous book called “Makura-no-soushi”, they is a part that written about the shaved iced with honey. We can understand that kaki-gori is a traditional food with a long story.

It is loved globally even the taste and the form are changing by time.
It is emotional when we think deeply about it!

About the culture of “Washoku” (Japanese food) which is registrated on intangible cultural asset.

Today’s theme “Washoku” is registated in the intangible cultural asset.

The reason is because of it rareness. Indeed, it is globally not common to use diverse type of ingredients and we can also find a strong persistence to the food culture.

The Japanese cuisine change under season and event. We can understand how much Washoku have lived with culture.

Our resident was also very suprised of the fact that Washoku which is very familiar to us was registrated in the intangible cultural asset.

“Itadakimasu” (let’s eat) and “Gochisousama”(Thank you for the meal) are some gretting we can only find in Japan?

The another reason why Japanese food is included in intangible cultural asset is because of it rare greeting.

“Itadakimasu” and “Gochisousama” is a only Japanese gretting which we cannot translate in other language.

This greeting is based on Shinto religion which conciste to believe that god is everywhere. And it become ingrained in our culture to show our respect and gratitude to the ingredients, to the person who cooked the food and to the person who have procured the ingredients.

Thanks to this program, it was an opportunity to find that they are so much thing we don’t know about a culture even if we are living in.

Vietnam this week! The travelling restaurant which we can taste the world every month !


『BORDERLESS DINERS～Taste the world by the travelling restaurant ～』is a experience based program for the residents held every month !

The next country is Vietnam!

Two chefs who are wearing Ao dai ( Traditional Vietnamese costume) are going to cook some festival Vietnam cuisine!

Normally, Pho is a typical cuisine but you can try other food and taste deep Vietnamese culture!

What kind of experience can we do the next travelling ?

Looking forward to the next report !

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International Share House Sports Day: 50 Adults Embrace Fun and Competition

Everyone!!! This may be sudden, but what do you think of when you hear the word “Fall?”

The season of eating! It’s the time when you crave sanma (a type of fish) and sweet potatoes.

The season of culture!

The season of agriculture! Remember the Agriculture Experience Trip? That was fun…

Wait, aren’t we forgetting something?

A season of sports!!!

Today, I’d like to share the highlights of the Borderless Olympics, an event where we had a blast! Reporting live, it’s me, Yuya, your blog manager! By the way, I’m terrible at sports.

2020 is Coming! But Before That, We Held a Borderless Olympics.

Next year is Tokyo Olympics, what we’ve all been waiting for!

There are so many news on TV, like the plagiarism of logos,  the stadium taking longer for construction, the mascot character not being so cute,  and marathon being held in Sapporo.

Hearing the word, Olympics everyday makes us so excited!

What if I am in the Olympics? We want to do the Olympics.

If people of more than 50 nationalities live in Broderless Hoouse, can’t we hold the Olympics? So!!

「SA ・KI・BA・SHI・RI」 (getting ahead)

We held a Borderless version of the Olympics!!

50 participants, and nice blue sky! The weather was perfect for a Sports Day.

Management and Planning all Done by Tenants!? An At- Home Event Created from the View of Tenants!

For this time’s Boderless version of Olympics, abbreviated Borderlympic, the management and planning was all done by more than 10 tenants.

Programs were created based on the theme, “ Adults be foolish and interact with people beyond your house mates.“

Unlike events organized by staffs, programs created by the Tenants reflect their desires on what kind of interactions they are looking for.

Because we are not just a corporation for managing share houses, and our relationships are close with the tenants, we had an amazing day in an at- home atmosphere.

We were too excited that Tenant staffs were wearing the most athletic clothes, which I will mention later…

8 Programs at the Sports Day! Sports Day Only Exists in Japan?

When planning for the event, few foreign Tenants mentioned, “What is a Sports Day??”

In fact, only schools in Japan hold Sports Day as a school event.

For Japanese Tenants and staffs who has been experiencing Sports Day since Kindergarten through high school, it was a big surprise.

We want tenants who came from abroad to enjoy a traditional Sports Day!!
But, we also want Japanese people to feel something new with the nostalgic and make it an unforgettable day.

We were like we want to do this, we want to do that, and once we noticed, we ended up with 8 games!?

It was non stop, so the participants were out of breath…

But, everyone one was happy until the end:)

Next, what were the programs that made everyone sweat and smile?

First, the Radio Excercise. Wait! It’s Not a Time for Free Acting!?

In order to do the programs without getting injuries, we need to began with a warm up exercise!

And we can’t miss out “radio exercise!” It’s a traditional warm up exercise in Japan.
When we were in elementary school, we did the radio exercise during summer break so much… but most of us only have a vague memory??
Because even the staffs in the front were making mistakes, once we knew it, everyone was just moving however they wanted.

No no, this is not a program to act freely?!!

A MC’s voice spreads around the ground,

“Believe in Yourself!!!!”

Wait, what are we going to do when the MC is not leading?!

It does look fun…! But can everyone participate in the programs…!?

(By the way, this picture shows a Tenant jumping during the radio exercise. Nice jump!)

Ball Tossing Game and Tug a War! 38 year old gets serious.

When the warming up is over, we get into the traditional games.

Ball Tossing Game, Tug a War, Relay, all sorts of games!

Tenants who have never expereinced a Ball Tossing Game were like, “What? All we do is just throw??”

But do not blame the Tossing Ball Game.

It’s so fun although it’s just throwing. You feel the desire to throw the ball into that net.

The participants became really serious.

When you look closer, there is an adult standing out…

What, is that the President of Borderless House…?

Yes, our President participated! 38 years old, fought serious with the Tenants.

Although he was the oldest participant, he shot many goals with a great posture!
He influenced many other Tenants to get more serious.

The battle ends…!

The President’s team won with 108 balls! He put his fist in the air!
Wait, let’s let the Tenants win…

Looking for You and Goal in. Connecting, Scavenger Hunt.

The next program is the Avenger Hunt! It’s a simple game where you try to find a participant who meets the topic!

Since we are an international share house, we have obstacles that are abnormal.
For example, “a person who can speak three languages,” or “a person who has traveled to more than 10 countries!”

When you find out one thing about that person, you want to know more!

And you’re able to goal thanks to that person!! Isn’t this a great way to make connections? 

People forgot they goaled in, becuase they wanted to talk more!

Face Covered with Flour? The Main Game, Obstacle Race!

The main game is the Obstacle Race! The obstacles included, grabbing a bread with your mouth, running with a pin pon on a spoon, and finding a candy inside a pan with flour.

The last one is popular in variety shows, but we included it in our obstacle course this time!

When you dive your face into the pan, your face gets covered with flour!

We were first worried if everyone will be afraid to put their faces in the pan…??

But our worry was unnecessary!!

This program is a team competition! I will connect the baton no matter what! This strong feeling gets people into the white powder.

Their faces looked like a white mask! The people receiving the mask seemed afraid too!

A Friendship Beyond Share House. The more you sweat, the closer your relatioships can get.

Now, all the programs are over, and it is the awarding ceremony.

Since house mates were separated into different teams, everyone seemed nervous.

However, the cheering became louder, and they were hugging at the last ceremony.

The Tenant staffs were very happy to see that..

“The Tenats in Borderless House are such great people!! Organizing the event was really hard, but they enjoyed it, and I got to meet many new people. It was really great…”

This comment is a Tenant Staff, Mr. Y, who was wearing the best Halloween costume and won the individual relay.

Us, Borderless Staffs are grateful to hear see him this way, Thank You…!

The best part about sports is that at the end, participants, staffs, everyone is happy.

Borderlympic was a blast!!

Next is Christmas party! Who Will Get the Free Rent Fee from Santa Clause!?

Lastly, taking a memory picture with friends who competed together!

This event was a first attempt for Borderless House! It is the closing for Borderless Olympics.

Next event is December 7th!

We will be holding a Borderless House annual event, Christmas Party this year too!

A lot of gifts this year too!

We’ll give away gorgeous prizes like a wonderful date ticket and free rent.

Borderless House is continuing to plan events where we can make “connections.”

In Borderless House where tenants from more than 50 countries gather, not only you can learn English but also experience various languages and cultures, like a study abroad in Japan.

Every share house is adjusted to have a 50: 50 proportion for Japanese people and foreign people, so you can definitely experience a balanced international exchange!

Would you like to experience studying abroad in Japan in an international share house? Next event is Christmas Party! We are looking forward for your participation!

Now everyone, Adiós!!
“

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More wonderful pictures.

Tenants racing with potato sack seriously. Great jumping abilities.

Nice refreshing goal.

A young man and a Taiwan man trying to get rice crackers with their mouth.

Smiling Tenants with their prizes, JOGGO leather wallet.

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【Borderless House Kyoto Kinugasa】I did not want to leave this amazing international exchange share house after staying for weeks on my business trip

Hello! I’m Yuya in charge of the blog!

I usually work at Borderless House in Tokyo, but I just went to Kansai on a long business trip recently.

I have stayed at Borderless House for the first time because it was a long business trip to Kansai.

This time, I would like to share a story about the share house life being so much fun that I didn’t want to go back to Tokyo at all.

The place where I stayed was Borderless House Kyoto Kinugasa, which opened in August.

Borderless House Kyoto Kinugasa is a 7-minute walk from Kamaguchi and a 10-minute walk to Kinkakuji Temple!!! This house is in such a great location!

This is a newly built house that just opened in August, and it’s beautiful!

The living room and dining room are separated on the first and the second floors, so there are a lot of free spaces that you could use whenever you want.

This house is up to 26 residents!

Even it was just opened when I moved in, I was able to be surrounded by around 10 housemates from all over the world, such as United States, Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam, and Japan in this international exchange share house.

You can also secure personal time in your cozy private space!

Here is my favorite space ranking announcement!

One of my favorite spaces in this house is the personal room!
The reason is that the private room in this house is the biggest among Borderless House!!!

And the size of the bed is semi-double!

Anyway, it is very important to me.

But don’t be underestimated, the shared room is also the best. Since there is a door between bed and bed, you can still have your private space even staying in a shared room.

I can’t forget the excitement of the first time I showed the shared room to my housemate, we both agreed it felt like Doraemon`s secret space.

After hanging out with housemates in the living room and dining room, I was able to enjoy my private time by reading or working in the room.

The loft space gradually became my healing space during my business trip. It was too comfortable and cozy.

Feeling warm at the kitchen and dining room

My 2nd favorite spaces at the house are kitchen & dining!

The interior designer hoped to give our tenants warm feelings.

A long dining table is designed for 14 people usually but it can fit 20 people at the maximum. You can feel the warmness from the person who sits next to you!

During my stay, whenever I came home, there was always some of housemate having dinner or studying at this table.

Even when not having meals, tenants still sit around the table talking with others.
It makes me not feel lonely at all, but feel excited and I always wondered “Who’s in the dining room at this time?”

I was looking forward to going back from work every day as well!

Are there more attractive points of Kinugasa House!?

My NO.1 favorite space is the living room！

Most share houses have a living room with kitchen and dining room together
But at Kinugasa House, kitchen/dining room and living room are separated on the first floor and second floor.

We were usually watching TV and relaxing with music in this living room! Some tenants like to work or do their homework here too.

During weekends, we also had movie nights and parties here!

 

Are there more attractive points of Kinugasa House!?

There are two more points I would like to recommend.

First one is the bath!

There are many share houses that have only basic shower rooms, however, there is a spacious bath at this house where you can stretch your legs!

Bath lovers must see! !

And you can use it whenever you want without worrying about water and gas fees.
It was an awesome information for me since I live alone.

Second, there is a stylish gallery and guest house in the neighborhood!

The interior is modern Japanese style and they sell there wonderful ceramic work.

It was fun to stop by and talk with the guests while enjoying the exhibition.

Even as a staff, I did not know living in an international share house is just so much fun!

As a staff member, I am a friend with many of our tenants, and I’m invited to a house party often.

I feel that Borderless House is a fun place to live,

however, after living here, my point of view has changed.

It was not just fun, but correctly, it is INCREDIBLY FUN.

Share house seems interesting from the Japanese TV series「TERRACE HOUSE」

Speaking of share house life, you must have to watch the TV show called「TERRACE HOUSE」

We were totally hooked and everyone gathers in the living room together on Tuesday nights for it while having dinner.

During my stay, there were many girls, so we have discussed about each country`s philosophy of love, “It’s impossible to be like this” or “It’s vey similar to my country.” “I felt very excited when everyone was very into it.” etc.

The show was more exciting compared to Borderless House though.

“Well, it’s fun for making lots of friends than focused on a love life, isn’t it?”

Be the master of Takoyakiー！

Takoyaki party is very classic as a home party here. Of course, we did it during my stay.

For some reason,we did it every three days in one of the weeks!
Don’t underestimate it and think it was just a takoyaki party! We actually made it very international and interesting.

For instance, my housemates put kimchi from Korea and tried various ingredients.

It was in a mess at the first time we tried, and it was also frustrating that everyone became very quiet while making it.

However, it was so tasty after we were getting good at making it and we even accidentally made too much!

But I can say they were more delicious than the ones I bought from the store!

There is tangible cultural property near the house?! Cheers with milk at a public bath

All the house events of Kinugasa House were fun, but the best one was we went to public bath together

There are 2 tangible cultural properties near the house which are KING OF public bath and Funaoka Onsen.

Unfortunately, I didn’t go to Kinkakuji-yu during my stay, but I can’t forget Funaoka onsen, which I went to after the takoyaki party with everyone in the house.

“In Korea, there is a place called Chimjiruban, which is like a public bath” and “There seems to be a public bath where men and women can enter together in Germany.”

“While having a “”hadaka no tsukiai”” in the bath, we talked about many deep stories.

*hadaka no tsukia*

After the bath, we toasted with bottled milks.

Even if it was not a special event, milk made it the best ending of the day.

I miss the share house life so much afterwards

It was only about one month that I stayed at Kinugasa House for the business trip,
even it was very short, I was able to have a lot of good memories with my housemates.

Before I left, they held a farewell party for me. It was so hard for me to say goodbye to everyone, and we were chatting until 4 o’clock in the morning the day I left.

Not only events and parties, but we often went groceries shopping together.
To cook and have dinner together and to be greeted with “Okaeri” when I came home every night were the things I miss the most.”

My heart is still in Kyoto after I am back to Tokyo.

I strongly recommend Kinugasa House! since even for me, I want to live there for a long time.

Minimum contract term at Borderless House is one month, so you can stay here for your business trip as well!

I hope you like my sharing about Kinugasa House!

PS. Potluck party and chances to visit the house for non-tenant guests!?

Borderless House Kinugasa is open for visitors every Saturday, so anyone can visit it freely!

Moreover, there is a potluck party once a month!

We invite local people who live in the neighborhood to join the party too.

If you are interested, please drop in! (I really wanted to go to the Potluck Party!) )

Borderless House Kyoto Kinugasa Web Page
List of share houses in the Kansai area

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【Let’s travel abroad!】 Your housemates are waiting for you even in other countries!

Hello, this is Borderless House!

Do you like traveling abroad?

Borderless House has share houses in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. So we have a special program only for our tenants which you can stay in other share houses in other countries for free.

It’s called “House Exchange Program”.

You can stay for 5 nights at minimum and for 1 month at maximum so it is convenient when you go to other countries for travel or short study on vacation!

If you use this program when you travel alone to a country you visit for the first time, how will it be..?

Today, let me introduce Motomu who is living in a house in Tokyo and came to Korea, using this House Exchange Program.

Motomu’s profile

・4th grade in a university in Tokyo
・Going to start working in his hometown from next spring
・Living in Borderless House for more than half a year
・Moved in Borderless House in order to practice English and make friends from other countries
・Likes music, calligraphy, cooking, and Kendo

 

（↓ Once he moved in, he could get friends at his house! He is on the left.）

What made you use “House Exchange Program”?

That’s because I can have housemates even in the country where I never visited before and I can be a friend of them!

And I don’t need to pay any fee so it was also an attractive point! It is a nice concept for students who don’t have enough money. lol

 

（↓He could easily get close to his housemates within a few hours!）

Why KOREA？

I decided to visit Korea this time because I’m from Fukuoka which is really close to Korea and most of my friends already had visited Korea.

I had been thinking that I wanted to visit as soon as possible while I have enough time.　

And also I like spicy food so I wanted to try them!

（↓Korean food Motomu tried while he was in Korea,）

How did you spend time with your housemates?

I could enjoy the time with all the housemates!

On my arrival day, one of the housemates Alice cooked food for me. She is a really warm and kind person like a mother for everyone. I was really happy for her warm welcome.

If I go to the living room, I could meet someone so I think I was drinking all the time with my housemates. lol

There were Japanese tenants and they guided me to some famous sightseeing places. We visited some historical places and enjoyed Korean food together.

I ate a lot and drank a lot but it was super fun!

 

（↓The places he visited.）

What was the most memorable experience?

It was the drinking with a housemate and the housemate’s friend and the friend’s friend. lol  Most of the members meet each other for the first time.

At first, I thought only I was the new person but later I got to know that most of us were the first time to meet and there was a person who lived in Borderless House Kyoto and came to Korea just for a trip.

It was unexpected members but connected with Borderless House so we could be close soon and it was the most fun moment in my stay! 

（↓Eating Korean food together.）

Did you discover any new things in yourself?

The house I stayed in Korea was bigger than the one I live in Tokyo and the house has more members and an at-home atmosphere.

It might be because of the big number of people but everyone was just like a family member and I would like to see them again.

Koenji2 House has really fancy facilities with a music studio. However, some members use the studio just for their own purpose. I hope we can use the place together in order to make our community more active. I thought it was important to change their minds gradually!

I want to tell that to my housemates in Korenji2 House in order to reproduce the at-home atmosphere in my house in Seoul!

 

（↓At Han River at night.）

Any other things to tell?

I want Borderless House in the United States and Australia, too! lol

(Staff: Oh, yes! We will do our best to realize it !!!!)　

（↓Near the house. All tenants like the neighbor dog.）


Editorial note

In Japan, he usually welcomes housemates from other countries as a local person but in Seoul, he was welcomed by his housemates as a new housemate from another country.

It must have been a new experience for him.

Your housemates are waiting for you in other countries which you never visited before.
Borderless House is such community that you can connect to the world.

Why don’t you try to have an at-home travel experience like this in Borderless House? It must be totally different from the one alone.

 

Please check it our the detail of House Exchange Program here!

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【Tenant’s interview】How to Enjoy the Shopping Street Surrounding the Share House～

Borderless House owns 67 share houses around Tokyo, and each house is attractive in its own way!

But, you probably can’t imagine how it feels like, living in a share house…
So this time, it’s a new series of Tenants introducing their community and surrounding area of the house!

Series number 1 of feeling as if you moved in the house! There will be two parts this time!

Introducing Borderless House Itabashi-Kuyakushomae, a medium sized share house with maximum of 16 people!

Area around the house is very convenient! Traditional shopping street and active share house

The area around the house is very convenient.

It’s only 2 minutes walk from the nearest station!

And, there is a traditional shopping street right in front of it.

When you get to the station, the delicious smell from the shopping street gets you hungry.

Its an exciting way back home thinking, “What will be my dinner today?”


Many many “Yayoya!” Share seasonal, delicious vedgetables!


Many traditional shops are in the shopping street.

Among them, there are many ”Yaoya!”

Surprisingly, there are 5 in the shopping street!! All of them sell really cheap seasonal vegetables.

Vegetables that may be expensive in supermarkets are affordable in “Yaoya.”


“Shopping is always fun when we all go together, since owners are surprised to see foreigners and they remember our faces. And so, we get extra goods! I’ve tried many new things since being independent from my parents, and cooking is something I’ve learned to love!”

Walk and eat around when you’re a little hungry. Delicious eating place in the shopping street.

The most recommendation is walking and eating around the shopping street with housemates!

Many shops also have take outs, so they are recommended for potluck parties.

Today, Mr. S will introduce 4 delicious shops around the house!

The secret sauce is super tasty! Yakitori shop, Torishin

The Yakitori shop that is 40 seconds walk across the house has excellent Yakitori with their own original sauce! For eating around, they cook right in front of you.

You can also bring it home, and Mr.S says, his housemates often bring them home!

Hot and soft! Introduced in TV shows, a Takoyaki shop, Iwacchi

The Takoyaki shop that is a short walk away from the shopping street is also a hidden, but famous shop.

We also make Takoyaki at home, but sometimes we feel like eating bought ones! A smell and taste that can not be made at home!

Why not have a sandwich party sometime? Stuffed with ingredients, SunSun Kure-ru

This sandwich shop has been featured on TV. Ingredients are stuffed, and you can order Horus d’oeuvre, so it can be brought to picnics or Cherry blossom viewing!

The rich ice cream is addicting once you eat it! OTONARI

A cafe& co working space, 2 minutes walk from the house!

The rich ice cream is of course recommended, but there’s also a lunch menu that changes daily. Also, there’s a co working space that is perfect for when you want to work outside of house.

Come to Borderless House Itabashi-Kuyakusho Mae!

Appeals of Itabshi-Kuyakushomae House are!

Meeting a lot of people in a 16 people living house!

Interactions emerge from walking past the living room!”

Good location surrounded with a wonderful shopping street!

These three points! There are many other recommendation points, but can’t write it all!

Find out more by acutally living there!

That’s it for report on feeling as if you moved in the Itabashi-Kuyakushomae House featuring Mr. S!

〈Itabashi-Kuyakusyomae House〉
〈Tokyo sharehouse list〉