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【Tenant’s Story】Greater Connections with Housemates during COVID19

My name is Ashleigh and I have been living in Borderless House for about 2 years. Since I moved to Japan, I have been actively involved in the Borderless Community. From the Link-Up events and Borderless Diners to volunteering as MC at the Borderless Olympics. You may remember me as the ‘kawaii Santa’ MC from last year’s Christmas Party. I enjoy parties and connecting with like-minded people. Being in a sharehouse during this situation has changed everyday living. I was upset that I couldn’t hang out with friends freely and host events, but it opened up new opportunities to lift the attitude in the house. However, I have not tried to view it negatively and not concern myself with uncertainty. Instead, I have used this time to slow down and spend time with those who decided to remain in the house during this period.

I have really appreciated staying in a sharehouse at this time. I think I would go crazy if I wasn’t able to hang out with friends at all and a handful of them suddenly had to go back to their home countries anyway. I already considered myself lucky to be coexisting with a group of amazing people, but I believe this time together has given us a stronger connection. It’s led to us hanging out every weekend, watching movies or playing games. Housemates that I hadn’t connected with before, I have gotten to know better.

Cherry Blossom at the Share House

Many events that we were looking forward to couldn’t go ahead as planned. We knew that the yearly Hanami at a park was not possible this Cherry Blossom Season, so we decided to hold an event at our place. I bought about 3000yen worth of pink decorations and picnic essentials from Daiso to create more of a “Hanami” vibe from the comfort of our own home. From the materials, we used our creative skills to put together something in our living room. It was the perfect weather to eat outside, so we made hand-rolled sushi and yakisoba and took it to the rooftop, along with our own little Sakura tree. For a moment, everyone seemed to forget that there was a global pandemic that was becoming more apparent in Japan.

Everlasting Friendship 

In response to the announcement of the State of Emergency, my company asked me to work at home a couple of days a week. At this point, most housemates were working at home, so we were able to time our lunch breaks to eat together, giving us a chance to step away from work and properly take our breaks, which helped us re-energise before getting back to work. It was great to catch up with them in the middle of the day on a weekday, which was something I had never imagined before.

Connections with ex-housemate 

We have not let this situation halt our friendships, as we are still connected to a former tenant who, unfortunately, decided to move back home for a few months to be with his family. Luckily, we live in an age where we can still be connected through technology and he is still a member of our group chat, checking in with us regularly. Although we miss his presence, we were able to have a party with his spirit because he was kind enough to buy us food through a delivery service. It was lovely to be brought together due to his kindness during this unfavourable situation and we can’t wait for him to return to Japan and hopefully move back in again to repay him.

Smiling faces during COVID-19 period

After Golden Week, I was asked to go back to work due to the increased number of students returning to school. My workplace is in Chofu, which takes about an hour and two trains and as I work in a kindergarten, I have to be considerate towards the health of the children, my workmates and my housemates during this time. At both work and home, we pay more attention to hygiene, cleaning the things we touch, such as door handles and light switches with alcohol spray. After we say “tadaima” (I’m back), the first thing we do is wash our hands thoroughly with soap. It has been great to see everyone following the advice given by the government and it gives everyone peace of mind. What also puts me at ease is to come home and still see the same smiling faces every day. My housemates do not judge me for still having to go to work, even when I am concerned about getting onto a train during rush hour because of the increased risk to contract the virus.

Greater cultural exchange in the busy kitchen

Honestly, the biggest challenge we have faced is that everyone is cooking at home in order to reduce the amount they leave the house. Walking into the kitchen, it always smells great. However, with a busy kitchen most nights, it has made us gain a greater consideration of others and become more flexible in the limited space we have. It has also resulted in less space in the fridge. How do we combat that? Although our spaces are marked separately, we have been sharing with one another, not just the fridge space but also ingredients. I love how we have become so close that I can rely on my housemates to use something of theirs, and I will gladly replace or give them something else in exchange. Staying at home has caused us to be more creative with meals and has promoted greater cultural exchange. I introduced them to the flavors of lemon oregano chicken, while they showed me how to make shoga yaki (Japanese Ginger Pork).

With such wonderful food, comes much more waste, so we have also become more stringent with taking out the trash. I have never seen so many bags of rubbish from one weekend before! Also, remember the time when toilet paper and masks were hard to find? Everyone has been pitching in to help buy these essential items, including soap, alcohol spray, wipes, tissues and pretty much anything with a one per person limit. Even small gestures like this really help to continue the orderly conduct of the house. I couldn’t imagine what we would do if we ever ran out of toilet paper!

Birthday Party, Clubbing, Movie Theater, Izakaya at a share house!?

In our house, it’s an amazing coincidence that two of our members are born a day apart, so we did not hesitate to buy gifts and celebrate their birthdays. Who says you can’t enjoy your birthday during corona? Since we cannot go out clubbing as we planned a few months ago for a housemate’s twentieth, we have decided to turn our house into a club instead. We have this mindset of “if we can’t go out, then we will bring it to us!” For example, want to go to the movies? Let’s watch something in the living room on Netflix. Craving a certain meal? Let’s make it! The options are limitless when we put our minds together. I’ve been wanting to go to an izakaya for the longest time, so I pitched the idea to use our common fee money to buy an electric hotplate. Everyone was instantly on board, thinking of all the food we can make, such as okonomiyaki, yaki-niku and even pancakes. A housemate mentioned, “if we’re going to eat yaki-niku, we will need beer and shochu,” really replicating the feel of being at an izakaya. I love the way that my housemates think and that they are so proactive.

We are in this together

With multiple nationalities under the same roof, we have access to information on a global scale. We like to compare the situations between our countries and see how it is similar or different to Japan. With our knowledge, we can put together and start guessing what Japan’s next step will be. This makes for interesting conversation and sparks up a debate, all in good nature. It’s so helpful living with Japanese people because they can tell us the information before it is translated on news sites. We enjoy watching press conferences by Prime Minister Abe or Tokyo Governor Koike. However, my language skills are not native yet, so it is nice to be next to someone who can directly translate what they are saying. It’s better than any kind of subtitles.

This whole situation that we are faced with doesn’t have to be a negative experience. Many of my housemates have adopted new hobbies that they have been interested in, but never found the time to do, such as working out on the rooftop or growing their own vegetables. From just one person, we have learned and become interested in new activities, which is really what living in a Borderless house is about. We have deepened our cross-cultural exchange in a way that might not have been possible without the push to ‘stay in.’ Although I miss the community and meeting friends from other houses, I’m glad that I’ve been able to focus on my own house and I believe my housemates feel the same. I think our experience goes to show that you can still enjoy sharehouse life without fear, as long as you follow the guidelines and stay vigilant in practicing good hygiene. It comes down to each individual doing their own part, but essentially, we are in this together.

Check Ashleigh’s Share House

 

 

 

 

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No Language Experience? No Problem!

Hey guys! This is Claire from BORDERLESS HOUSE back with another blog. This blog is going to be a personal story of how I got interested in Japan and my own journey of learning Japanese. Hopefully, there will be many things you all can relate to, but I also hope that I can share some new information and shed new light on your thoughts about going abroad. 

The Beginnings

The first time that I came to Japan was in June of 2013 at the age of 15. I spent 28 days living with a host family in Yokohama through completely self-organized means. So, why Japan? The true answer to this question really is, “I don’t know.” What I do know is that at the age of 15, I wanted more than anything to have the opportunity to travel abroad, but this was difficult for me to do as I was a nationally-ranked competitive swimmer. Any time away from the pool could jeopardize my training, so going abroad was never an option for me. For many sports, such as soccer or basketball, there are pre-arranged international exchange programs which have reputable teams and carefully selected host families. Swimming is not one of those sports. Being the young 15-year old that I was, I was not going to let this massive barrier stop me and I began asking around my local swimming community to find connections to and contacts for international teams. My first breakthrough came quickly from my head coach in California who had the contact information of a coach from Yokohama in Japan. From that moment on, I decided I was going to try and make my way to Japan!

Now that I had located a reputable team abroad, my next challenge was that I spoke no Japanese, and knew nothing regarding the culture. By some miracle, my math teacher in high school spoke Japanese and with her help I was able to draft an email to this coach in Yokohama. Less than 24 hours later I had a positive response, and was told that I’d be assigned to a host family- all I had to do now was buy my flights. And that’s how I ended up in Japan for 1 month at the age of 15 with complete strangers. Coincidentally, during that month I also fell in love with all of the people that I met, and with the culture. I felt that I got to see a new side to swimming, and really to all of the aspects of life that I considered to be mundane back in the U.S. Things as simple as taking a ride in a car or going grocery shopping were all new and exciting. I finally felt like after 15 years of mindless patterns, I was filled with life and excitement.

Despite this now being my fourth time in Japan and, admittedly, I no longer have a host family to cook my meals, drive me around, or do my laundry, there is still a sense of wonder and awe that I feel when I am here. I feel alive and at home. If you need more convincing of the benefits of going abroad feel free to watch a short talk I gave to my peers at Harvard, and I hope that you will be filled with the same passion that I was.

Make It Work & Don’t Ever Settle

The moral of this whole story is that if you want to go to Japan, or go abroad in general, it is possible if you have the passion and the drive. Especially if you do not find any programs that fit your interests, don’t give up or settle for doing something you really don’t want to do. I have seen many people who have a passion for Japan and take any job that comes their way just to remain in Japan. Unfortunately, if you end up doing something that you are not excited about, it might bias your experience in a place that you once thought you loved. By all means, try and do what you love, in a place that you also love!

In cases where you are unable to find any programs that match your interests, networking will be your best friend. Find something that you want to do, whether it is studying, volunteering, or working, and start asking around. In my experience, if you send emails out of the blue to someone in Japan telling them that you are really interested in working with them, or learning from them, you will end up with one of three answers: 1) positive response, 2) referral to a similar colleague or opportunity or 3) no response, which really in the grand scheme of things isn’t so bad. When things are silent, it just means you have a few more people you’ll need to reach out to! Don’t get discouraged and keep trying.

Learning Japanese

After I returned from my first visit to Japan, I was still in a situation where I did not have any opportunity to take Japanese language courses at school. I additionally did not have the time to enroll in any language courses in my free time because I was constantly at swim practice. I simply picked up a copy of Genki, which I highly recommend for self-learning Japanese, and began to memorize and write hiragana and katakana. I self-studied on and off for about 2 years, but truly I had no serious hours set for studying and I only managed to teach myself the rudimentary writing, speaking and grammar basics. Another downside to self-learning Japanese is that you don’t have the opportunity to practice speaking naturally. There are two parts to learning a language: 1) memorizing vocabulary, grammar, etc, and 2) learning how to seamlessly put this knowledge into use. No matter how much studying you do, if you are unable to put your skills into everyday practice, all your hard work may not be reflected properly. This all being said, self-taught Japanese is an incredible feat and can be successfully done- I just recommend using more than just text materials to practice with. Going abroad or joining language exchange communities are excellent options!

One other opportunity that is missed by self-taught Japanese without going abroad is that you may miss out on a lot of cultural opportunities. Part of immersing yourself in another culture is not just learning the language, but also experiencing daily life and customs. I have been very lucky to have many amazing cultural experiences with my host families and housemates which have deepened my understanding of Japanese history and have made me feel welcomed into a country which is nothing like my hometown.

The next step of my learning journey occurred after my second visit to Japan in 2015. When I realized that Japan was becoming more than just a hobby and would be an interest that carried much further into my academic and working future, I decided it was time to take learning Japanese seriously. My university required all students to take a year of language courses, or to test out of this requirement. Rather than use my Spanish ability to test out of the requirement, I opted to take my first Japanese course.

From my previous two visits to Japan I had picked up some phrases and was familiar with basic grammatical patterns. This was massively helpful to my language learning journey as there were times during class when I was able to recognize my errors before having actually learned the correct grammar rule. Just as children pick up a language from infancy and are able to apply grammatical rules through pure imitation, I realized that my two previous visits to Japan had done the same for my own language learning. Because of this, I would highly recommend going abroad to Japan as early as possible in your language learning journey. The sooner you get native exposure, the sooner you will be able to recognize and apply both grammar and vocabulary. Many people feel that they cannot travel abroad before they are proficient in a language, but I would argue that the opposite is true. Go abroad in order to become proficient. An amazing way to get this native exposure, and one of the main ways that I maintained my Japanese after quitting language courses, was by immersing myself in the BORDERLESS HOUSE community. Being surrounded by people who want to share their cultures and languages fosters a community where you are encouraged to learn and practice. Living in such a supportive community will give you the resources and courage to reach levels of language ability that you never thought possible. You’ll also learn many things, such as the new and upcoming slang, that would otherwise not be taught in a classroom. After all, it goes without saying that textbook language and colloquial language can be quite different.

Personal Regrets

After my first year of Japanese, I, unfortunately, had to stop taking language classes as my schedule became too busy. To be honest, I never imagined that I would be living and working in Japan, which means that at the time, quitting Japanese seemed like the right choice. However, my biggest regret is having quit my language learning after only a year. Although I don’t have any issues communicating or living here now, I now find myself with terribly mismatched speaking and reading/writing ability levels which make Japanese class level placement next to impossible. I have also graduated from college now, so any language course that I pursue would generally take me away from time at my job.

I also never took the JLPT test, which is something that is highly regarded when searching for a job here. When I began my job search, I quickly realized that although I would have no issues with doing an interview in Japanese, I would never be invited for an interview if I did not have some proof of my Japanese language ability. Having some standardized proof of your language ability will be imperative for any foreigner trying to start their career in Japan, with the exception of course of becoming an English teacher!

In summary, my advice to you is that you take advantage of any opportunities you have to continue on with your language learning. Even if I had not ended up living and working in Japan, fluency in foreign languages is such an incredible skill to have. It shows passion, dedication, and can help connect you to international, or domestic, opportunities that you may have never considered. I have a long road ahead of me to get to full fluency, but I’m willing to do what it takes so that I can take this feeling of regret and make it an amazing success story.

Can I Get By Without Any Japanese? The answer is: Yes, absolutely!!

As I mentioned, when I first landed in Japan back in 2013, I had no language experience and no cultural exposure. My high school did not offer Japanese as a language, and the only foreign language experience I had was 10 years of Spanish, which certainly wasn’t going to be put to heavy use during my time in Japan. I had an “Oh, crap” moment on the plane to Japan when the reality of my situation finally settled in. With Google Maps, smartphone translators and the internet in general many of your language barrier issues will be resolved. This being said, despite there being no necessity for Japanese language ability to live here, some understanding of the Japanese language and culture comes in handy if you plan to stay or live here. Great news is that living in a BORDERLESS HOUSE, surrounded by both Japanese and foreign housemates is a quick and easy way to have a support group and language study-buddies when coming to Japan with limited language ability!

The best news is that Japan is extremely accommodating and if you are in the presence of an individual who can speak some English, chances are that this person will be more than happy to seek you out and start up a conversation. Many signs are translated into English, and restaurants sometimes even have English menus. So, even if you are not familiar with the language, you’ll be okay. However, I would again like to point out that you’ll have a much richer experience here in Japan if you are somewhat familiar with the language and culture. For example, the English menus at restaurants don’t always list the same options that are on the Japanese menu, so you just might miss out on the opportunity to try a mint chocolate chip iced latte.

Now if you plan on working here in Japan, this is a different story. As I previously touched upon in the prior section, I cannot stress the importance of having passed the JLPT Level 1 or 2 enough. Many jobs, with the exclusion of English teaching jobs, will require you to have some proof of your Japanese proficiency. Even if you are confident in your Japanese fluency, without some sort of standardized proof, you will likely not be considered for a job interview. So make sure you have done your language prep and passed some sort of standardized proof of your language ability.

Be Fearless and Take the Leap

In conclusion, I’d like to encourage all of you, no matter where you are in your language learning journey, to consider stepping out of your comfort zone and making your dreams of going abroad come true. There are so many opportunities waiting for you and so many friends, especially here at BORDERLESS HOUSE, who are waiting to meet you. I hope that my story has convinced you that there is no greater experience than going abroad and that it will help you grow in ways that you could never imagine.

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Guide for Living in Tokyo

Tokyo is one of the most populated cities in Japan. It is the hub for technology, food, business, and innovation. Natives from other cities in Japan as well as foreigners migrate to the city to live there. With so many local and multinational companies operating from the city, there is no dearth of jobs in Tokyo.

When moving to Tokyo, it is best to first get a little information about the lifestyle, culture, and cost of living, in the city. To ensure that you have an idea of what you’re getting into, we have compiled some information about Tokyo. This guide will help you prepare yourself for your move.

What People Like About Tokyomajor


The numerous job opportunities in Tokyo, the rich culture of Japan, and ease of living are three of the major attractions of Tokyo. When living in Tokyo, one experiences the most marvelous combination of corporate life, fashion, food, and fun. During the day the residents of Tokyo are busy hustling and working, while at night the city lights up and offers great nightlife.

From great food to entertainment, Tokyo has it all. There are many restaurants, bars, cinemas and game centers in the city, there’s no possibility that one could get bored of the Tokyo city life. While the city is pretty hi-tech and always lit up with lights and hustle-bustle, the government has maintained parks in various areas, to ensure greenery in the city.

The city caters to everyone’s needs, whether they are Japanese or ex-pats. The food served in the city is multicuisine, whereas there are many shopping stores in the city that offer different types of fashion products for varying tastes. Tokyo doesn’t sleep, shopping centers like Don Quijote and Seijo Ishii are open 24/7 for the customers.

The city offers rich art, culture, and music to the people. The local restaurants and bars are called izakaya are serve the local Japanese food with plenty choice of drink. Tokyo is famous for its upbeat pop music and many restaurants play the same. They offer great cocktails and frequent discounts to keep the place crowded.

Many areas in Tokyo are famous for the artistry. There are plenty of museums, art galleries, and exhibitions in the city. However, you come across the biggest art pieces when you walk around the city. The architecture of the city is beautiful and reliable. The architecture helps maintain a vibe of advancement and hi-tech. Moreover, robots working at various information desks and cafes, leave the people surprised at the development in the city.

The Weather In Tokyo


When moving to a new country, it is essential to ensure that you can bear the climate conditions there. Every 2 to 3 months, the climate and temperature in Tokyo changes. There are six seasons that one witness when living in Tokyo:

1. Spring: March to May

The spring season in Japan is the time of Hanami. Hanami refers to cherry blossom viewing events that can be seen from the end of March to the first half of April. The temperature frequently changes during spring, sometimes it’s hot and sometimes it’s cold.

2. Monsoon: May to the first half of July

The rainy season in Japan is called Tsuyu and it rains almost every day in Tokyo during this time. The atmosphere during this season is very humid. The season starts in the Southern region and moves towards the north. After the monsoons are over, one can feel the heat of summers in full swing.

3. Summer: June to August

The highest temperature during the summers in Japan is 30° Celsius. However, due to the humidity, the summers can often feel unbearably hot. Tom must wear light clothes during summers and keep hydrated to avoid getting heatstroke.
Events like Natsu Matsuri, the summer festival, and Hanabi, the fireworks are joyfully celebrated by the people. The jolliness in the air is evident and the city of Tokyo is sparkling during these events.

4. Typhoon: End of August to September

During the typhoon, some areas in Japan including using Tokyo experience extreme rainfall and strong winds. The weather gets so bad that even umbrellas are unable to bear the brunt of the rain. It is best to check the weather forecast before stepping out of the house during the typhoon season.

5. Autumn: September to November

The autumn season in Tokyo is cool and windy. During the day the night, the temperature drops enough for people to bring out their thin pullovers and enjoy the breeze. The trees of many leaves turn from red to yellow during November, walks around the city are especially blissful during these days.

6. Winter: December To February

The lowest temperature in Tokyo during winters is 0° Celsius. The atmosphere is chilly and you will need to wear gloves during the early morning and evenings. Some years, it snows in Tokyo during the winter. The Omisoka, the day before New year, is celebrated by eating traditional Japanese dishes like soba noodles and Osechi. People also celebrate the new year by drinking alcohol and partying.

Tokyo Attractions: Places To Visit


There are many attractive sightseeing places in the city. The view from these places is utterly mesmerizing, whether it’s day or night. Going to visit attractions will definitely bring fun and unforgettable experience into your living in Tokyo. Most of them are extremely crowded during weekends. Some of the famous places to visit in Tokyo are:

1. Sky Tree
2. Shibuya
3. Tokyo Tower
4. National Art Center
5. Sensoji Temple in Asakusa
6. Miraikan and Edo-Tokyo Museums
7. The Imperial Palace
8. The Meiji Shrine
9. Yoyogi Park

Best Experiences In Tokyo

When living in Tokyo there are some experiences that you simply cannot miss out on. While you can spend some days visiting various sightseeing places, many other activities offer the real Tokyo life experience.

1. Try out the authentic and fresh sushi at the local places in Tokyo.
2. Visit markets like Harajuku and Asakusa for some window shopping.
3. Spend an evening at the Ueno Park
4. Collect games and anime films from Akihabara and spend your weekend bingeing.
5. Go to Piss Alley for food and drinks and Shibuya for parties.
6. View the traditional Japanese theater art or try out sumo wrestling for fun.
7. Watch a baseball game at the Tokyo Dome.
8. Hike to Mount Mitake or cycle around the city on a breezy day.
9. Go sing karaoke with your friends.

Tokyo has been given the tag of the best overall experience at Tripadvisor. There are many more things to do in Tokyo, and as you spend more time there and experience new things, you will fall in love with the lifestyle.

Facilities That The City Offers

Healthcare

Tokyo offers exceptional and affordable health care services to its residents. The screening of some diseases has been made free of cost. The cost of treatment and prenatal care are borne 30% by the individual and 70% by the government. The motto of the government is that everyone in the country receives medical services. Both private and public healthcare institutions are available in the city.

Insurance

Healthcare is so great that the country has observed the high life expectancy rate in the world. Everyone living in Tokyo is covered by public health insurance.
Clinics, dentists, and hospitals do not accept insurance other than Japan-based insurance. However, they never refuse to treat patients that do not have insurance. The payment has to be made in full and you can apply for reimbursement in your country.

Some healthcare businesses that cater to the expat community, may provide services if you have insurance from the global insurance companies that they partner with.

Clinics

There is a primary clinic available in almost every neighborhood in Tokyo. They provide treatment for problems like rashes, fever, gastric problems, infection, body pain, etc. Some private clinics in Tokyo have English speaking staff for the convenience of expats. However, it is recommended that you take a Japanese speaking friend along, in case they don’t. Going to such healthcare clinics for expats costlier than going to any other clinic.

Pharmacies

There are pharmacies located in every neighborhood, mostly nearby stations. Some of these pharmacies are open 24/7.
The medicine provided at these are produced in Japan and might be of a lower dosage, than what’s available in your country. If you need a high dosage of medicine, you need to show a doctor’s prescription.

Convenient Transportation

The city offers trains and the metro to its residents, making traveling around the city conveniently. They offer wide connectivity throughout the city. These public transportation services are reasonably priced and are preferred over private transport like cars. This is why the commute is overcrowded most of the time.

What’s more, the public transport is very punctual, to ensure that the passengers reach their destination on time. The delay of even a minute is very rare and unwelcome. When living in Tokyo, you are usually supposed not to make any delay for appointments. Buses take to places, where the metro network has not yet reached. If you need help while traveling, you can collect brochures, maps, and information from offices at the station.

Shopping

While the rich prefer shopping from malls and branded stores, there are many hyaku-en stores available in the city, where you can buy many household items for cheaper prices. The rates start at 100 Yen. You can also shop for clothes at second-hand shops.
There are many lanes in Tokyo that are famous for the products available at them. Some of these markets are Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harajuku, Ginza, Nihonbashi, and Ikebukuro.
Brands like Louis Vuitton offer an art gallery, there are a cafe and pastry shop at Dior and a spa and beauty salon at Chanel. These additional places offer a luxury experience and can even be visited by people that are shopping at the store.

Safety

The crime rate in Japan is low and it is considered one of the safest places to live. Drink spiking and credit card theft are some of the major crimes in the city, usually occurring in crowded localities. For any help, the police are ready to help and can be contacted at 110. The city offers digital security, infrastructure security, and personal security.

The Cost of Living in Tokyo

It is common knowledge that Tokyo is one of the world’s most expensive cities for expats. The accommodation, food, everything for living is high-class and expensive.

Accommodation

Finding a place to live in Tokyo is quite challenging and expensive. The rent of your apartment is likely to be the biggest expenditure from your income. Apartments in close proximity to the stations are generally more expensive to rent. You can get an apartment within walking distance to the center for around 180000 Yen, whereas if you are living a little farther, the rent will be around 80000 Yen as well. The amenities offered and the area of the property will influence the rent amount.

You could also stay at a share house or an Airbnb hostel in the city, and enjoy their multicultural environment. While you receive less privacy, it is easier to make friends when staying at such places. Such as BORDERLESS HOUSE.

Food

It would be a shame if the delicious food offered by Tokyo isn’t listed as the first thing that people like and attracts them to Tokyo. The roads and lanes of Tokyo are occupied by restaurants. By living in Tokyo, you are always exposure to great offering from restaurants where you are allowed to enjoy authentic Japanese food and multi-cuisine food for people who miss home. It is popularly known as the food capital of the world.
The Edo-style sushi that has made the world its fan, was first made in Tokyo. It was first sold at small street stalls and today it is a famous delicacy served everywhere by Japanese restaurants. While Tokyo is considered an expensive place, a few weeks in the city can help you find restaurants that serve lunch at cheaper prices i.e. less than 1000 Yen.

Transportation

The cost of traveling anywhere in Tokyo by public transport is around 200 Yen. You can buy a Suica pass for transportation around Tokyo. This pass is rechargeable. By showing your foreign passport, you can receive discounts on tickets.
The train arrives at the station every ten minutes.

Tax

The Japanese tax for consumption, on income, and security, is way less when compared to the tax payable when living in Europe.

The Challenges Expats Face during living in Japan

1. Work visa: The biggest challenge faces by expats is getting a work visa in the country. While the process is fast, you must apply at least two months in advance. Before getting a work visa, you can stay in the city for 90 days to secure a job, by first getting a tourist visa.

2. Language: When living in Japan, learning basic Japanese can make your life smooth hassle-free. If you do not know how to speak in Japanese, you might have difficulty navigating in Tokyo.

3. Expensive: Tokyo is expensive. It is best if you move to the city, only if you have a job that will cover your expenses, otherwise, you will be draining your savings.

Relations Between Japanese Locals And Foreigners 

Like most countries, the experience with the locals in Japan is no different. They treat foreigners like foreigners, not the same way they would treat fellow Japanese people. Japanese expect that foreigners cannot be made allies with and it is an innate belief that you will not understand their social conditions.

However, if you know how to speak in Japanese it’ll be undoubtedly easier for you to make friends. You will also come to know that running daily errands is much more convenient if you can speak Japanese.

Etiquette to consider when living in Tokyo
You can improve your relations and interaction with the locals, by respecting the social etiquette and the cultural norms of Tokyo. The people of Japan believe in politeness, bowing to elders, being punctual, and respecting culture. If you follow these etiquettes you can avoid stepping on their bad foot. Moreover, disturbing others on the train by talking on the phone too loudly, eating while you’re walking, and being unhygienic are some actions that are frowned upon.

How to make friends in Tokyo?
Making friends in Japan can be challenging, especially if you are an introvert. The first friends that you make are most probably going to be your colleagues, you’ll also get to know other expats in the city. If you wish to broaden your local friend circle, you could try attending events and gatherings where you might meet Japanese people.

Change In Perception Of Expats After Living In Tokyo
Once you get used to the rush of the city and the overcrowded restaurants and streets, it’ll be easier for you to navigate. You will enjoy the various festivals in the city, and learn about the culture.

Tokyo Expat Community
From students to IT professionals from Europe, Tokyo is home to over 2 million expats. The expat community in Japan is huge and people often meet other English speaking expats via the Meetup app. You can also join an international nomikai that organizes parties and other events, where you can meet other foreigners and locals.

Your fellow expats must have experienced the same things when they moved to Tokyo. Expat forums are platforms that enable you to get in touch with other expats. You can communicate with them and ask queries through forums like Expat Exchange and InterNations.

 

發表於

【現在的BH能做的事】線上配對交流活動“〜Build bridges not walls!〜語言交換

每天看見COVID-19迅速傳播的消息，有許多國家邊界已經關閉，因為出入境受到限制的關係，我們已經無法隨心所欲到世界各地旅行。

對我們來說，春天是非常重要的季節。因為春天是日本的學校或工作的新開始，許多外國房客都會在這時期至日本留學或實習。而這些人也選擇share house的租房形式，並期待著新的相遇。在過去每一年的春天，有許多來自世界各地的人入住BORDERLESS HOUSE。

但是，由於COVID-19的影響以及該病毒的威脅，目前有許多外國人不得不放棄來到日本。而這些來自國外的房客們，紛紛取消入住BORDERLESS HOUSE的計畫，甚至打消入住的念頭，對BORDERLESS HOUSE而言是巨大的經濟損失。

想到那些決定在日本度過寶貴時間，且期待著在BORDERLESS HOUSE和日本生活的外國房客們、等待新外國室友到來的現有房客們，還有期盼出國留學卻無法離開自己國家的人們，就覺得令人心疼。

這時候的我們有什麼能做的呢？

對於想來日本的外國人，我們想分享關於日本的事物給他們。
對於那些期待新的相遇的人，我們希望能讓他們有身在國外的感覺。
因為這些想法與感受，我們將開始“Build bridges not walls!線上語言交換”的服務。

什麼是線上交流服務“〜Build bridges not walls!〜語言交換”

這是一項免費的線上交流服務!
對象為因為COVID-19而不得不取消BORDERLESS HOUSE預定居住的房客，以及由於沒辦法按照預定計畫來日本的外國人，以及期盼與外國新房客互動的BORDERLESS HOUSE日本房客們，進行一對一的配對。

我們將提供一個未來也許將成為室友的兩人，一個互動交談的機會，讓這些因COVID-19而無法碰面的房客們能夠進行交流。

可以透過這項服務，學習彼此的語言並與世界各地的人聯繫！
您也想交到來自世界各地的朋友嗎？

-配對流程-

STEP1
登錄！
請從下方表格申請。

登記表格

STEP2
BORDERLESS HOUSE將根據您所填寫的表格回答進行配對。
接著我們將建立Skype群組，安排第一次活動的時間和程序說明。

STEP3
交流開始！
首先，自我介紹。依據您們自訂的主題，享受語言交流的樂趣！（第一回為40分鐘）

STEP4
結束後，填寫問卷。並自行約定下一次語言交換的時間！
參加次數達到三次之後，我們將交流機會留給其他參加者。

BORDERLESS HOUSE能做的

Point1
計劃搬入BORDERLESS HOUSE的外國房客，和正住在BORDERLESS HOUSE的日本房客擁有被配對的機會，進行配對的則是BORDERLESS HOUSE的工作人員！

Point2
您可以與充滿活力且喜歡BORDERLESS HOUSE理念的人互動交流，享受彼此交談同時也能提高語言能力的樂趣。

Point3
沒錯！這是一項免費的交流服務！

現在就填寫 申請表格！加入我們：）

由於這段時間許多國家都關起門來，出入境其他國家受到嚴格限制，所以我們希望能夠建立起各國之間的連繫橋梁！

我們衷心期盼你們的參與！

看東京的所有share house

關於BORDERLESS HOUSE

發表於

不只是住宿！BORDERLESS HOUSE 活動回顧

大家對於入住BORDERLESS HOUSE最期待的是什麼呢？

有很多房客告訴我們，他們最期待的就是我們不定期舉辦的活動啦！

參加活動除了好玩有趣、交新朋友，還能學習國際文化，是不是很棒呢？

今天我們就來回顧一下，BORDERLESS HOUSE過去舉辦的幾個活動，也讓你們可以期待一下未來的新活動喔！

茶壺山

爬山踏青一直是BORDERLESS HOUSE最喜歡舉辦的活動類型之一，除了可以帶大家走進大自然、認識新朋友，還能同時欣賞台灣的在地美景。

而這次的茶壺山健行，就是山景、海景一次滿足！從山腳沿著石階步道一路往上，就能遠眺超美的陰陽海海景喔！而且鄰近的景點還有九份、金瓜石，安排一日遊行程再適合不過了！

↓↓ 活動影片看這裡 ↓↓

北海岸淨灘

郊遊活動也可以非常有意義！北海岸的老梅石槽，在每年春天會有大量海藻附著在石槽上，形成綠意盎然的獨特美景，但因為觀光客的造訪，海灘上也留下了非常多的垃圾。（再次呼籲大家，隨手帶走自己的垃圾，和我們一起愛護環境。）

於是BORDERLESS HOUSE就和台北市政府申請了淨灘地許可，帶著房客們一起去欣賞美景，也為地球的環境盡一份心力！真的十分感謝有這麼多房客支持我們，和我們一起參與這次的活動，有你們真好！

↓↓ 活動影片看這裡 ↓↓

House Party

BORDERLESS HOUSE目前在台北有21個物件，分布在台北幾個不同的區域，我們希望房客們除了認識同物件的室友外，也可以和其他物件做交流，所以我們會不定期針對各個區域，邀請不同物件但同個區域的室友，一起到家裡吃吃喝喝、玩遊戲，拓展一下交友圈喔！

中秋烤肉

每年的中秋節烤肉，可以說是BORDERLESS HOUSE一年一度最盛大的活動之一，像是去年的中秋節，就有將近60位房客加入我們「大烤」的行列喔！

而每次烤肉，我們都會把大家分成幾個不同的小組，每個小組都會有來自不同物件的室友，讓大家除了和自己家的室友相處外，也有機會和新認識夥伴們一起烤肉過中秋！

萬聖節扮裝

不知道大家有沒有參加過萬聖節扮裝活動呢？BORDERLESS HOUSE的萬聖節扮裝也是大家非常期待的活動之一，每次看到大家認真裝扮，都非常有感，所以我們也舉辦了票選活動，讓大家投票選出心目中第一名的裝扮，得獎的房客會收到我們準備的小禮物喔！

大稻埕旗袍一日遊

除了各種踏青、派對活動以外，體驗一下在地的台灣文化也是必須的！

大家出國旅遊的時候，一定多少都有嘗試過當地的傳統服飾吧？像是到韓國會穿韓服，去了日本則會穿和服，但大家有體驗過穿「旗袍」嗎？我們這次就帶著大家來個旗袍初體驗啦！

大稻埕旗袍一日遊的活動，帶著大家體驗穿旗袍，走訪大稻埕的舊城建築，也順便到霞海城隍廟做參拜。（當然也要拍很多美照）

而除了走訪了大稻埕，我們還參加了品茶的體驗課程，學習怎麼挑選茶葉、沖泡和品嚐，一整天下來非常充實，也了解了更多在地文化的故事喔！

↓↓ 活動影片看這裡 ↓↓

看完了以上幾個活動回顧，不知道大家對哪個活動最有興趣呢？

如果有任何特別的想法，也歡迎分享給我們知道，讓BORDERLESS HOUSE未來能再提供更多更棒的活動體驗喔！

發表於

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!

Tokyo share house list
Only Tenant program
BORDERLESS Event Review

發表於

「帶著外國朋友遊台北」全攻略！（戶外踏青篇）

大家好久不見，最新的「帶著外國朋友遊台北」系列文來啦！

這次我們要推薦一些台北戶外的踏青景點，有山、有海，也有人文歷史，而且都是大眾運輸工具可以抵達的喔！若是有朋友來訪台灣，不妨安排一日遊的行程，帶著友人出門走走，探索台灣不同的景色！

話不多說，就來看看有那些值得推薦的景點吧！

象山

象山可以說是許多來台灣旅遊的人，最喜愛的景點之一！

簡單好走的親山步道，來回大約一個半小時左右的步程，沿途有不少可以停下欣賞的景點，如一線天、大壁岩等，而其中最受歡迎的，當然就是可以遠眺台北101的六巨石了，每次現場都有許多觀光客搶著拍照，當然也別忘了幫外國朋友拍下一張值得紀念的美照！

當然，爬上巨岩的時候，一定也要注意自身安全，若是遇到天氣不好，千萬不能勉強喔！

九份、金瓜石

位於台北東北方的九份、金瓜石，也同樣是許多人喜愛的景點之一，非常值得安排一整天的踏青行程！

像是九份老街、黃金博物館、茶壺山、陰陽海等等，一天下來，除了可以踏青欣賞高山、海景，也有許多日治時期留下的建築，充分感受懷舊氛圍，非常適合帶著外國友人前往體驗喔！

陽明山國家公園

陽明山國家公園位於台北市近郊，是台灣設置的第三個國家公園，佔地面積非常廣，有多條不同的登山步道，通往不同的景點，如七星山、竹子湖、擎天崗等，從簡易到困難，大家可以根據自己的狀況做選擇。

另外，每年三月至七月，還有海芋、繡球花等花季，若是時間湊巧，不妨帶著外國朋友特別去看看吧！

北海岸

喜歡海灘、海景的朋友，絕對不能錯過台灣的北海岸，沿路有許多景點，諸如白沙灣、淺水灣、老梅綠石槽、石門洞等，還有許多海景咖啡廳、餐廳，非常適合安排一日遊行程！

而且不管是開車，或是搭乘大眾運輸工具都非常方便，如果有外國朋友來訪，千萬不要錯過囉。

銀河洞

銀河洞位於台北新店區，以銀河瀑布聞名，而瀑布後方，還有在山壁中挖鑿出的百年小廟，仙氣十足，是個十分特殊，難得一件的景色。

從入口步行到是銀河瀑布大約半小時，若是喜歡大自然，也可以繼續順著指標往下走，就能抵達貓空纜車站，再從貓空搭纜車下山，就是完美的一日踏青行程啦！但要注意的是，若是遇到下雨，銀河洞步道會特別濕滑，一定要特別小心喔！

 

希望以上提供的幾個熱門景點，讓大家在外國友人來訪時，安排行程上可以有更多幫助，也讓外國朋友們透過實地走訪，認識台灣更多不同的美景！


同場加碼：「帶著外國朋友遊台北」（美食篇）、「帶著外國朋友遊台北」（歷史文化篇）

發表於

【Tenants only program】 International experience with world dishes! This month is Senegal!

What kind of culture in Senegal? This is the program you can enjoy international experience with five senses!

As-salamu alaykum! Hello, this is Yuya from Borderless House who is in charge of the program!

『BORDERLESS DINERS～Experience international restaurants and travel around the world ～』This new program has started since last month!

You can enjoy different cuisines in restaurants or catering in Tokyo!

Eat!Talk! think! It is a hands-on program where you can enjoy international exchange with the five senses.

Second time is Senegal cuisine! I am going to report BORFERLESS DINERS was held on March 31st.

Fresh cuisine you can enjoy looking at! Cheerful Senegalese chef cooked in front.

This time is Live Cooking! that Aly san came to Honancho House in Shinjuku. Participants can see a process of making dishes with talking with Aly san right in front!

Says of Senegal cuisine, it’s so colorful and beautiful because they use papurika, egges, tomatos and any other vegetables.

Being wrapped Fatayer(Samosa Senegal style), being fried Beignet(Donut Senegal style)

The participants were very interested in the dishes onw after another. There are many questions and it’s Aly san time to shine!

First, you enjoyed international experience with your eyes!

Plant to drink! The gut healthy drink that contains baobab and hibiscus

Next is the smell! Enjoy the vivid welcome drinks with baobab and hibiscus!

Besides looking, it also had a good smell. The smell of hibiscus and baobabs mixed up and seem to be in the forest.

Moreover, it seems to have the effect of recovering the intestines, and it is an excellent drink that is good for your skin and beauty as well!

After eating the appetizer Fataya while drinking the welcome drink, we feeled more hungry!

But first, we learned a little bit about Senegal. Aly san talked about Senegal’s population, religion, and language!

“Thank you” is “Jerjev” in Moloch spoken in Senegal

Finally it’s time to eat dishes! Thank you for the chef Aly’s preparation!

Shiny hands! Holding and eating a large dish

In Senegal, lunch is the main meal of the day and staple food is the same rice as Japan.

The dish of rice cooked with platter and rice dishes and side dishes. This is Senegal’s feast!

This time we had a typical rice dish of Chevyap and Sesaginal. What a sumptuous feast!

Chebu means rice, Yap means meat. Sesaginal, a dish made of meat and rice, is rice dish with onion sauce!

Let’s start to eat the beautifully presented dishes with everyone!

but they said…..

“How do you eat even though there are no plates or spoons?”

Fufufu, have you noticed? This program is the international “experience” program, of course, you should eat it by hand just like Senegal!

It is Senegal-style to take a size that is easy to eat, and hold it for a while and then eat.

At first, they started to eat with hands nervously, but we can not stop at the overly delicious Chebyap!

”You are a Senegalese!”
There were people who grab a tip and were praised by Aly san.

Everyone enjoyed the feeling of the hand.”

We were full for lots of delicious food, and noticed what a shiny hand! Good smile!

Looks and tastes of Okinawa food? Senegal and Japan in common

Full, but the dessert is another! After all, we also enjoyed Senegal’s popular Benie by hand.

Senegal’s Benier, when you look closely it looks and tastes so familiar with Sata Andagi in Okinawa …?

“It is no longer Sata Andagi! The only difference is whether raisins are in or out!

The taste that is loved is the same things even if different countries.

Of course the drink is coffee! Senegal coffee contains spice and is very rich!

Make bubbles and pouring in this way!

Actually, Senegal is a coffee lover country because it seems to be drinkable to all ages, male and female even if the taste is very rich.

“A country without homeless people” An aspect of Islam not known in Japan

They seems to be getting eager to know more about Senegal.

From now, we will have a lecture about Senegalese culture and religious to know about Senegal deeply.

“Senegal is an Isramic country in which 95% of the population believe in Isram.
However, the commandment is not so strict and we don’t have bad relationships with the other religious believer.”

Aly told us,
“We, Senegalese Muslims are doing really good with the other religious believer.
I’m Muslim but my school was a catholic one and I have a lot of catholic friends.
Important thing is to take the teachings in actions, live cooperating with neighbors and show gratitude every day.
Since it is really natural to help each other and be thankful, there are no people who are hungry in Senegal although there are people in difficulties due to lack of money of course. Senegal is a country which doesn’t have homeless people.”

We shouldn’t eat all completely in Senegal, “Omotenashi” country!

We shouldn’t eat all completely in Senegal, “Omotenashi” country!

“Do you know that Senegal is a country which has “Omotenashi” culture like Japan.
*”Omotenashi” is a Jaoanese word which means an atitude or an action with a hospitality when we welcome guests.

In Senegal, peoole use the word “Teranga” for “Omotenashi”.
The word has a meaning of taking good care of the connection with other people and sharing it. This meanins also comes from the Isramic teachings.

Aly says, “In Senegal, we don’t lock our house doors so that people who are hungry or who need help can visit anytime.

The Isramic spirits are widespread so that’s why we have this culture. We mustn’t eat the served dishes completely. In other words, they serve lots of dishes we cannot finish.

Even today, Aly prepared the food more than the amount for the number of people.

He says this is because he has a heart of the hospitality which he wants to make the guests feel full.

In Japan, it is not good to leave food so if we eat everything according to the Japanese culture, they serve continuously.

Don’t you think it is really interesting that there is a difference in the dining culture although both country have the same “Omotenashi” culture?

Enjoy differences! This is also the good part of this program!

Islamic culture is to help each other. It is a warm religious culture.

Aly told us that the important thing is not money but the connection with people.

If we live in Japan, there is no opportunity to get to know the Isramic teachings and the way of thinking in life based on the teachings.

This program became a really good one because we could get to know that the Senegalese food is so nice and there are nice culture in Senegal.

Of course we took a photo together at last!

The next program is for Syria!

“BORDERLESS DINERS ~Experience international restaurants and travel around the world ~”
is a program which we hold once in a month only for our tenants!

We will have this program at Syrian restaurant in Ikebukuro next time! What can we experience from the program?

Hope to see you next time!

發表於

International experience through the world’s cuisines! A new program only for our tenants has started!

Hello, everyone! This is Yuya from Borderless House planning team!

It’s getting warmer, spring has arrived! So you must be excited for new life!

With the coming of spring, our new program has started!

The program name is『BORDERLESS DINERS～International Experiences Restaurant for Traveling the World～』

This new hands-on program has started!

Food is closely related to cultural costume! Let’s touch different culture with five sense! See! Feel! Taste!

LINK UP, which was run as a Borderless House exchange program last year. We received many happy comments from the tenants, such as “new connections with other share houses!”

LINK UP is a program which provides the tenants with the opportunity to meet and connect through languages and interests.

During this program, we also received comments that “I want to know more about various countries!” And “I want to touch culture and international experience more deeply!” That is because we restart the program as “BORDERLESS DINERS”.

“BORDERLESS DINERS” is an international experience program focused on “food” in order to make you feel and learn deeply the countries of the world.

We are going to reserve restaurants in various countries in Tokyo for this problem!
Eat! Talk! think! It is a hands-on program where you can enjoy the international exchange with the five senses.

The program will be held once a month for our tenants only. The maximum number of participants is only 20 people in this program, so you can interact with people more closely, which is a bit different from big events!

“Eating” and “learning about” food from other countries. Purpose behind the program

This program was launched with the wish of experiencing different cultures through “food” and enjoying the differences.

Italian, French, Chinese, Korean cuisine and ethnic food such as Thai food!

I believe that these types of dishes are familiar to everyone.

However, there are many countries that you may know the name of such as Myanmar and various African countries, but you have never eaten their foods!

The world has a variety of dishes unique to that country, and each dish has its own story and culture.

For example, because Japan has four seasons and the ingredients available in each season differ, Japanese food culture has developed along with events and seasons.

Furthermore, there must be many people who think of “niku-jaga” when hearing the words Japanese home cooking?

Do you know the origin of this national soul food of niku-jaga? ?

Actually, the origin of niku-jaga is beef stew!

What I mean is, “niku-jaga” was born as a result of the trouble of a certain historical person who could not forget the taste of beef stew and somehow wanted to make it in Japan.

Thus, traditional menu items actually contain rich international origins, and conversely, in some cases, they come from a culture that has been developed for religious reasons, and it can be seen that the origins of foods are very deep!

“Food” is a very familiar means of learning about a country.

It is our hope that while eating the food of a country, you can learn about that country. Through cooking, countries that were previously “unknown” become countries that you “would like to know more about” and “would like to go to”!

We aim to create a program that allows you to experience such things.

Venue changes every month! Traveling through food program, the first country is Myanmar!

This program was held in Myanmar restaurant which is located Takadanobaba on Feb 22.

4 Koreans, 1 Franch, 1 Saudi Arabian, 1 Taiwanese and 8Japanese participated! The ratio of male to female and ratio of nationality aere also slmost 50:50!

Is this place Little Yangon! ? A long-established cafeteria loved in Takadanobaba where 1,500 people from Myanmar live.

In fact, Takadanobaba is a fierce battlefield of Myanmar cuisine with over 20 such restaurants. Ruby, where the event was held this time, is a long-established Burmese restaurant that has been open for 20 years in Takadanobaba! Naturally, the restaurant staff is also from Myanmar! You can enjoy authentic cuisine from Myanmar.

What kind of country is Myanmar? ? The manager of the restaurant told me about Myanmar.

Start of program! What kind of country is Myanmar?

Myanmar is located in Southeast Asia and has about 1.8 times the area of Japan. It is a devoutly Buddhist country with over 100 ethnic groups, and there are several temples and pagodas on the streets.

Myanmar is located in Southeast Asia and has about 1.8 times the area of Japan. It is a devoutly Buddhist country with over 100 ethnic groups, and there are several temples and pagodas on the streets.

Reportedly, when he happened to come to Japan to travel 30 years ago, when he was listed as part of an anti-government organization by the military government, and unable to return home, became a refugee.

I told me valuable stories and exciting stories, such as the story of his time 30 years ago in Japan, the story of being able to return home for the first time in 20 years last year, and stories about Burma during the military administration and Myanmar in the present.

What impressed me the most was the story of Kyaw Kyaw Soe-san’s dream.

“Myanmar, which I returned to for the first time in 20 years, has become unrecognizable, but after since the government has changed, the people have no sense of unity. Therefore, I would like to spread the school song culture that I learned in Japan in Myanmar. I would like to make school songs so that students sing together and head toward the same goal.”

Hearing such precious stories is part of the appeal of this program!

The participants also find it interesting.

And finally, it was time to eat the cuisine from Myanmar!

Myanmar is surrounded by five countries, and Myanmar has absorbed the delicious points of the cuisine of these five countries!

Myanmar food is characterized by being a little bit spicy and a little bit oily.

In fact, Myanmar is surrounded by China, Laos, Bangladesh, Thailand, and India, and it is a multi-ethnic country in which various ethnic groups and cultures are mixed.

Therefore, the variety of dishes is also diverse!

The cultures of the surrounding countries have influenced the cuisine, and there are very good dishes from many countries, as the cuisine has incorporated the spiciness of Indian food, the quick and easy cooking methods of Chinese food, and the sweet and sour taste of Thai food.

This time, various dishes were prepared, such as the national dish that can be eaten in Myanmar to dishes that are eaten for celebrations such as weddings.

This time, various dishes were prepared, such as the national dish that can be eaten in Myanmar to dishes that are eaten for celebrations such as weddings.

Some people were a cautious about trying the foods, and some dug in quickly!

You could hear the voices of the participants at different restaurants saying, “This is spicy”, “This is delicious!”, etc.

The origin of udon is Burmese noodle nan gyi thohk? ! Connections in the world as seen from food!

The origin of udon is Burmese noodle nan gyi thohk? ! Connections in the world as seen from food!

Because there were participants from various countries, the predictions of each person varied! It was a heated discussion!

For example, “The udon salad is probably a kind of reimen in Japan because it is so light.”

“Perhaps sweet foods are used for celebrations? So tapioca and sweet potato desserts must be for weddings!”

Then, the answers were presented.

Have you ever seen this dish?

Don’t you think that it looks like udon?

Yes, this is actually udon found in Myanmar. The name of this dish is nan gyi thohk, and it is a type of udon salad.

The recipe for the noodles is almost the same as that of udon! It is made of soybean flour, and people in Myanmar eat the salad when they want to feel refreshed. It is home cooking and is often eaten as a daily meal. It is the same as in Japan, right!

Then, Kyaw Kyaw Soe-san said that this is the origin of Japanese noodles.”The taste and texture of the noodles are almost the same as those of udon.

so please try it once if you are interested!

There was also a dish called dan bauk, which is eaten during celebrations such as weddings.

It is a simple dish of stewed chicken and butter rice.

But making it is hard!

It is a dish that is very time-consuming to make as various spices are mixed and it is stewed for a long time.

However, once it is made, it can be served immediately like curry, and it was explained that it became a dish of hospitality served for celebrations since guests are not kept waiting.

In this way, even in a seemingly distant country, Japan is actually connected like a relationship with nan gyi thohk,
and we realized that the heart of hospitality for cooking is universal!

If you order “the food served in the Borderless House program”, you will be able to eat these foods, so if you are interested, please check out RUBY in Takadanobaba!

Borderless House, tenants-only program that can connect with over 700 share mates

Finally, recommended spots in Myanmar were presented, and the program was concluded!

Then, a male participant invited everyone to a house party saying, “There will be a party at my shared house in Iriya tonight, so everyone is welcome to join and continue talking about the program!”

In this way, the Borderless House program is also able to connect with more than 700 share mates living in 69 share houses in Tokyo!

Next travel is SENEGAL!We will do live cooking next time in Shinjuku Honan-cho, our share house!

The cheerful senegal chef make Senegal cuisine for participants.I hope you will enjoy the next blog!

Venue and food change every month! Traveling through food international experience restaurant.

Why don’t you stay in Borderless House that you can join this kind of programs?

<Place informationgt;

– Ruby – Myanmar restaurant in Takadanobaba

About LINK UP

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發表於

「帶著外國朋友遊台北」全攻略！（歷史文化篇）

「帶著外國朋友遊台北」系列文又來啦！

大家都知道，台北好吃、好玩的東西非常多，但大家知道嗎？台北也有許多歷史文化景點，非常值得帶外國朋友去探索喔！

今天我們就整理了幾個，值得一去的文化景點，大家不妨帶朋友來趟文化巡禮吧！

大稻埕（迪化街）

早期的大稻埕是南北雜貨最大的散集中心，也因為碼頭的關係，帶來商業的便利性，許多來台貿易的外國商人，讓大稻埕充滿了異國風情。而現在的大稻埕，依然保有十分完善的舊城建築，對於想要一探台北歷史文化軌跡的朋友，是一個非常推薦的地點喔！

»點我看 大稻埕旗袍一日體驗！«

龍山寺

宗教信仰與社會文化有著密不可分的關係，國家二級古蹟的龍山寺，就乘載了許多台灣人民的心靈寄託。其香火鼎盛，每年都會定期舉辦各種民俗祭典，吸引非常多的國際觀光客前往朝聖，除了欣賞台灣廟宇的建築之美，也是一個認識台灣傳統文化非常好的方式。

林本源園邸

位於新北市板橋區的林本源園邸，也被稱為板橋林家花園，其建築為仿蘇州劉源設計，是台灣目前保持最完整的園林建築，現已被登錄為國定古蹟，非常適合帶外國朋友參觀喔！但因為其佔地面積較廣，建議要安排足夠的時間，才能悠閒的欣賞古蹟之美喔！

»點我看 林家花園一日遊Vlog！«

故宮博物院

故宮為台灣最具規模的博物館之一，也是古代中國藝術史與漢學研究機構，絕對是來台北必訪的景點之一！其中的文物收藏十分豐富，像是翠玉白菜、東坡肉、青銅器等等，也不乏帝王級的珍藏，對喜歡中華文化的外國朋友來說，是非常吸引人的喔！

中正紀念堂

中正紀年堂可以說是台灣最具代表性的建築之一。以藍、白兩色為主的本館，象徵國徽中的「青天白日」，而兩側的國家兩廳院建築，則是明清殿堂式建築，十分有特色，很適合帶外國朋友去走走看看。另外，中正紀念堂的廣場，在夏天也有一年一度的戶外爵士派對，有機會的話，不妨帶外國朋友一起參加吧！

 

以上就是我們這次推薦給大家的幾個景點！下次有外國朋友來訪，別忘了帶他們去走走喔！

同場加碼：「帶著外國朋友遊台北」（美食篇）