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

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

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

About the New Project


◆The approach to social problems

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This is our new project – BORDERLESS STATION.

The base of this new project is in Asakusabashi, Tokyo

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

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


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

The Concept of BORDERLESS STATION

There are two main concepts in our new project.

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

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



①Broadcasting station for sharing information on the theme of diversity 

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

How to support this project (Sept 2022)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you very much for your support!

Last Message

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

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

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

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

We look forward to your support.

 

 

 

 

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We are Social Business – BORDERLESS HOUSE

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

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

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

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

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

What is Social Business

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

Image credit: Devon Bunce/Digital Storytellers

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

The key traits and characteristics of Social Business

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

What’s the difference between social business and regular business

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

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

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

Why is Social Business Important

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

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

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

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

‘Creator’ of Multicultural Society – BORDERLESS HOUSE

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

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

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

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

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

Our Vision

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

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

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

 

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WASEDA x BORDERLESS HOUSE ▏ICC One-Day Share House

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

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

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

About the ICC (Intercultural Communication Center)

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

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

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

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

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

Workshop Agenda

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

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

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

Presentations by BORDERLESS HOUSE

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

From sharing about the vision and mission of Borderless House.

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

Workshop1: Is everyone’s life routine different?


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

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

Workshop2: What is senior / junior culture?

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


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

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

Workshop3: Share your impressions and what you learn about

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

Benefits of women living in a share house

Security Side | It’s actually SAFER!

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

Make Besties | You can talk about anything with your roommates

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Then, let me take you back to the event!

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

Fun English Lesson!

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

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

Homemade smoothies

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

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

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

Asakusabashi House Flea Market

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

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

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

Let’s make our own Watagashi (cotton candy)

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

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

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

Compost & Soil Improvers – Eco Sustainable Solutions

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

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

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

Free Lunch!

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

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

Desserts from overseas

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

Live Singing by Mayowa

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

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

Lastly

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

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

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

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

Thank you for reading this to the end!

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

 

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Who Can Enter Japan & What’s Required for the Entry to Japan? May 2022

In this blog, we provide information for foreign nationals looking to travel to Japan, including who can travel to Japan now, and the entry requirements.  

Who Can Enter Japan

Japan is currently opening entry to business visitors, international students enrolled at a Japanese institution, and technical interns. As well as Japanese citizens, permanent residents or temporary residents including spouses and children of Japanese citizens who hold long-term visas, and some short-term business travelers.

Most foreign nations are now able to enter the country, however, you will need to be granted a visa allowing you to enter Japan.. As of April 2022, only persons originating from these countries are NOT able to enter Japan:

However, traveling to Japan with a tourist visa remains PROHIBITED. 

What types of vaccines are accepted for overseas visitors to enter Japan? Is quarantine mandatory upon entry?

From March 1, 2022, the following measures are implemented in Japan: 

  1. The quarantine will not be required for those who have a “Certificate of Vaccination issued outside Japan” + “Completion of the third dose” (only for long-term residents, students, and business visitors in Japan, but not for visitors.) 

  2. For those who have not received the vaccination or completed the third dose and do not have a certificate of eligibility, the period of quarantine will be shortened to 7 days. You can also submit a negative report to the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare after PCR or RT-PCR on the third day after the entry into Japan, and the quarantine can be lifted after confirming that the test is negative.

    What kind of foreign-issued vaccination certificate is eligible and approved by Japan?

・The issuing entity is a public entity such as the government of each country.
・Must be in either Japanese or English. 
・Name, date of birth, vaccine name or manufacturer, date of vaccination, and a number of vaccinations must be included.
・Vaccine type: Doses 1 and 2 must meet the following criteria: Pfizer (Pfizer), AZ (AstraZeneca), Moderna, Janssen (Janssen/Johnson & Johnson/J&J; the first dose is considered the second dose of this vaccine). The third dose must be in accordance with Pfizer BNT (Pfizer), Moderna.

Required documents for entering Japan

❶ Proof of negative test for COVID-19 within 72 hours before the departure time
❷A signed copy of a ‘Written Pledge’ document committing to follow all health procedures
❸Japanese visa
❹ Certificate of vaccination issued by a foreign country approved by Japan
❺ Download three apps: Health and Location Monitoring App (MySOS) to report health conditions, report location, verify location, Location Information App
(Google Maps), and COCOA to track close contacts. If you do not have a smartphone, you must rent one at the airport at your own expense.
❻ Show the QR code of the survey with your residence history or health status (a completed online questionnaire)

After arrival in Japan

Upon arrival and before leaving the airport you have to:

  • ◇ Submit the documents listed above
  • ◇ Undergo another PCR test and return a negative result

Within 24 hours of entering Japan, you may travel by public transportation.

Currently, due to quarantine procedures and other border control measures in response to the COVID-19, all passengers arriving in Japan on international flights take a long time to complete the immigration process.

For more information, please refer to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan website.

We’d love to help you with starting your new life in Japan! ▶WELCOME TO JAPAN

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語言交換｜想免費練習語言和口說，事前該如何準備?

想透過「語言交換」免費練習語言口說，順便認識新的外國朋友，但卻不知道該從哪邊開始準備嗎？ 或是之前有嘗試過「語言交換」，但在過程中遇到一些困難後，就不了了之沒下文了嗎？

那麼這一篇語言交換事前準備一定可以幫助到你!

什麼是語言交換?

語言交換是一種互惠的活動，透過和母語人士或能流利使用該語言者，以聊天的方式練習彼此正在學習的語言。除了能快速地提高口說能力，也能了解到課本上沒有的文化知識和結交一個新的朋友，是一個一舉兩得的好方法。

我適合語言交換嗎?

當你想要透過語言交換來練習語言的時候，可以用以下幾點去確認自己適合嗎?

1) 我的目的是什麼? 是真的想要練習語言呢? 還是只是想要認識外國朋友?

因為語言交換沒有強制性，所以彼此都必須要有很強的語言學習動機，才有可能持續下去。

2) 我的語言能力如何?

通常波編會建議至少要有日常對話的水平會比較好，這樣子在互相對話中，才能逐一修正和改善說法。不然很容易會因為無法溝通，而只持續說一種語言，沒有互相練習到。

3) 我喜歡與人互動嗎?

其實語言交換也算是一種見網友的活動，不論是線上或是面對面，第一次見面都免不了會有尷尬期，所以參加語言交換前，可以先問問自己，有想要認識新的陌生人嗎?對他會有好奇心嗎?

語言交換前要準備什麼呢?

準備內容會因為和語伴合作時間長短而有差異，以下分為初期和中後期：

初期：

1) 確認見面時間和約定語言時間(1小時全中文對話、1小時全外語對話)，並在開始前設好鬧鐘，以免聊得太開心忘記切換語言。

2) 通常第一次見面不外乎就是自我介紹，我為什麼學這個語言? 我平常的興趣是什麼? 我有去哪邊旅行過? 喜歡聽的音樂? 基本上和相親一樣，在聊天過程中找尋彼此共通的話題及有沒有互相投緣，因為這部分也會影響後續的聯絡。

中後期：

和語伴比較熟悉後，逐漸地會開始沒有話題好聊，這時候事前準備就非常重要。

1) 隨時筆記自己在語言學習上遇到的問題，例如不確定這一句話該如何翻譯或是有沒有更道地的說法。也可以攜帶自己的課本或是作業，一起討論疑問的地方。

2) 如果文法上有問題，盡量不要問母語人士，因為他們通常也不太知道該如何解釋，除非語伴是語言學專業，不然會因為要解釋一個文法而浪費很多時間。

3) 可以想一想最近有沒有發生有趣的事情，或是閱讀到一篇有趣的文章、新聞、影片、文化差異或是有趣的議題可以討論。最好是可以帶有一點深度的問題，例如環境保護或是社會問題，一方面練習表達自己的想法和看法，一方面也可以聽到語伴帶著不同角度分析的結果。

4) 寫交換日記吧！語言交換不是只能練習到口說，書寫也是語言運用中很重要的一環。日記內容不一定只能分享日常生活，也可以寫一篇短文閱讀心得或是電影觀後感，這樣子在不知不覺中，寫作的能力也會大大提升呢！

5) 一起出去玩吧！爬山、看電影或是逛逛美術館，你平常和朋友喜歡做哪些事情，就也一起約你的語伴去吧！因為是一起出去玩，所以就不用太嚴格規定要講哪個語言多久，就隨意的切換吧！

6) 報名語言考試檢定吧！可以針對考試內容進行練習，有特定主題和句型。在有壓力的情況下，每次的語言交換就會更認真準備了呢！

語言交換中，我該注意什麼?

1) 在自我介紹的時候，觀察對方的語言程度，並依照語言程度調整自己說話的速度，發音盡量清晰和標準。

2) 語伴在練習語言時，不要自己一直用流利的母語發表意見，而是要多發問，讓語伴可以多多回答自己的想法。例如: 為什麼? 你有什麼想法? 你會怎麼做呢? 都可以常常使用。

3) 可以使用雲端記事本，紀錄互相補充的單字或是句子，之後方便重新閱讀。

去哪裡找語言交換夥伴呢?

現在有許多方式可以找到語言交換夥伴，透過手機APP、網站或是入住國際交流share house。

APP&網站推薦：

1) HelloTalk: 可以使用文字、語音訊息、語音聊天、視訊聊天功能，還能幫對方修正句子、翻譯等輔助功能。也可以上傳圖片和短文，整體功能和Instagram很像。

2) Tandem: 和HelloTalk的功能非常相像，只是APP會主動推播其他會員的資訊，提高配對機率。

3) HiNative: 這是一個Q&A的平台，如果有文法、用字差異或是文章上的問題，都可以在上面發問，通常會有母語人士熱心地回答，也是一個很好用的搜尋引擎。

4) BORDERLESS HOUSE: 是一間和外國人一起住的國際交流share house，透過日常生活去學習語言，也會不定期舉辦各式各樣的活動和提供免費語言交換媒合。

也歡迎參考我們之前的文章(請點此)

BORDERLESS HOUSE是一間和外國人一起住的國際交流share house，在台北有17間物件，分布在台北不同的區域，目前海外分部則在日本東京、大阪和韓國首爾。

發表於

【Quarantine Exemption in Korea】 Did you get fully vaccinated?

 

Did you get fully Vaccinated?
Hello, this is Borderless House again and if your answer is ‘YES’, please check all details below! If not, please click this for your quarantine information.
Those who have completed the 2nd shist hot of COVID-19 infection will be managed the same way as those who received the 3rd shot (even if 180 days have passed after the vaccination, they will be recognized)

Q-Code: Quarantine COVID-19 Defense

Helpful news for using the advance input system for quarantine information before coming to Korea for the quarantine exemption. Please check all guides to this system through here .

Quarantine for Each Target Person

Guidance on the quarantine procedure differs based on the entrant condition. Please refer to the corresponding information and prevent disadvantage in advance upon your entry. Please check the website link below for details.

        Sources from  Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (click)

※Those who have completed vaccinations linked through the COOV system with their vaccination history registered in Korea can be exempted from quarantine from March 21st.
※Those who have completed inoculation overseas because they have not registered
theirvac current entrants from Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, and Myanmar
※For more information, please refer to [KCDC website] → [Notifications] → [Notice].

Procedure of moving in Borderless House Seoul

1. Following all steps for Q-Code above.
2. Arriving in Korea and meeting with Staff at station Near House you reserve.
3. Getting PCR test at Health center. (For long term staying)
4. Before checking the result of the test, keep wearing mask in the house.
5. Next day, Negative – you could go out, Positive – doing quarantine. 

*When you arrive in Korea at late night, we share how to do self-move in by PDF.
*If you get positive after PCR test in Korea, please kindly check all details below.

Borderless House Seoul Quarantine Guideline

When we have COVID-19 positive cases in the sharehouses managed by Borderless Korea Corp.(hereinafter, Company), for the safety of tenants and prevention of the spread of COVID-19, we respond according to the guidelines below, and tenants must cooperate with the response.
This guideline basically follows the response guidelines of the quarantine authorities. However, there may be some differences in consideration of the sharehouse which is a special type of residence.

1. When a tenant has any sign and symptoms of COVID , the tenant immediately conducts a rapid antigen test and shares the results with Company and housemates (House Group Chat).

2. When one of the tenants has the symptoms, all tenants of the house must cooperate with Company staff’s own epidemiological investigation (suspicious route of infection, contact with housemates after the symptoms, other tenants who have symptoms, etc.).

the tenant receives a positive result by rapid antigen test, conduct a PCR test immediately and share the results with Company and your housemates (House Group Chat).

4. From the date on which the quarantine notice is received as a result of PCR test, in principle, the confirmed tenant should leave the house temporarily and
self-quarantine in another place.
4-1. Through our staff’s own epidemiological investigation, if there is a high possibilityof additional positive cases in the house, the tenants will not do temporary move-out until the other housemates get the PCR test results.
4-2. In the event of a large number of positive cases, the quarantine way is adjusted in consultation with Company and the tenants in consideration of the proportion of positive cases.

5. In the case of self-quarantine in another place, in principle, the confirmed tenant seeks a place to isolate himself, and Company is not responsible for this
. If a confirmed tenant cannot find a place, Company may help to reserve a place, but the confirmed tenant does not object to the conditions (location, equipment, price, etc.) of the place.

6. If a confirmed tenant is quarantined in another place, in accordance with Article 12 of Tenancy Contract, Company does not charge the rent during the quarantine period.

7. Company will sanitize the house after the quarantine measures are completed.
According to of Tenancy Contract, the cost will be charged to the confirmed tenants.

8. If the tenant does not follow the above guidelines, Company may regard it as a
violation of Article 7 of Regulations and rules in The Premise and may move out
according to Article 10 of Tenancy Contract, and the tenant is responsible for any
disadvantages.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact us.
We hope to see you here in the near future. 
Thank you and stay safe.

發表於

No War ━ Hope for a Peaceful Future ━

The Russian military invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022.

We at BORDERLESS HOUSE believe that fostering mutual understanding across national boundaries is the key to sowing the seeds of peace and deterring conflict in the world, and we have nurtured a business that provides a place for international exchange.
Since the start of our business in 2008, more than 10,000 young people from 111 countries have lived together at BORDERLESS HOUSE and fostered mutual understanding. Of course, there are many Russian and Ukrainian residents among them.

While there are various ideologies, value systems, and ways of defending one’s country, the fact is that these clashes are now taking place in the form of war. Many innocent people are suffering. We are speechless when we think of the peo[;e who must be suffering in this situation.


I am absolutely against the use of force and war for any reason. “No War”


Our hearts go out to all those who have suffered from this tragedy, and we only hope that peace will come as soon as possible.

What we can do.

Amidst the worsening situation and social unrest, the government’s border control measures against the COVID have been lifted and allowed foreign students, who had long been denied entry to Japan, to resume their studies in Japan, and many of them will return to live in Japan as foreign citizens. Although it has only been a few days since the ban was lifted, we are grateful to have received many requests from international students who want to live with various people in Japan.

We, BORDERLESS HOUSE, will continue to nurture our business more wholeheartedly for the realization of a society where foreign citizens can live in peace, and where people with different upbringings, backgrounds, and values can live together peacefully.

This may sound like mere idealism in the face of the tragedies happening in the world today. Some may think it is meaningless because of how little we can do.

Nevertheless, we at BORDERLESS HOUSE believe that we, the citizens of the world, rather than the leaders of governments and countries, should be the ones to continue to nurture the bonds of friendship that transcend national boundaries, and that this is a sure step toward world peace. We will continue to work on this.

We will continue to work for a peaceful future.
Above all, we express our condolences for all the lives lost in this conflict and sincerely hope that no more precious lives will be sacrificed.

Borderless House
Representative – Seiichi Lee
All staff members

 


Lastly, I would like to share with you our activities for “Ukrainian Refugee Admission” initiated by NPO WELgee, a partner of BORDERLESS GROUP.

Seven actions that Japan can take to help refugees from Ukraine
https://www.change.org/voice4ukrainian_refugees

發表於

Experience share house life with Trial Stay Campaign at Borderless House – True Voice from the tenants

We, BORDERLESS HOUSE, strive to create a multicultural environment in Japan and promote cultural exchange with Japan and other countries all over the world. In order to let more foreigners have the chance to experience living and participating in this kind of community, we started this campaign that offers people to stay at an international share house to take a test run of living in a share house with the minimum budget, just to take a test run of living in a share house!

What is ”Trial Stay Campaign”?

With the trial campaign, you can stay at BORDERLESS HOUSE rent-free for up to two months and get a taste of what it’s like living there! All you need to pay are the deposit and 2-month monthly utilities! We’d like to minimize your worries on moving costs and offer you a low initial fee and a big discount on the rent (which is totally FREE for two months), so you can focus on enjoying experiencing the share house life without worrying about spending a lot of money.

So far, over 70 people have benefited from this campaign!

If you’re interested, here are more details about the campaign. You can also check over 25 campaign houses in the Tokyo and Kansai area. We’ve got plenty of options for you to choose from! 

So now, let’s get into the topic! 

We’ve had interview surveys with our tenants who use our ”Trial Stay Campaign” and let hear out the true voices of their trial stay at Borderless House!
*This campaign ended on 2022/3/14.

True Voices from the tenants

Why did you want to use this campaign at first?

Rai from Kugahara House:

When I had to move out from the dorm and was looking for a place to stay, I googled “share house” on Google and found Borderless House. Since I was a student with a tight budget, I was looking for something that is cheap, either with a low initial fee or a rent discount, and then I was lucky to see the Trial Stay Campaign offers both, which enables short-term stay as well. I was attracted by the campaign but was still concerned about it, so I did some researches and saw many good reviews and comments for Borderless House.

Then I just applied for a room viewing. After the room viewing, I was very satisfied, because the staff who helped me are very friendly and the living environment looks great. The quality of everything is good in general even when the moving fees are low!

How do you like this campaign so far?

David from Osaka Tsuruhashi1 House:

I really think Borderless House staff does a great job helping the people who live here with everything and they care a lot about the quality of the property as well as resolving issues.

I haven’t been able to participate very much in the online events because I’m working full time, but I think Borderless House is good because I can still interact with my housemates to get a feeling of community and to make friends in Japan. 

Thank you very much for the summer trial campaign, and I hope that my friend who I referred to Borderless House is able to get the trial campaign as well if it is extended!

What do you like the most during your trial stay at Borderless House? 

Jade from Tokyo Harajuku-Kitasando House:

I really liked meeting former tenants and tenants from other Borderless House. It created a really friendly atmosphere! 

David from Osaka Tsuruhashi House:

When I first moved in, there was an issue with the lock on my door. We also had an issue with a bad neighbor. However, the staff helped us fix the problems and staying at this house has been very nice ever since! Also. the campaign had perfect timing because I needed financial assistance to move to my new job in Osaka. It helped me have a comfortable move to a new city to start working here!

Share with us about your experiences so far?

Rai from Tokyo Kugahara House:

People at my house are very kind and friendly, and we maintain the house cleanliness together pretty well. Compared with when I was living in a dormitory, it’s so much better to stay at a share house like Kugahara House. Even though everyone is quite busy with their life or work, whenever we meet each other at the house, the atmosphere is always good. We would have a small chat about our life or just greet each other, so it felt like a home-like environment for me. I am very comfortable living with everyone. We respect each other as well. I think the reason why the people are all really nice here is that Borderless House has a screening process, and I appreciate it. It secures the quality of the house community as I think the housemates who you are living with are very important. My decision of whether I am extending my stay or not after the trial stay period is also depending on it, And now, I would very much like to continue my stay at Borderless House Kugahara.

So you have extended your stay at Borderless House after your Trial Stay ended, could you tell us the reasons that make you continue your stay?

E.D from Musashi-Koyama House:

When I first moved in, the house community was not so active at the beginning. However, more housemates have moved in and things have been changing gradually. Everyone is very nice and cooperative. The atmosphere and the community at the house are very good now. When I was living alone, I was feeling lonely when I’m home, but now I have my housemates to keep me company. Also, I was able to practice my Japanese with my housemates. 

Have you compared Borderless House with other accommodation choices?

K.B from Shinagawa-Togoshi House:

I was in a tight financial situation at that time and I considered other houses running the same campaign too but I chose Borderless share house for some reasons. I like the concept of Borderless House. The concept of Borderless House is to bring young people from all over the world and make them live under the same roof to share diverse experiences in a multicultural environment and to create a multi-cultural symbiotic society that is open-minded and free of discrimination. I’m glad that I made the right choice as I enjoy my stay here and the staff is all friendly and accommodating.

Would you recommend this campaign to others?

Etienne from Musashi-Koyama House:

I have already introduced Borderless House to my friends already, actually! 

The main reason is that from my experience, it’s very easy to reach out to the staff wherever I have any questions or problems, they also respond to me very quickly, it helps me a lot and also makes me feel very relieved. Moreover, the staff all can speak English, I feel the communication is very easy. 

Not to mention the campaign, there’s no initial fee such as shikikin and reikin which saves a lot of money. As well as the process of booking the room is very simple and easy, I didn’t have to find a guarantor or insurance company, which saves me a lot of time and makes moving much more convenient!

So I’d recommend Borderless House to my friends and hope they can also be benefited from the campaign.

Are you curious about what it is looking like at our sharehouse?

Take a look at this video that shows you inside of BORDERLESS HOUSE!