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【Original Program】Talk anytime anywhere! Connect! Become Friends! What makes Language Exchange so appealing?

Hello everyone! I am Yuya in charge of PR!
This is quite sudden, but do you know “Language Exchange”, Borderless House’s online communication matching program?

After starting this program in April 2020, we had many participants and great feedback from them.
Today I would like to introduce you this “Language Exchange” program!

This is how this program started.

An online program that makes it possible to connect with the world while staying at a share house! What is Language Exchange?

Language Exchange is an online communication program where people who share common hobbies, target languages,
the countries they want to visit can connect and enjoy the communication.

<This is for YOU>
・Those who want to enjoy studying abroad and traveling overseas
・Those who want to practice out the language you learned
・Those who want to try learning new languages
・Those who want new encounters (with new people and their experiences)
・Those who want to find new information and broaden your knowledge

This is a practical way of learning through deep conversations with your partner on common interests.

Matching with the perfect partner!

Our staff will match you with a perfect partner based on the questionnaires. This is a one-on-one conversation through an online chat tool.

This one-on-one conversation with your partner (not group conversation) will help to know each other deeper.

Not only Japanese, but you can also choose the language you want to learn. So you can try learning new languages and connect with the person from the country you want to visit or study in. New encounters mean more than just language learning. This is another feature of this program.

Details of this program and how to apply

●Date & Time: Scheduled between the partners
●Target Language: Various languages (Japanese, Korean, French, German, etc.)
●Free of charge
●Participants: Limited to former or current tenants of Borderlss House
●How to apply
Step1
Entry is easy!
Please apply from the form below.
Application form

Step2
Borderless House will do the matching based on the form!
A Skype group will be created and we will organize the date for the first meeting and explain the procedures.

Step3
The day of the program
Start with introducing yourself! Enjoy talking based on the topic cards! (First time 40 minutes)

Step4
Answer the survey after the first session. Based on the survey, we will organize the next session.
From the second meeting, it will be just you and your partner.

Overcoming language barriers! Comments from the participants who made new friends through this program!

– This program looks fun, but I feel nervous about talking with new people
– What if I cannot speak well
– What happens when we run out of topics to talk about

To those who feel this way, please let me show you the real comments from the participants

Daniel: Dream of studying in Japan finally coming true! But he needed to put it off because of the coronavirus pandemic

ーWhat made you join this program?
I was planning to study in Japan and move into Borderless House. But, I needed to put it off because of the coronavirus situation three days before the departure and I was very disappointed. That was when I found this program and I decided to join because I wanted to talk with native Japanese speakers.

ーHow was the program?
I was very glad to talk with a Japanese native partner. By talking with him, I could get to know more about Japan. My hobbies are learning new languages and cultures. My partner told me about Japan’s regional cultures that I wouldn’t know without him and recommended me places to visit.
I felt very excited even though I cannot visit Japan right now

ーWhat was your partner like?
I have joined this program twice so far and talked to two Japanese partners. It was easy to talk to both of them because we all shared the same hobby, traveling. The program was for 40 mins but it was not enough when we had a great chat, so we arranged the second meeting.
My Japanese isn’t very well and my English is not as good as native speakers. When we had something we don’t know, we searched words and used chat messages, so I felt a sense of achievement too lol

ーPlease tell us your thoughts on this program!
I joined this program in hope of practicing out my Japanese and getting to know more about Japan. I ended up having deeper conversations about each other’s cultures and interests than I thought, and I also made friends across the border.

I made a promise to visit the partner in Japan, so I can’t wait to visit the places we talked about. I am looking forward to the next session.

Miyu: Her hobby is traveling!


ーWhat made you join this program?
I like traveling abroad and I hope to study abroad someday. Because I haven’t decided which country to go to, I wanted to talk to people from different countries.
Also, I wanted to improve my English skills.

ーHow was the program?
I realized that talking with native speakers is the best way to improve language skills.
When you study by yourself from textbooks, it can be boring and does not last long. But when you have a partner, you can keep yourself motivated. Also, I feel excited to connect with someone overseas. I enjoyed it a lot because I could talk about various genres.

ーWhat was your partner like?
When we first talked by chat messages, I was not sure what she was like because of language barriers. But it turned out she was a friendly lovely person after we talked on a video call. I want to meet her in person someday.
She was not a native English speaker, so we had some difficulties but I will try harder next time.

ーPlease tell us your thoughts on this program!
I learned that it was important to have the courage to say “I don’t understand” when I have something unsure.
Communication between non-native speakers can be hard sometimes, but we could get closer by asking questions over and over again.

Through a computer screen, you can connect with people overseas, share each other’s culture and ideas, meet with new people, which makes this program a great one. What makes it even greater is the fact that it is free of charge(Thank you Borderless House!) and easy to participate from home.

Through Language Exchange, spread your “likes” to the world across the border!


As long as you have an internet connection and devices, you can connect from everywhere in the world and make friends throughLanguage Exchange program, Why don’t you meet your language partner through this program?

Please apply from the form here.

We are looking forward to your participation!

Other programs & reviews

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波波暑期換宿 – 替室友辦個活動吧！

BORDERLESS HOUSE Taiwan在今年舉辦了第一屆的「波波暑期換宿」活動，提供了為期一個月的的免費住宿，給對share house生活有興趣的同學喔！而這次就有四位女孩通過了面試，加入BORDERLESS HOUSE的大家庭，和我們一起體驗共居生活！

而入住Share House除了生活上的互動及文化交流外，室友間的日常小活動也是非常重要的，在這一個月的期間，四位波波們都各自替家中室友舉辦了一場小活動，讓我們一起來看看他們的Vlog和Blog吧！

中山2：Tutorㄅㄆㄇ

許多入住BORDERLESS HOUSE的外國室友，都是在台灣學習中文的學生，所以如果生活上能有更多機會練習中文，對他們來說是在好不過了！所以入住了中山2見的波波──品瑄，和好友Bella共同替日本室友舉辦了「Tutorㄅㄆㄇ」的中文課程喔！除了學習中文，還一起寫書法，練習打中國結，讓日本室友們也覺得收穫滿滿！

大安2：室友歡迎會

住在share house裡，迎新送舊是很常有的事情，趁著最近有好幾位新室友加入大安2這個大家庭的機會，波波──宜庭，決定替新室友舉辦一個歡迎會，邀請了所有的室友們加入電影之夜，一起大啖Pizza和超台灣味的鹽酥雞喔！

芝山1：Bye Bye 歡送會

新室友會來，舊室友當然也會有離開的一天，入住芝山1的波波──羽倩，在暑期換宿的尾聲，也正好遇上了來自冰島的室友Kia要回國了，於是羽倩決定替Kia舉辦了bye bye party，而因為來自冰島的Kia非常喜歡騎腳踏車，派對結束後，一夥人還陪著Kia到河堤邊夜騎腳踏車、吹吹風，讓我們來看看羽倩的活動紀錄分享吧！

新埔1：台灣零食同樂會

你們最喜歡的台灣零時是什麼呢？入住新埔1的波波──暄淇，發現許多台灣人愛吃的零食，外國室友們竟然都沒有嘗試過呢！於是她決定在家裡舉辦了零時同樂會，邀請外國室友們加入，一起品嘗經典的台灣零食，並排名選出自己最喜歡哪一樣！下面就是暄淇為這個活動所寫部落格，快來看看你最愛的零食有沒有上榜吧！

日本女孩評測 – 9種必吃台灣零食！ by 暄淇

之前和日本室友分享我個人超愛的義美巧克力酥片，發現已經在台灣唸書快一年的她竟然還沒吃過，於是我便下定決心要舉辦一個台灣零食同樂會！

當天我準備了9樣台灣零食讓他們品嚐！

這些零食都是台灣人小時候去校外教學，或者去畢業旅行時必帶的東西！
都是相當有名氣也很容易取得的零食，在各大賣場/超市/便利商店都能夠買到，
甚至在一些網路商店上也都能找到～

原本以為義美巧克力酥片會是她們最喜歡的，沒想到她們居然最愛蚵仔煎洋芋片！
不過她們表示，並不是因為甜的零食不好吃，而是因為很多日本相似口味的甜零食比台灣的好吃很多，因此鹹的零食在這次的零食同樂會才會佔優勢！

以下就是台灣9種必吃零食排名！

最後的最後！

你們知道乖乖有個有趣的都市傳說嗎？
沒有的話，你有發現你常常在機器上看到乖乖嗎？
那是因為，乖乖有好好做某件事或者不出包的意思，放在機器上就是要機器乖乖，而且只能放綠色包裝的！因為機器亮紅燈或黃燈的話通常是它出問題了，
因此紅色包裝跟黃色包裝都是不能放的呦！

你相信這個都市傳說嗎？還是你覺得太迷信了呢？

以上就是四位波波為家裡室友所舉辦的小活動，不知道大家覺得如何呢？

入住國際交流Share House除了可以，除了認識新朋友，日常的生活也可以更豐富喔！對共居生活有興趣的朋友，快來加入我們吧！

>>我想看看共居房間<<

>>BORDERLESS HOUSE活動回顧<<

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Working Holiday in Japan❘ Things you need to know

Hello, this is Ting from Borderless House. I’m from Taiwan and I came to Japan with a working holiday visa in 2007. It gave me a chance to explore Japan in-depth, have more adventures, and try more new things in different cities since I could stay for a maximum of one year with this program. For me, the best thing about this opportunity is to have the most freedom to figure out if I really want to live in Japan or not. So I would like to recommend it to those who have been thinking about moving to Japan and wanting to get a taste of Japan! So in this blog, I would like to briefly introduce Working Holiday in Japan and how to apply, as transitioning to a foreign country is not an easy task and you should prepare as much as possible! I also hope it would help you to figure out if a working holiday is right for you.

What is a Working Holiday?

The purpose of a Working Holiday in Japan is to foster cultural exchanges and promote mutual understanding between Japan and its partner countries/regions. The program is designed to provide the youth (must be under 30 years of age) with opportunities to appreciate the culture and general way of life. It allows the participants to live and work in Japan without a full-time job, a university or language school course, or any visa sponsor. Young people from various nationalities with a Working Holiday visa are allowed to be on vacation around Japan and also do a part-time job to cover some of their travel costs. The visa is valid for 1 year. And each individual can only participate in Working Holiday programs ONE time in life. Since the main purpose of doing a working holiday is to experience the culture and lifestyle in Japan, instead of doing paid work and earning money, people who participate in working holiday in Japan can also apply for temporary academic activities, voluntary work without pay or internship without pay. Just remember, this visa is specifically designed for you to have a lot of free time to travel around Japan, then to do some work to make money so you can travel more.

Who can apply for the working holiday visa in Japan? (Eligibility)

<Countries/Regions> Since 1980, Japan started working holiday programs, until now, Japan has introduced the programs with the 26 countries/regions in the world. As of 1st April 2020, citizens of the following countries and regions are eligible for a working holiday visa in Japan: Argentina/Australia/Austria/Canada/Czech Republic/Chile/Denmark/Estonia/France/Germany/Hong Kong/Hungary/Iceland/Ireland/ Korea/Lithuania/Netherlands/New Zealand/Norway/Poland/Portugal/Slovakia/Spain/Sweden/Taiwan/United Kingdom <Age> A working holiday visa is a special visa for young people between the age of 18 and 30, both inclusive at the time of application for the visa. However, for Australia, Canada, and the Republic of Korea, an applicant should be between 18 and 25 years of age except in those cases where the competent authorities of Japan agree to extend the limitation of age to 30 years. As for Iceland, the applicant should be between 18 and 26 years of age.

How to prepare for a Working Holiday in Japan?

To prepare for a Working Holiday visa, there are 2 most important parts of the processes which are gathering all the required documents and sending your application to the he Japanese Embassy, and then settling in: ①Application/Paperworks The first step is to fill out the Visa Application Form which includes your basic information, such as nationality, age, and passport details. There is also a section with yes or no questions about your legal and criminal past, which means you must have a clean criminal record to participate in the working holiday visa program. A passport-style photo which was taken within six months to the application is also required. You are also required to submit a proposed itinerary and outline of the intended activities. As I mentioned – the main purpose of the Working Holiday for you should be experiencing the country, so the Japanese government wants you to go to every corner of its beautiful country, and that’s basically what you need to write about on your proposed itinerary. You can demonstrate some detailed travel plans to show you’ve done the research and you’re well planned. But of course, this is flexible and you can always change your plans afterward when you get to Japan. They’d love to see you are not just visiting the capital or tourism spots, but planning to visit multiple prefectures instead. ②Housing After you get the visa and you are ready to go to Japan, the next thing you may be concerned about is probably housing. And I would recommend starting out living at a share house for sure since living in a share house gives you chances to meet many people from all over the world, it helps you to get advice and support from others and immerse yourself in the local culture and make local friends. It may bring you some good changes in your plan in Japan! And you don’t need a guarantor to rent a room at a share house. Moreover, the minimum stay at share houses is usually one month, which is about a good amount of time to explore a city. It’s also easier to cancel or extend the contract, that can keep the flexibility of your plan! On top of that, the shared house is fully furnished, so you can basically just move in with a suitcase. So I believe staying at a shared house is the best choice for when you first get to Japan and still sorting things out! Check share houses in Tokyo Check share houses in Osaka/Kyoto/Kobe ③Other necessary preparations -Money: For the application, you are required to prove you have sufficient funds in the bank to pay for your stay in Japan (around $3,000). But Japan is considered to be one of the most expensive countries in the world, especially a big city like Tokyo, so you usually will need to prepare more than that if you don’t plan to get a job and start to work right after you arrive in Japan. Depends on each person, you can check this blog for your reference about the cost of living in Japan. -Insurance: One of the mandatory things that you have to do before your arrival in Japan is to subscribe to the national health insurance plan. -Internet: You will have Wifi at home if you choose to stay at a shared house, and there is Wifi access at the convenience stores, train stations, and most cafes and restaurants as well. Another handy option is a Pocket WiFi, which is usually charged with monthly payment, which is more flexible. And you can also check out some SIM card options at BIC Camera or Yodobashi Camera, there are many plan options designed for foreigners with a lower cost. Or you can check this mobile service for foreigners.

Staying in Japan after Working Holiday

If you are enjoying your life too much in Japan and you intend to stay longer in Japan rather than going back home, converting to a standard working visa is possible! But you will need a company willing to sponsor you so you can get a work visa that allows you to stay for extra 1,3 or 5 years! So if you are interested in getting a regular working visa after your working holiday visa ends, feel free check our 【Ē・SHOKU・JŪ 】Housing & Career Support Program that helps you to land your dream job in Japan and stay for a longer period in Japan! If you love Japan and would like to spend more time in the country to experience the culture, learn the language, or you’d just simply love to have more adventures in Japan, a working holiday program could be the best option for you! Especially if your country is one of the partner countries with Japan, you should seize the opportunity! Best of all, applying for the working holiday program is entirely free! If you meet the above criteria, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t apply. This could be a life-changing step for you 🙂
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【New Campaign】Don’t be nervous! Your First Korean Friend is waiting!

Draw on your future in Korea with your First Foreign Friend 🙂
You will have fewer worries and more expectations!

Are you worried about what the Corona situation in Korea is like , what it would be like to live in Korea , and live in the Borderless House?

Thank you for visiting the Borderless House even as the country ‘s immigration restrictions have been made due to the Covid -19.

Borderless House thought about how we could help those who are looking for Korea even in difficult situations.

“When we go abroad, what will make our minds comfortable?”

The biggest help was a friend.

A friend who can ask questions before go,
A friend who will be greeted for the first time as soon as I arrive in Korea ,
A friend who can hang out in Korea.

Borderless will introduce such a friend for the first time.

Ask your first Korean friend about the Korean situation and draw on your future in Korea.

You will have fewer worries and more expectations!

What is ‘My First Foreign Friend’?

It is a program that Borderless House will match you and foreign (Korean) friend to each other in advance before you move in. 

Who are we looking for? 

• New tenants who have decided to move in

ex) New moved Foreign + Korean current tenant
      New moved Korean + Foreign current tenant

A resident living in Borderless House can match a new Korean resident , so please apply comfortably!

You either meet your first foreign friend and be someone ‘s first friend ! 

What is the difference between the existing language exchange program? 

The language exchange program is that focuses on matching Language Exchange partners to share Language needs.


My First Friend program ‘s purpose is to improve the quality of language and cultural exchange experiences.

It is an active matching program that attempts to overcome the situation where it is difficult to guarantee the quality of the global community due to the current Corona situation.

Benefits for My First Friend participants

1.
“I ‘m not afraid to go to Korea!”

Ask your friend! 

– What’s the status of Corona in Korea?
– Where do I see the information about the area I will move in ?
– Where do I buy masks in Korea?


2.
“I ‘m not lonely while I ‘m in quarantine in Korea”

you can play online with your first friend!
If you meet later, plan where you will go and what you: -) 



3.
Borderless House supports your relationship!
Build a lot of memories with your first!

• If you send us a certified shot, the Borderless House will buy the coffee!

• If you two are leading a house meeting with other housemates, Borderless House will buy pizza!


How do you participate? 

Decide to move in> Ask Borderless staff > Matching with tenants
(It may take time to match, depending on the number of applicants. Even if you move in after applying, the matching will proceed normally)


 • Apply ㅣ tenant @ borderless-house. com
• Visit the Online Borderless Hosue ㅣ https://www.borderless-house.kr/kr/all/


Then, Borderless would like your attention to be very much appreciated 🙂 

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【Online House Tour】 You can check the house in advance even from abroad!

 

Hello everyone, this is Ayako from Borderless House Seoul.
I hope all are doing well and staying safe.

Today, I would like to share a great service that Borderless House Seoul has been started for the people being interested in our share houses!

 

We are pleased to announce that we are currently conducting an Online room-viewing! (*Only for common space.) We provide this service to all people who need to see the house before making an decision for reservation. 

Generally, before deciding on which house to move in, many people wish to take a look at the actual property first in order to make the best decision. However, sometimes it’s difficult if you are still abroad or in different cities or too busy to visit, etc. We hope this service helps you a lot!

What is Online room-viewing?

Online room-viewing will be conducted via Skype, KakaoTalk or LINE. Our staff will use video chat to show you around all the common spaces in the house, such as living room, kitchen, bathroom, and laundry space, etc. You will have the opportunity to see how the current condition in the house that you are interested in looks like.

Online room-viewing usually takes about 40 minutes. We will show you the details of the house environment first, and after that, we will also give you some time for questions. Of course, we will offer you all the information that you may need.

What is good about Online room-viewing?

Online room-viewing allows you to do it from anywhere around the world.

Moreover, you will have the chance to speak with the current residents and ask them any questions that you might have or anything that you are curious about. They would be very happy to share their personal experiences with you and give you an idea of how the share house is like.

Online room-viewing is not just convenient but through the real-time look would also be helpful for you in making a decision.

How to apply for Online room-viewing

● If you already decided the house you would like to see.

1. Send us a “Room viewing” request form from our web page of the room/house you are interested in.

2. We will arrange the date and time of your online room-viewing with you.

3. On the day of Online room-viewing, our staff will show you the house via Skype, KakaoTalk or LINE whichever you prefer.

 

● If you have not decided the house you would like to see.

1. Send us an “Inquiry” form. Our staff will email you and give you house suggestions based on your preferences and conditions.

2. Pick the house that you like and send us the “Room viewing” request form from our web page.

3. After we receive the form, we will arrange the date and time of your online room-viewing with you.

4. On the day of Online room-viewing, our staff and one of the residents will be showing you the house via Skype, KakaoTalk or LINE whichever you prefer.

 

Even though we don’t have the chance to visit the house in person, I believe by having a real-time house tour would also help you find the best house in Seoul!

 

Check our share houses in Seoul. -> Click here!

If you would like to have further information or if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. -> Click here!

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Japan to Allow Re-entry for some Foreign Residents from August 5th Gradually

Hope you are all well! This is Ting from Borderless House.

As you may know, the entry ban has caused a severe impact on foreign residents of Japan who are stuck overseas. One good news, the Japanese government has begun accepting applications from these foreign residents seeking re-entry to Japan, allowing them to come back to Japan gradually.

This month, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Japan just announced that the government will allow foreign nationals to re-enter Japan from August 5th. We are happy to see some workers and international students who have been locked out of the country will be permitted to come back to Japan. We finally see the first step toward reopening the border gradually since the pandemic.

Who will be permitted to re-enter Japan

According to the report from the Japanese government, there are about 100,000 foreigners with valid residency statuses have been waiting overseas for coming back to Japan. And about 88,000 of them who left the country before the travel ban will be given priority to come back to the country. These individuals are international students who have already enrolled in the study abroad programs, businessmen, researchers, technical interns, and residents with working or other valid statuses.

The measure only applies to those who left the country before April 2nd and have not been able to return to Japan due to entry bans implemented to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. Unfortunately, foreign residents who departed Japan after April 3rd or who have new plans to move here will be given lower priority for entry to Japan. Also, it does not cover people who are currently living in Japan who want to go overseas for non-essential purposes.

There are only a few exceptions, the government has allowed re-entry to foreign nationals who have special reasons to leave Japan, such as attending a family funeral or undergoing a medical operation, and summons from a foreign court to appear as a witness.

Specific conditions for re-entry

Those foreign residents who want to re-enter Japan will have to take necessary procedures at the local Japanese Embassy or consular office in their countries. They must obtain the documents confirming their re-entry permission from their local Japanese Embassy.

These individuals will be required to take PCR tests at the time of their departures to confirm they are not infected with the coronavirus and provide proof that within 72 hours before their flight that they have undergone a PCR test. They will also have to take another PCR test upon entering Japan.
*PCR test= polymerase chain reaction test

Other than the test, a 14-day observation of one’s health condition prior to their arrival is also required. And if the tests are negative, they must self-quarantine for another 14 days upon their arrival.

As the limited capacity of conducting PCR tests at quarantine stations at airports remains a problem. The Japanese government aims to set up “PCR Centers” at three main international airports in Japan: Narita, Haneda, and Kansai airports by September. The government is expected to increase inspection capacity to 10,000 people per day. Meanwhile, to prevent the coronavirus from crossing the border, they would set a quota of 500 re-entries per day for the moment.

Next stage & Keep being BORDERLESS

“It is important to gradually resume international movement of people,” Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said. The Japanese government will start negotiating with some countries and regions, including New Zealand, Australia, Cambodia, Singapore, China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Macau, Brunei, Malaysia, Myanmar, Mongolia, Laos, and Taiwan, to ease travel restrictions for business people.

Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, it has become difficult for everyone in many ways. For us, as one of the concepts at Borderless House is to keep the ratio of 50% of Japanese and 50% of non-Japanese to live together in one house, however, we haven’t been able to have more foreign residents to move in Borderless House in the past few months. Being able to live with people from various countries has been the greatest value of living in Borderless House, we will keep our value and protect “BORDERLESS HOUSE” in this difficult time.

We keep working on developing amazing services to our residents and we will continue creating great opportunities to connect with people from all over the world. Of course, we won’t stop promoting Borderless House to more people actively!

Stay safe and we look forward to seeing you again at BORDERLESS HOUSE!

▼▼▼Check our updated blogs regarding COVID-19 & Share House▼▼▼

Regarding our policies in prevention of spreading of COVID-19(2020.07.20)

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

Surviving Coronavirus in a Tokyo Sharehouse

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【線上 House Tour】Borderless House開放即時線上看房囉！

大家好，我是Borderless House的Ting。最近大家都過得好嗎？今天我想要跟大家介紹Borderless House最近的「線上看房」服務，希望對Borderless House的物件感興趣及在看這邊文章的你有幫助！

通常，在決定希望入住的Share House以前，有許多人都會希望可以看看真正Share House的環境或是設備等等是什麼樣子，以便選擇到最適合自己的Share House。但是可能卻因為許多不同的原因無法親身到Share House看房。比如說是人尚未在日本，想要在海外直接訂房，或是人正在其他的城市無法到之後要搬過去的城市看房等等。抑或是因為目前因為肺炎的關係，我們正禁止非住客以外的人至Share House參觀看房。

不過，我們依然希望可以提供看房的服務給有需求的你。
所以Borderless House目前正實施「線上看房」的服務！

 什麼是線上看房

「線上看房」透過視訊的方式，使用 Zoom, Skype, 或是 Line等通訊軟體進行。我們的員工以及現在Share House的房客會帶您參觀Share House的客廳、廚房、飯廳、浴室、洗衣空間等所有公共區域，所以您能夠實際看見目前Share House的生活環境，或是看看您所感興趣的Share House的真實樣貌。

「線上看房」的過程大約會花40分鐘左右，除了介紹您Share House的公共設施以及生活環境之外，我們在看房的最後也會讓您向我們目前的房客和員工發問，若是您有關於Share House的任何大大小小問題，或是關於訂房流程及未來入住之後的相關問題都可以在「線上看房」時一次解決！

線上看房的好處是什麼

您可以在世界上的各個地方和我們預約，進行「線上看房」!

您有機會可以認識到您未來的室友，或是詢問目前的房客任何關於Share House的問題，以及您所好奇的事情。我們的房客們都會很樂意與您分享他們個人的親身經驗，以及讓您了解到實際入住Share House可能會遇見的問題，或是平常室友們的相處情形等等。

並非只是透過照片或是影片，您能夠感受到Share House真正的氣氛！
好奇Share House是什麼或是想知道Share House是否有什麼規則，都能夠一窺究竟。

「線上看房」不僅很方便，更能夠幫助您在挑選未來的居住環境上做出最正確的選擇。

如何申請線上看房

如果您已經決定好線上看房的House
1.請至官網您喜歡的那間房間或是House的頁面向我們寄出”看房申請表”
2. 收到您的申請表後，我們會與您安排SKYPE通話的時間，以確定您的看房及個人資訊，並在SKYPE通話結束以前和您預約「線上看房」的日期和時間
3. 在您「線上看房」的當日，我們的員工以及現在的房客會透過Zoom, Skype, 或 Line三方通話的方式帶您參觀我們的Share House

如果您尚未決定希望線上看房的House
1.寄出<諮詢表>給我們。填妥您希望的各種找房條件，我們員工會根據您的需求為您推薦Share House
2. 等您選定喜歡的Share House後，至官網那間Share House的頁面向我們寄出”看房申請表”
3. 收到您的申請表後，我們會與您安排SKYPE通話的時間，以確定您的看房及個人資訊，並在SKYPE通話結束以前和您預約「線上看房」的日期和時間
4. 在您「線上看房」的當日，我們的員工以及現在的房客會透過Zoom, Skype, 或 Line三方通話的方式帶您參觀我們的Share House

雖然現在沒有機會親身到Share House上參觀，但我相信透過「線上看房」能夠幫助您在日本的找房過程中更加順利，找到最適合您、您最喜歡的Share House。

看看東京的Share House
看看關西地區的Share House
想獲得更詳盡的資訊或是您有任何其他相關的問題，歡迎寄出＜諮詢表＞給我們！

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【Language Learning】A Note on Language Fluency

Hi all, it’s Claire from Borderless House. I’d like to use this blog to discuss some thoughts I had recently about the process of learning and using a language and also how we define language fluency. I’ve had a lot of time to think about language learning during my time as an illiterate foreigner in Japan, and how this has impacted my own experiences living here and making local friends. I’ve previously spoken a bit more in-depth about how I became interested in Japan/Japanese and my language background in a prior blog, so please feel free to check that out as well!

What is your language-learning goal?

OK, let’s get started with one of the most important language-learning points: Be sure to define your end goal and purpose.

In order to best know how to study a foreign language (and when to stop… although does it really ever stop???), I think it is important to understand what your end goal is. Needless to say, academic/formal language and colloquial language are not the same and they are learned in two very different contexts. Recently, I had a conversation with my Japanese friend which reminded me that in order to have deep relationships, engagements, and conversations in Japan, you do not necessarily need to be an N1 or N2 level Japanese master. In fact, a lot of my Japanese friends have admitted that they themselves would have difficulty passing these standardized tests. Just the same, I would likely make a fool of myself if I took the TOEFL.

Colloquial Usage

A few nights ago over dinner, my Japanese friend randomly complimented my Japanese saying, “Claire, your Japanese has gotten really good! クレア、日本語めっちゃ上手になったね！” For a lot of foreigners, with even just minimal Japanese language background, this kind of phrase or statement is all too familiar. The response is also just as scripted: “No, no it’s not that good! I still have a long way to go/I still need to study a lot! いいえいいえ、まだまだです！もっと勉強しないといけないんです。”

During this specific exchange, I suddenly felt the need to further justify my lack of Japanese language confidence. Truthfully, I already am embarrassed enough by my illiteracy, which should have provided enough justification alone. I explained that although my pronunciation may be decent, the grammar structures and words that I use to communicate are very elementary and simple, as I only have one year of basic in-class Japanese instruction from which I can pull from. My friend was not not convinced by my self-doubt: “And….? で、、、？”

The point which he wanted to make was that regardless of how I feel about my own language ability, in his own opinion, I am able to properly and articulately express myself.

Truly, if you think about your own native language, the words and grammar structures you use with your friends on a daily basis are not really that complicated or sophisticated! It would be strange if we always spoke formally and academically to each other… For my fellow American friends, it would be weird if someone tried to use as many SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test; American standardized college-entrance exam) words as possible in each sentence, right? The same logic applies to any other language. The goal of daily communication with friends is to convey ideas, stories, and feelings in your own words; it doesn’t need to sound like a well-formulated speech or essay. Of course, there are other more formal situations in which word choice and difficulty are of great importance however, when in a relaxed setting with friends, the poise and complexity of words and grammar is arguably not as important.

With my own goal to be able to communicate easily with friends, I realized that rather than getting frustrated that I cannot (yet) pass an upper-level language exam, I should be satisfied with the fact that I know enough common phrases and expressions to successfully share ideas, stories, and emotions with others. Clearly, the more I engage in conversation with others, the more I will be able to naturally pick up on new words and concepts. Consequently, I will then have a larger variety of ways in which I can express myself and will be able to let my personality shine through a bit more. A fear of sounding “childish” or “unrefined” should never hold me back from speaking- if you can use the language skills you have to successfully communicate your point, then you’re doing just fine.

Looking back to when I first came to Japan at 15, I couldn’t speak any Japanese and the most frustrating thing was feeling as if I couldn’t accurately portray my personality through language and word choice. Certainly, at that time my language ability held me back from being able to do so properly. As I have continued to learn Japanese and spend time here, my Japanese friends have slowly gotten to know my personality, and despite still generally relying on simple grammar and simple words, I feel that I am able to adequately express myself. I’m no longer frustrated. To me, that is what is most important!

Academic Usage

On the other hand, there is an important side to languages that is more formal and academic in nature which requires knowledge of more refined and varied grammar and vocabulary. This kind of language learning is a different way of communicating than with friends and emphasizes the way in which things are being communicated rather than just the general content of what is being said. I have always been jealous of my friends who are able to carefully pick out the deeper historical meaning of a word by dissecting the kanji characters and linguistic roots. I envy the way in which they have so many different ways of expressing themselves. I would, however, like to point out that this jealousy still has not motivated me to pick up a book and actually do some studying of my own (lol).

This kind of academic language is especially useful when making a speech, writing an article, conducting an academic discussion, etc. Or also when writing a blog, I suppose! It is quite handy to have your brain work like a thesaurus, armed with many different words that can convey a similar meaning, but with different undertones and nuances. As opposed to colloquial language, which is carried out naturally and without pause, academic language takes a bit more time, though, and brainpower. There are a lot more memorization and a lot more studying that is required to reach this kind of fluency and language usage.

Even for an illiterate colloquial Japanese speaker like myself, I have had to delve into the world of complex Japanese linguistics while doing my work as a hospital research assistant. Working on psychology and psychiatry studies, I have been asked by supervisors to translate questionnaires from English to Japanese, forcing me to think deeply about the specific contextual meaning that each word carries. In order to translate these questionnaires accurately, I had to meet with my professors and use my rudimentary Japanese to describe the emotions and feelings which differentiate the word “force” from “coerce” so that we could also decide upon the proper Japanese word. Given that the questionnaires are surrounding psychiatric populations, a single word or grammatical difference in a question or statement can change a patient’s response entirely.

Usually, this kind of linguistic ability is what is reflected in the JLPT tests. You will have an opportunity to show off your hard work on learning kanji, vocabulary, and gradually more complex grammar structures. It goes without saying that academic language is widely useful and as well as an incredible feat to master!

Reflecting on Fluency

When you look up the definition of the word fluency, this is the definition that pops up: “able to express oneself easily and articulately.” When someone directly asks me “Are you fluent in Japanese?”, my immediate response has always been no. I cannot understand complex vocabulary, I struggle to perfectly deliver sentences in Keigo, and I most importantly simply lack confidence in my own ability. Going by the “easy and articulate” definition of fluency, I would say that indeed I am not fluent when working in my research environment. I also am far from fluent in written Japanese… FAR from it.

However, when I give myself a little more grace, I do believe that I am able to express myself properly enough when having everyday conversations with my friends. My conversations are easy and I am able to articulate myself well enough that I do not feel the same frustration I did when I first landed in Japan at 15 years old. Maybe there is no need for me to vehemently refute the compliments I receive from my Japanese friends. Even if I am not quite yet comfortable with considering myself “fluent,” I think that we need to erase the image that language fluency requires you to become a living dictionary or thesaurus.

If I could go back in time to that dinner a few nights ago, I think I would change my response.

“Thank you, I’m really happy to hear that! I’ll continue to work hard! ありがとう。それを聞いて、すごく嬉しいんだ。これからもっともっと頑張ります！”

▶Check BORDERLESS HOUSE language exchange program 
▶Learn Japanese by living with Japanese local at BORDERLESS HOUSE
▶Tips and Advice from the Experts : Learning Languages from Home Q&A

發表於

【Staff Interview】As a graduate from Harvard University, how did Claire join Borderless House?

Hi, this is Ting from Borderless House!
Today we are having an interview with our American staff member – Claire, who is also the only Borderless House member from a western country.

I am very curious that how Claire feels about working abroad in Japan, where is famed for intense work culture and the work environment differs greatly from an American workplace, also how does she think about the working environment at Borderless House? Is there any moment that makes her feel hard because of cultural differences? Do any interesting episodes or difficulties occur between her and her colleagues because of the cultural diversity at the workplace?

In the meantime, let us get a brief look at what Claire’s currently working on and how a regular workday looks like as a Borderless House staff!

Working culture and environment

ーHow is your day going, Claire?
My day is going really well!

We had our usual morning meeting, except today we shared stories about times when we experienced cultural misunderstandings or surprises at the workplace or within the sharehouses. As an American working in an international environment at Borderless House Tokyo, I was able to share how I was surprised by the company culture and international environment which I was welcomed into.

ーThat’s good to hear! Sounds like the working environment is totally different from what you thought?
Many people, including myself, have the impression that all Japanese companies are extremely strict and overwork their employees, so I was nervous about working for the first time in Japan. All these preconceptions turned out to be false! Borderless House is an environment that feels like home and like family rather than work to me. Of course, there are stressful times, but I don’t need to wait until after work gets off to feel better because I can just rely on my coworkers to help me manage the workload and ease my stress. I almost think it might be a more comfortable company culture than that which I have experienced in America!

I just finished a delicious peach jelly which was brought to the office as a gift from one of our house owners (thanks Mr. Miazawa!) and now am in the middle of working on some translations and revisions for the website.

Regular workday and responsibilities

ーIs this what a regular day looks like for you?
Yes, in terms of both eating snacks and also with the type of work (lol). On Tuesdays we have an all-company meeting including the Kansai Borderless House team and are able to discuss any recent news or ongoing difficulties that need to be solved. As for my own personal tasks, I have a pretty varied and exciting set of tasks. First off, I am involved in Japanese to English translations for the website, blog posts, and for tenant emails. I also from time to time have written my own blog posts. I also have the opportunity to help with marketing and planning for new campaigns and company initiatives. One of those new campaigns is the Online Language Exchange which takes place every Tuesday night, and I have really enjoyed participating with other tenants from a variety of different countries. On Saturdays I also have been assisting with our online information sessions, both in Japanese and in English, showing individuals what life inside one of our share houses really looks like. Spoiler alert: it’s super fun and exciting!

ーThere are various tasks you work on! As far as I know, other than those regular tasks, we always need your opinions and suggestions, since we have 50% non-Japanese tenants, non-Japanese staffs’ advice is always helpful to us!
Yeah, as the sole staff member from a Western country, I do my best to provide some personal cultural insight into how we can best spread our information and concept to other groups of people outside of Japan and Asia. It may look like a lot, but I have so much fun each week helping out and really believe in Borderless House, so I want to do my best to help it thrive!

A journey from Borderless House resident to Borderless House staff

ーBy the way, how did you find your way to Borderless House? You were first a resident right?
Yeah, that’s right! I moved into Borderless House Iidabashi House last year in August and only became a staff member this year in March. Between August and December, I was settling into life in Japan and realized that my schedule was not really full which was causing me to feel really unfulfilled. I knew that I should try and make the most of my time in Japan, but I just didn’t have any clear idea of what I should do to fill my time.

ーSo what’s the trigger that makes you want to work with us?
The reason that I decided to work for Borderless House was that I was so grateful to Borderless House for providing me with a sharehouse family that I wanted to give back. I wanted to help promote Borderless House outside of Japan and let more foreigners know about this company. As there was no native English-speaking staff at the time, I also felt that I could help with company interactions with foreign residents!

ーCould you share more details with us about the processes of becoming a staff
The first time that I pursued a position at Borderless House was in October during the Borderless House Sports Festival. Prior to that, I’d had some really great conversations with the Borderless House staff members when they had come to the house for move-ins, move-outs and maintenance. The staff always were so willing to talk candidly with me and they had only positive things to say about the company when I asked what the company environment was like. I already had personally experienced the positive effects of Borderless House’s efforts and so I wanted to be a part of the staff who made it all happen! That October, while covered in sweat and flour (from one of the games we played), I nervously approached Mr. Lee, the company president, to express interest in working at Borderless House and after filling out an official application in February the process was finalized in March. I haven’t had any regrets since!

People who work at Borderless House


ーThat sounds amazing! We would like to hear more about Borderless House staff!So what are your coworkers like? Who do you get to work with?
Given the type of tasks that I do within the company, I am really lucky that I get to interact with almost every single member of the staff. I also have the opportunity to interact on a regular basis with our company president, Mr. Lee, to discuss new programs and website initiatives.I really appreciate the communicative and collaborative environment which is fostered by the staff. For example, when we have staff meetings, we are encouraged to bring up ideas and comments, even if it is in regard to a project which we may not be directly working on.
Also, I have really enjoyed taking my lunch break in the office with other staff members to talk about our own international experiences, and our future goals and dreams. As one of the younger staff members, I feel that I have a lot to learn from my co-workers and I love hearing everyone’s life story. Sometimes these conversations even carry on past working hours and into dinners and nights at izakayas together.

ーWhat is your personal opinion of Borderless House?
My experiences both as a tenant and as a staff member have left me with an overwhelmingly positive opinion of Borderless House.
Borderless House has a massive heart for bringing people together and serving its tenants well. I think that as a tenant, I was able to feel the family environment of Borderless House in my own house community. Now as a staff member, I feel that my Borderless House family has grown and expanded to include all tenants in all houses as well as all of my co-workers.
I think that the social mission of Borderless House is also extraordinarily unique and impactful. It is not very often that you are given the opportunity to live with an entire house of people who share different backgrounds and different beliefs than you. Borderless House teaches you how to listen and learn well from others and I truly believe that for tenants who fully embrace the mission of living at Borderless House, they will leave their share house as a better version of themselves.all of our tenants leave as a better version.

ーSo how would you describe the company?
In just a few phrases, I would describe it as a family away from home, people-oriented buss, international, and growth-minded.

Any last comments or lessons you learned during your time at Borderless House?

I think most importantly, I was able to realize that doing meaningful work is the key to happiness in my own professional life. As someone who has not mastered Japanese and struggled to find a job in Japan where I felt that I was making a difference, I finally felt like I was able to contribute in a meaningful way at Borderless House. Of course, there is paperwork and other computer-based tasks that need to be completed, but at the end of the day, I am able to go home to a house full of friends and realize why I am working so hard every single day. I have faith now that there are jobs and companies that will be ready to serve people and to make a difference in the world- I just need to find them!

Lastly, to all of the readers, I think it goes without saying, I would highly recommend trying out Borderless House life for yourself!

 

 

 

 

發表於

【Tenant’s Story】Sharing times together as a big “family” is the best cure for loneliness during quarantine

I’m Danielle and I’ve been living in Borderless House in Kyoto since January of this year. It’s been a month since the state of emergency has officially been lifted from most of Japan and life seems to almost have gone back to what it was like before COVID-19, but concerns and fears still loom over us as the pandemic is still active and borders are still (mostly) closed.

It must be hard or nearly impossible to imagine what life is like in a sharehouse during the pandemic, maybe even scary to think that 10-20 people all live under the same roof. How do we keep safe, what measures did we take and what did our daily life look like? Here’s my story from our sharehouse!

Every day was a different kind of interesting and fun experience

The Nationwide State of Emergency was declared mid-April and with it, we were requested to stay home. Right before the declaration, we planned on traveling together but all these plans were ultimately canceled as the situation grew worse and were instead replaced by events and “parties” mostly inside the house. There were only very few times we went outside and we did our best to keep the social distance.

The house mostly consists of students who had their classes moved online or canceled completely, and all of us became “hermits”. Some of us had our daily routine reduced to sitting in front of the computer all day and occasionally going out to the supermarket or the close convenience store. More and more, we would spend time together in the kitchen cooking together, sharing a meal, and talking about daily struggles and aspirations for “after this is all over”. The living room became lively with daily tourneys of “Smash Brothers” on the Switch or a quiet study session. Every now and then we had a different type of food “party”. And sometimes there would be quieter days where everyone’s in their rooms: studying, job hunting, or working. Every day was a different kind of interesting and fun experience.

Of course, we tried our best and took the measures we deemed necessary to protect ourselves as much as possible: everyone who leaves the house wore a mask, outside and in the house, or made sure to reduce direct interaction with those who are always in the house, we had (and still have) an alcohol dispenser we use frequently especially while in the kitchen, and of course, we make sure to air out the house and wash our hands often. Those of us who felt these measures weren’t enough simply stuck more to their rooms and avoided the crowded spaces, also keeping the recommended social distance.

That’s not to say that there wasn’t tension between housemates due to the situation and our decisions, so we ended up sitting down and sharing our difference in opinions, personal suggestions, and decided our own house guidelines. We came to the conclusion that “canceling having fun” is not necessary and will not guarantee our safety in such a big house, and those who are worried should take the extra measures they see right for themselves.

Looking back, that was the best decision, sharing these isolated times together as a big “family” is the best cure for loneliness so many people must have felt during quarantine, I’m glad I have people I shared those times with!

Share time together at “cleaning parties”



One of the bigger struggles for the house was when the toilet paper panic happened. In a house with 15+ people who due to the situation are all always staying at home, one pack of toilet paper wouldn’t last even half a week. Luckily, as we’re all from different nationalities, we could easily buy more than one pack of toilet paper even when there was a restriction of one-per-household. Alongside the toilet paper shortage, there was also the mask shortage so for a while some of us walked without masks (we really searched for them everywhere!) until one of our kind housemates sewed everyone their own washable trendy masks!

Another thing we did both to keep the house clean and to share time together is “cleaning parties”. Usually, we have the essential cleaning duties each member must do every week, but once in a while we’d gather everyone who’s free and host a cleaning event – we clean all the areas of the house in-depth to make sure we live in a hygienic and healthy environment as we’re always home.

Don’t forget: fun is not canceled!

One way to go out but also to avoid the crowds is to go out into nature, where there are almost no people and a lot of fresh clean air. That’s why whenever we wanted to go out to experience Kyoto and take a breather from the narrow walls of our house, we would go to places like Kiyotaki River, or Katsura River (close to Arashiyama) which were almost empty of people.

In these times of uncertainty and worry, the housemates were all actively sharing their knowledge and information from their respective countries and all of us were open to discussion. We would compare the different strategies of our countries to handling the situation and share bizarre stories that the situation caused in different places. Thanks to the flow of information we were able to have proportions on the situation but also be aware of the dangers. Most importantly, we are grateful that in such dire times when some people are forced into isolation we were able to spend time with so many people and realize that we’re not alone.

Life in a sharehouse ultimately didn’t put us under more risk, it helped us stay strong and know that we’re not alone. These times at home made us realize how much more time we have for ourselves and others when we do our work or classes from home but also how important it is to have something that will keep you busy: a job, a project, a hobby, or even just company. During this time, I learned to appreciate my time with others but also my time alone, I picked up new hobbies and read more, I learned to appreciate the outside and just taking a stroll down our quiet neighborhood felt like a breath of fresh air. I learned new things about Japan, other cultures, and myself. All of this and more was thanks to the sharehouse. These past months were a blur, but it’s a blur of good memories with people I grew to love and care about for the rest of my life.

Stay safe everyone and don’t forget: fun is not canceled!