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House Sharing Will Bring You Socializing Opportunities

A house is much more than just a roof over your head which protects you from the sun or rain. Instead, it is also a sanctuary, a comforting, silent, and safe space and at times also an investment. A house is a place where you stay protected from all the physical, intellectual, and emotional troubles and where you grow independently from the outer world. The facilities that your home offers determine your living standards and your quality of life. Hence, maybe now, you can get an idea regarding how housing decisions are significant and why such decisions should be made with utmost care.

But finding a house in a new space is a tricky process. When you move or shift to a new city or country, housing becomes a bit of a problem. It is so because now you have on your hand, the task of finding a living space, that fits your budget, is situated in a nice locality and which has all the essential facilities and services available. And you have to accomplish this task in a place that is completely foreign to you. So, now you can probably see why some people think of seeking a house in a new country as a daunting task.

However, the good news is that now, with the people and techs changing at a rapid pace, housing issues are getting resolved. Plus, the concepts of renting today have also modified. Unlike earlier, when a tenant was required to rent a whole space for him, today one can rent and share a house with others. Thus, by practicing house sharing one can reduce his expenses while at the same time score some exciting socializing opportunities. So, now if you are interested in knowing more about the share housing system and you want to learn about its socializing and other benefits, then come let’s begin the discussion. Here it goes!

What are share houses?


Share houses are an excellent option to find a living space when you have moved into a foreign country. These houses are especially the right option for people who are in abroad for educational purposes and can’t afford to spend much on housing or for people who have come to the foreign landscape on business and won’t be staying there for too long. For both these people, share houses turn out to be a welcome option as some of them are foreigner-friendly renting spaces that both help in saving money and in meeting new and interesting people.

To facilitate easier understanding, one can think of share houses as homes where a group of people live together under the same roof. Now while living in a share house means you cannot decide who you share the space with, still the choice to decide your room is your own. You can opt from a variety of options like a single room, a double room, a room with three or more tenants, or even an apartment styled room where you have an attached toilet and shower. There are tons of available options!

How does share housing offers socializing benefits?


When you move into a new country or a new city one problem that you face is socializing. Even though the world is now a very global space still at some places you may find residents reluctant to bond with the foreigners at least initially. Add to this the issue of a language barrier in case you don’t speak the local language fluently and you can pretty much imagine yourself living in isolation for the first few months. When you are away from your friends and family who act as your support system, this might feel depressing.

But with share houses, this problem gets resolved naturally. This is so because in share houses you can find dozens of people who are in a similar condition as yours. They are there in a foreign land trying to work or study while fighting the feelings of isolation and loneliness. They miss their families and they are eager to make new friends. Now since you are living with them and spending a lot of time together you will discover that befriending such people is actually quite easy! All it takes is to find a common ground and socializing is no more a problem.

However, if you are still not convinced and have some doubts about the socializing benefits of a share house then in our next part all your doubts will fade!

How does share housing help in socializing?


Staying in share housing can make it easier to make friends because …

It houses a large number of people

When you are living in share houses there are so many people around who belong from different cultures and different traditions. Now at the first glance, you may find it as a con, but if you are one of those social people who love to interact with new buddies and who like to learn about different cultures then living at a share house will mean having the time of your life!
This is so because now you will have so many people to learn from about different cuisines, different languages, different traditions and what not! Hence, if you are a social butterfly and you love to gather and hang around then this big space will be a perfect home for you. Plus, if you ever get bored here then all you have to do is to literally just walk out of your room and you will be surrounded by people!

You find mutual hobby friends

Because share houses are big spaces with a bunch of different people living together, hence it is always a possibility that you will come across someone who will share mutual interests with you. You can never imagine who that person might be, which just makes this process of making ‘new’ friends all the more fun!
Also, once you will have your mutual hobby friends at your side, then you will never be alone. This is so because now you will be able to always seek them out to spend some time together in order to chat non-stop about your common interests or to discuss new developments. On the off days, you will even get a chance to practice your hobbies and interests together and to enjoy some relaxing downtime!

Opportunity for international exchange

At some share houses, they offer residence to both the local and international people. This is a great opportunity for the international people as now they get a chance to mingle with the local folk and to learn from them about their language, food, and culture. Can there be anything better than that? I mean you can practically think of this as a ‘culture tuition’ class minus the expensive fee.
Hence, at share houses, you get a chance to enjoy the taste of the local life without any fears. You can now hang around the new places with your brand-new local buddy without being anxious all the time about doing something inadequate or stupid. This experience is just having your own guide-cum-close friend.

Living in student only properties

If you are a student and you are in a foreign landscape to learn then you have the choice to seek the share housing spaces that only offer residence to foreign residents. This will be great for you because living with fellow students will save you from being distracted and from losing sight of your goal. Plus, if you ever need any help with the studies then you would just need to knock on the next door and you will have help. Hence, student share housing properties are a cool way of both studying and living!

Animal lovers and pet-friendly properties

Well, if you love animals but have never gotten around to getting your own pet, maybe because you cannot afford it or because you are afraid of taking over the big responsibility, then living at a pet-friendly share housing property is your chance! Yes, imagine living around all those cute fluffy animals! Aren’t you already tempted?
Plus, living under the same roof with the friendly pet owners is in your favor too, because now you will get to learn about taking care of the pet animals from the experienced people without even paying! It is like getting access to the theoretical and practical lessons of pet caring until you feel ready and confident to get your pet.

Music lovers and properties with music studios


Now if you love music and enjoy humming or singing songs then while searching for share houses you can look for the ones that have music studios of their own. This way you will be able to practice and enhance your music skills. Plus, with all the other music lovers you will always have a chance to learn something new from someone. How awesome is that?!

Conclusion

Thus, from the above discussion, we can conclude that share housing is a great accommodation option if the very idea of living with strangers doesn’t scare you off. Living there you will help you in socializing with new people and in making fast friends. Plus, on the off-side, you will be able to learn so much!

 

 

 

 

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

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

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

Cherry Blossom at the Share House

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

Everlasting Friendship 

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

Connections with ex-housemate 

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

Smiling faces during COVID-19 period

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

Greater cultural exchange in the busy kitchen

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

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

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

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

We are in this together

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

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

Check Ashleigh’s Share House

 

 

 

 

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【BORDERLESS HOUSE Online Information Session】What is an International Share House??

Hi! This is Ting from BORDERLESS HOUSE. This is a blog to announce our upcoming BORDERLESS HOUSE Information Session.

Recently we have received many messages from potential tenants which contain similar comments:
I don’t have enough information about living in a sharehouse yet, so I want to learn more about life in a sharehouse before making a decision or moving.
I want to know more about Borderless House as a company!
I want to have a look at an international share house.
I want to live in a share house at some point in my life and would like to get excited about that future opportunity!

In order to respond to these messages, we have decided to hold an online information session so that people can learn more about Borderless House!

【What is Borderless House】

BORDERLESS HOUSE is an international sharehouse where young individuals from all around the world gather under one roof to share life together and exchange different cultures. We provide a community where you can not only improve your Japanese skills but also have unforgettable experiences with a diverse group of people and be able to expand your horizons.

Don’t you wonder what life in one of these exciting multicultural communities in Japan would be like?

What does the cooking, cleaning, and everyday life look like when living together?
Will I be able to have meaningful interactions with my Japanese housemates even if I don’t speak Japanese?
How are problems resolved if they arise?

Additionally, we will be offering special discount campaigns for anyone who participates in this online session- check below for details!

When coming to Japan, you have many choices on where and how to live, but why not choose to have an invaluable cultural exchange at one of our international sharehouses? After the information session, we will also take the time to give more specific details about each of our houses, so please feel free to participate. Your BORDERLESS HOUSE family is waiting for you to join!

※Before registering to participate, please note that there is an age limit (18-35) for our tenants.

We are looking forward to meeting you!

BORDERLESS HOUSE Information Session Details: What Is an International Sharehouse

Date & Time:
Nov 16th, Monday @ 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM JST
Nov 21th, Saturday @ 17:00 AM – 18:30 PM JST

Nov 28th, Saturday @ 17:00 AM – 18:30 PM JST
Nov 30th, Monday @ 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM JST

※Please note that the time above is Japan Standard Time so you will need to double-check the corresponding time in your own time zone. Feel free to use this time zone converter.

Place: ZOOM (online)
※Feel free to download the ZOOM application ahead of time.
※When you join the ZOOM meeting, your name will be displayed. If you are worried about using your full name, please feel free to put only your first or your last name. However, we ask that you do not use a nickname during registration or during the meeting.

▶Language: English
● Price: FREE!!!
Content:
①Borderless House Company Introduction
②Q&A with Current Residents and Staff
③Individual Consultation

Register ・Inquiry Form

★★★Please use the link below to register for the information session★★★

◎Registration Form

Contact Information

If you have any questions or concerns please contact us at:
Kanto area: info@borderless-house.com
Kansai area: info-osaka@borderless-house.com

For further information from our website, please check out the links below

List of Kanto share houses
List of Kansai share houses

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來自社長的一封信：建立橋樑，而非隔閡

大家好，我是BORDERLESS HOUSE的社長Lee。

因為新冠肺炎疫情的發生，全世界的人們都受到了影響，至今仍看不到平息的跡象。而疫情的發生也導致許多產業受到衝擊，大家都在尋求解決問題的方法，希望能減緩衝擊的力道。

如同各位所知道的，BORDERLESS HOUSE是一個來自日本，擁有許多外國房客的事業。每年的四、五月正是我們的房客，展開新學期、新生活，最忙碌的時期，也是我們迎接最多新房客的時候。

但在疫情的影響下，我們有許多不得不取消入住，無法來到台灣的房客，又或是臨時需要回國的外國房客。

但是，我們沒有因此忘記我們的事業理念：「創造沒有歧視與偏見的世界」。針對此時世界上所發生的事情，我們希望透過撰寫這篇部落格，和大家分享我們此刻要做的，以及想要傳達的理念。

【疫情下產生的差異與分裂】

新冠肺炎常常被認定是「亞洲的問題」，導致在各國都出現了針對華人及亞裔住民嚴重的歧視，或是針對特定人權團體的騷擾及暴力行為，再次將對於亞洲人的歧視問題帶上檯面。

但這絕對不是只在國外才會發生的事情，同樣的，隨著疫情蔓延，即便在亞洲，也可能發生本地人用偏見的眼光看待外國人的情形。

我們為了抵禦病毒而設下了入境限制，這樣子的鎖國政策，使得人與人之間產生了一道「物理之牆」，而這種不安定且充滿壓力的狀態持續下去，將衍生成為「心中之牆」。面對未知敵人的不安，使得我們將這些仇恨及歧視，轉向特定的族群或是特定人種，而這樣的歧視和偏見，將讓我們彼此之間漸行漸遠，更加疏離。我擔心即便疫情結束，各國雖然解除了限制，但這樣對於外國人的歧視仍舊會持續的發生。

【建立橋樑，而非隔閡】

現在，該是我們團結起來的時候，建立橋樑，而非隔閡。

透過不同領域的結盟，交換彼此的知識與資源，世界可以一同面對這個共同的敵人。我們也竭盡所能地為我們的房客、合作夥伴及各位工作人員和他們的家人，提供最合適的配套措施。

因此，在這樣的情況下，我們也需要思考，BORDERLESS HOUSE可以做些什麼？我們該探討的是什麼？

我們深信我們的角色是創造連結，而不是分歧，因此我們將這個觀點濃縮為一句話──建立橋樑，而非隔閡。

因為新冠肺炎疫情的影響，BORDERLESS HOUSE的事業在各方面都受到了衝擊。不過，更讓我們擔心的是那些迫切地期待著，能與世界各地的人交流的房客們。

他們期待來到台灣，完成他們的夢想，卻不得不因為入境的限制而取消他們一生可能只有一次的工作、留學機會，或是已經抵達台灣的房客們，被迫回到故鄉，導致學習中斷，失去了和室友們一起創造美好回憶的機會。

BORDERLESS HOUSE致力於消除歧視、偏見與分歧，這是我們的品牌任務和目標。我們希望協助這些想要挑戰的年輕人，脫離他們的舒適圈，透過直接和外國室友相處、生活在多元文化的環境，從中得到學習、理解的機會，也幫助社會走往更正向的地方。

不過，把這些想法觀點說出來、寫下來固然很重要，但更加重要的是，我們該如何去執行它，於是我們將發起一個新的活動。

【BORDERLESS Mate 神秘線上筆友】

這次的「BORDERLESS Mate 神秘線上筆友」是一個很簡單的概念。

因為新冠肺炎疫情的影響，我們有許多房客都失去了認識新朋友、學習語言的機會，所以我們希望透過這次的活動，在照顧到大家的健康及安全下，盡可能提供給大家更多的交流機會。

而這個「BORDERLESS Mate 神秘線上筆友」將從台灣開始做起，連結起不同物件的房客，透過語言、興趣、喜好等，替大家做配對，並且以Email的方式，建立起線上的友誼。

透過這個計畫，我們希望大家即便在疫情的影響下，仍舊能持續的與外國朋友交流，不管是學習語言，文化分享，甚至是聊聊對於疫情的看法，給予彼此一些鼓勵，一起期待疫情過去的日子。

而這個計畫，之後也會逐步拓展到我們在日本、韓國的事業部，甚至是非房客的朋友們，讓我們的理想，可以為社會帶來更長遠、更正向的影響！敬請期待吧！

最新消息，歡迎追蹤我們的 FB粉絲專頁！

新冠肺炎疫情，儼然是一場國際性的長期抗爭

站在政府與政治家的立場，為了保護人民，需要築起高牆來抵禦病毒的威脅，但我認為我們都應該在心中搭起一座橋梁，共同克服這些阻礙。

而BORDERLESS HOUSE則將成為搭建這些橋樑的工程師之一，即便我們並非完美，我們仍會以笑容迎接挑戰，為我們的努力而驕傲！

BORDERLESS HOUSE在日本的總部也曾遭遇過類似，非預期的重大災難，但我們仍舊堅持著，努力克服種種挑戰和難關。

有鑒於此次疫情的情況危急，我們必定會將每位房客的健康與安全視為第一順位，接下來我們還會在許多方面遭遇困難，但BORDERLESS HOUSE還是會努力面對各種挑戰，盡我們一切所能，期許著更美好的未來。

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No Language Experience? No Problem!

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

The Beginnings

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

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

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

Make It Work & Don’t Ever Settle

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

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

Learning Japanese

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

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

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

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

Personal Regrets

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Be Fearless and Take the Leap

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

發表於

「Build bridges not walls!」〜線上語言交換活動擴大展開！

BORDERLESS HOUSE在4月分展開了一項房客專屬的
線上交流服務“〜Build bridges not walls!〜語言交換”

這項服務開始的初衷是希望連結起
當初預計到日本來生活，但因肺炎關係不得不取消的外國房客，
以及期待著外國室友入住的日本房客們，
提供給他們一個不受時空地點限制，依然能夠互相交流的管道。

我們目前已經成功配對了20組的語言交換夥伴！
參與的國內外房客都向我們表示獲益良多，特別是在這個艱難的時刻可以交到新的朋友，
以及接收到關於不同國家的消息，甚至還有夥伴們已經相約在未來回到正常後要相約在日本觀光，
使BORDERLESS HOUSE也感到非常的窩心。

因此，BORDERLESS HOUSE決定讓更多的人可以參與和體驗這廣受好評的服務，
我們將於限定期間5/11~5/30開放給非房客的人也能夠參與報名！

配對的基本規則
一名外國人搭配一名日本人，
及一名BORDERLESS HOUSE房客搭配一名非BORDERLESS HOUSE房客。

-配對流程-

STEP1
登錄！
請從下方表格申請。
<現在就填寫申請表！>

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

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

STEP4
結束後，填寫問卷。並自行約定下一次語言交換的時間！

-活動特色-

Point1
程序簡單，僅需填寫申請表後，
BORDERLESS HOUSE的工作人員就會為您配對語言交換的夥伴。

Point2
能認識到不同國家的新朋友，與國際社會接軌，
享受聊天的過程中同時也能提高語言能力。

Point3
沒錯！這是一項免費的服務！


我們希望在這段時間出入境其他國家受到嚴格限制的時期，建立起各國之間的連繫橋梁！
BORDERLESS HOUSE衷心期盼更多人的加入參與！

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【5月30日　BORDERLESS HOUSE線上說明會】什麼是國際交流Share House??

嗨！我是BORDERLESS HOUSE的Ting，這邊要向大家宣布，我們在5月30日（六）日本時間上午11點，將舉辦BORDERLESS HOUSE中英文線上說明會！

最近，我們收到許多來自對Share House感興趣的客人們的訊息：
－決定入住Share House之前，想知道更多關於Share House的真實生活情形！
－想了解BORDERLESS HOUSE是什麼樣的公司，和其他Share House公司有什麼不同之處！
－想看看國際交流Share House究竟是什麼樣型態的Share House！
－我到日本後一定想入住看看Share House，想知道各式各樣的消息！

為了回應這些疑問，我們決定舉辦線上說明會，讓大家能更認識BORDERLESS HOUSE，並有機會了解國際交流Share House的真實樣貌，及房客們的實際生活情況。

【關於BORDERLESS HOUSE】


BORDERLESS HOUSE所經營的國際交流Share House，目的是讓來自世界各地的年輕人能夠在同一個屋簷下，一起分享彼此的生活，以及不同國家的文化。在BORDERLESS HOUSE提供的國際環境下，不但能提升語言能力，更能從多元的生活環境得到難以忘懷的經驗，開拓你的視野和世界觀。

對於在日本和多國籍的室友們一起生活是什麼樣子感到好奇嗎？

當來自不同文化的大家生活在一起，關於煮飯、打掃這些日常生活會有不一樣嗎？
即使我不會日文，也能夠與日本室友們互動交流嗎？
當問題發生時，大家又是如何解決的呢？

在5月30日（六），BORDERLESS HOUSE的房客們以及我們的員工，將根據自身經驗一一解決大家的疑惑。

此外，我們將提供特別的禮物給參加說明會的大家！詳情請確認下方資訊！

對於搬到日本生活，對於生活環境和住處，你會面臨許多的選擇。
何不妨讓自己有這麼一次機會，選擇可以體驗文化交流的國際Share House呢？
在說明會上，我們也會以視訊方式帶你參觀我們的Share House，並且提供具體細節介紹，所以請帶著放鬆的心情來參加！

※在報名之前，請注意我們的年齡限制為：18至35歲。

我們衷心期待在說明會上見到你！

關於BORDERLESS HOUSE線上說明會：國際交流Share House是什麼

▸日期：5月30日（六）
▸時間：日本時間上午11:00～12:30
※請注意時間為日本時間，所以請務必確認自己的所在地時間，也歡迎使用時差轉換器。
▸地點：ZOOM（線上）
免費下載ZOOM應用程式。
※參與ZOOM的過程中，你的名字將被顯示出來，如果擔心使用全名，可以只使用姓氏或是名字，但請避免使用綽號。

▸參加資格：不限
▸費用：免費
▸語言：中文、英文　（說明會時中文和英文會分開進行）

內容：
① BORDERLESS HOUSE公司介紹
② Share House介紹
③ 現正入住房客與BORDERLESS HOUSE員工Q&A
④ 個人諮詢

★特別禮物★

參與說明會並在2020年12月31日以前入住BORDERLESS HOUSE，將可於入住時獲得5000日幣的亞馬遜AMAZON禮券。

報名申請表

請透過下方連結進行報名手續。
◎Registration Form報名表

聯絡資訊

若有任何問題或疑慮，歡迎聯繫我們。
關東地區: info@borderless-house.com
關西地區: info-osaka@borderless-house.com

關於更多的Share House資訊，歡迎至下方官網查詢。

關東的 share houses
關西的 share houses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

發表於

MOVE TO JAPAN | The Formal Necessities

Hi everyone! This is Claire from Borderless House. Today’s blog topic is super important as I will be covering some essential information for anyone who is planning on moving to Tokyo for an extended period of time. If you are coming to Japan on a travel visa for under 90 days, then there are fewer logistics to think about, but I will briefly touch on some things that you might want to be aware of as well, so be sure to read through.

This by no means will be an exhaustive list, but hopefully will help out a bit!
Also check out this prior Borderless House blog for more information.

Zairyu Card/Residence Card

Just as you would carry your own driver’s license or identification in your home country, you are also required to carry an official form identification in Japan. This means that you will either need to have your passport or your residence card with you at all times. Even just going to the grocery store, or for a more exciting outing with friends at night, please please make sure that you have a form of legal identification. This is an extremely important point because you may at any point be asked by the police for identification, and being unable to produce a passport or Japanese-government issued form of identification will incur at the very least a fine, and could even result in jail time and deportation. 

For individuals who are not here on a visa, the only legal form of identification that you have is your passport, so please carry it with you at all times- even to the bars and clubs. For individuals who are here on a visa, you will receive a Japanese-government issued card called a “Zairyu Card | 在留カード.” If you are entering into Japan already with landing and visa permission, then you will receive your zairyu card when you go through customs. 

Ward Registration, Insurance, & My Number

The next step once you have left the airport and settled in is to make a visit to your local Civic Center. During this trip, two very important things will happen: 1) register your address, and 2) you will sign up for health insurance (保険). You are supposed to register a permanent address within 2 weeks of moving, at which time your address will get printed on your residence card, allowing you to properly receive important mail and information. Health insurance is also mandatory for any person staying longer than 3 months in Japan. 

My case was a bit interesting as I stayed in an AirBnB for 2 weeks before moving into my sharehouse, so technically I had been in Tokyo for over 2 weeks without a registered address when I went to the office ward. Although this was ultimately not an issue, I definitely recommend settling into permanent accommodations and registering your address as soon as possible, preferably within those first two weeks of your arrival in Japan. As stated before, registering your address will ensure that you receive all important notifications that will be delivered through the mail, such as your insurance bills, tax documents, and my number card. 

A “My Number card | 個人番号カード” is a form of personal identification number which will be needed for administrative purposes such as opening a bank account and paying taxes. In America, My Number is the equivalent of a Social Security Number. A paper version of your card will arrive in the mail a few weeks after registering at the ward office. Included with this paper-version card will be an application for a more formal, non-paper, card. Although not necessary, this more official My Number card is very useful for individuals staying longer term. Simply fill out the application and use the included return envelope! You can also apply online at a later time. Although the My Number card does not replace your residence card as a form of identification, you should also be sure to carry your My Number card with you at all times. 

For acquiring health insurance, there are two types: National Health Insurance (国民健康保険) and Employee’s Health Insurance (健康保険). As I was not an official company employee when I arrived in Tokyo, I was initially enrolled in the National Health Insurance program. My insurance bill and insurance card simply arrived at my house in the mail, at which time I could choose to pay it month-by-month or all at once at a local convenience store. It was quite hassle-free and easy. The difference with Employee’s Health Insurance is that your insurance fees are deducted from your salary, so the payment is handled through your company. In addition to carrying your residence and My Number card with you, you should also carry your insurance card with you at all times.

As a foreigner, receiving all of these notifications in Japanese can seem daunting, especially if you cannot read Japanese. One of the great parts about living in a BORDERLESS HOUSE is that you will always have housemates who will be able and willing to help translate important information!

Bank Account

If you are staying longer term in Japan and especially if you are working in Japan, another thing that you will want to consider is opening a bank account. Your salary will in almost all cases be paid into a Japanese bank account and you will also be able to use your bank account to make payments in Japan without incurring international exchange fees. On the most basic level, the two most important things that you should consider when opening a bank account are if the bank offers English support and if you have a convenient bank branch/ ATM nearby. There is a lot of information online regarding different banks and the services they offer. As banking is a very personal matter, make sure that you do your research, communicate with your employer, and choose what is best for your own situation. 

Hanko

On the subject of bank accounts, one thing that you will need for everyday use is a hanko (判子), or personal seal. These stamps replace a pen signature and many banks and other institutions require you to “sign” with your hanko stamp rather than with a pen. These stamps need to be officially made, so check online for the nearest store which can legally make you an official personal seal. You will also need to register your personal seal at your local ward office. Please be noted that the name on your hanko must match your legal name, meaning that for foreigners who do not have a legal name which is written in kanji characters, you must resort to using either hiragana, katakana, or romaji. There are tourist “hanko” stamps sold at places like Don Quixote and 100 yen stores, but be aware that a random cat-shaped stamp etc. will not be sufficient for official use when signing documents. Hanko prices range in price based on the materials which they are made from, but generally, you can get an official hanko made for somewhere around 1,000 yen. Although it is technically possible to go through life in Japan without a hanko, the repeated amount of times that you will be required to sign within a circular hanko-shaped area on documents will continually remind you that it might just be easier to go and make a personal seal. Plus, it makes for a cool personal souvenir if you plan to return back to your home country in the future!

Japanese Phone Number

Another thing which will prove almost as handy as your hanko is having a Japanese phone number. It is possible to survive in Japan with data-only SIM cards, as we now have the technology to connect internationally through data and WiFi. However, many times when filling out official documents, and even when opening a bank account, you will need to have your own Japanese phone number. Depending on the length of your stay, there are a few options. For a stay of less than 2 years, you will find that it is really difficult to get a short-term phone contract with any established phone companies here in Japan. There are some cheap SIM rental options, my personal favorite being Sakura Mobile, which allows you to choose a data and talk plan that fits your usage needs, and which do not require you to sign longer-term contracts. Again, similar to opening a bank account, each person’s needs are very specific. Luckily there is a lot of readily available information on Japanese phone companies and plans for foreigners. Make sure that you do your research and choose the company and plan which will be best for you!

Transportation Needs

As a foreigner in Tokyo, you will be able to get where you want to go without a car. The public transportation system in Tokyo is incredible, and it is a very bike-friendly city. For people who are planning to travel within the city a lot, one thing that you will use on a daily basis is an IC card. These cards act as rechargeable transportation cards which you tap at train gates and on buses to pay your fair. IC cards can be made at almost all train stations at a charging station where you normally buy your tickets. The two main cards that are used in Tokyo are Suica and Pasmo. Either card will work just fine, as the main difference between these cards are the manufacturing company and stations at which they can be purchased or returned. Aside from using your IC card for taking public transit, you can also use it at many different designated convenience stores to make purchases! 

When you are not traveling by public transit, it is very refreshing to take walks throughout Tokyo and explore the city on foot. Make sure that you are well stocked on slip-on shoes that are durable and comfortable to walk. There is nothing worse than having to take 5 minutes putting on shoes every time you leave the house, only to get a blister after another 5 minutes into your walk. Your time and attention should be fully devoted to getting the most out of every opportunity that this great city has to offer!

Although this post is less exciting as many other topics, I hope that it helps many of you who are preparing to make the move to Tokyo. We here at BORDERLESS HOUSE are eagerly awaiting your arrival! If there is anything that we can do to help your move, or solidify your plans to come to Japan, BORDERLESS is here to answer your questions and offer advice.

發表於

【Tenant’s Interview】My story of living in Philippines, even my English wasn’t good

BORDERLESS HOUSE is a multinational sharehouse where young people from all over the world can live under one roof and interact with people from diverse backgrounds.
In addition to providing a space to practice English and Japanese, BORDERLESS HOUSE also allows for strong friendships and lifelong memories to be formed!
With residents from all over the world gathered in one space, there tend to be many people with different senses of humor and lifestyles.

Therefore, we will begin a new project called “Borderelss Residents,” where we will be sharing the stories of individuals who have experienced personal growth and change due to their encounters at BORDERLESS HOUSE.

Our first interviewee is Mr. Satis Kiyota who moved to Tokyo as a new graduate and stayed with BORDERLESS HOUSE for two and a half years. After graduating from a foreign-affiliated company, he then immigrated to the Philippines.

Employed in Tokyo. BORDERLESS HOUSE supported me from the very beginning to the end of my time in Tokyo.

→First, please introduce yourself.

My name is Kiyota. When I was living at BORDERLESS HOUSE my nickname was Satis. My hometown is Fukuoa, and in college I majored in physics. One of my main hobbies is scuba diving, and I am usually described as having a straight-forward and real personality.

I moved to Tokyo as a new college graduate and started living at BORDERLESS HOUSE.

After living in BORDERLESS HOUSE for about two and a half years, I retired from my job in Tokyo and moved out so that I could go to the Philippines.

 

→What was your job here in Tokyo?
I was in charge of management consulting at a foreign company.

After graduation, I vaguely knew that I wanted to go to Tokyo, but with my background in science-based manufacturing, it was likely that I would be locally employed, outside of Tokyo. However, by looking into other careers and industries, I was lucky enough to get a job offer from a foreign-affiliated consultant in Tokyo.

ーWhy did you decide to live in BORDERLESS HOUSE after graduating?
My primary goal was to study English.
Because I was working for a foreign-owned company, I knew that I was likely to use English at work.

English was not my strong point in junior or high school so in order to study English as much as possible I thought “I should live together with foreigners,” and searched for a sharehouse.

ーYou moved into a sharehouse to learn English, so how did it actually go? Were you able to practice and use English?
To be honest, I didn’t actually use that much English in the first year (lol).
My company also didn’t use English as much as I had thought, and the residents at the sharehouse where I first moved in, Myogadani (which has been renamed now to Ikebukuro Higashi house), was full of foreigners that were good at Japanese (lol).

Especially one of the foreign residents, Sean, was really good at Japanese, and actually ended up teaching me kanji. Looking back, I’m really grateful for my first sharehouse experience at Myogadani. I next moved to Omori house because I thought “I’m already used to sharehouse life, so why don’t I just try living with a larger number of people?” Once I moved to Omori, I felt that I was able to learn more English than before

ーCertainly, there are individuals who become very good at Japanese as well… Why do you say that your first experience at Ikebukuro Higashi house was so great?

The number of people living at the house was smaller, and so the community was already strong when I moved in, making it a natural transition and easy for me to fit in.
When I moved in, I felt that everyone was very kind and easygoing so there was no need for me to be nervous.
Sean would often bring friends over to make food at the house, which was really fun.
Also, to some extent I was able to have conversations in Japanese, and not being confident in my English, there were many people who met me half-way with my language ability, so I was glad that any fear of living together disappeared.

ーHow was your experience at Omori house? Why do you feel that you were able to learn English there?
There were 29 residents at Omori house so the people were always changing, making for new and refreshing experiences every day.
Many of the residents had never been to Japan, and so I feel that my English just improved naturally.
But if anything, I found myself realizing that “Even if I cannot speak English perfectly, I can still manage to communicate!” which I think was a really great shift in thinking.

I think communication wasn’t just about language

ーWhat do you mean by “Even if I can’t speak English perfectly, I can still manage!”

Even if you don’t understand the words, you can read facial expressions, gestures, and the mood in order to understand what is being conveyed.
There are many moments when I relied on this concept and as my English trailed off, I thought “Well, even without saying the rest, they’ll somehow understand, right?”
Whenever I spoke English, I felt I could get by with the same spirit as the Japanese comedian Degawa (lol). Thanks to these experiences, I began to clearly imagine how I would be able to live overseas.

Despite different religions, cultures and diets, we all shared similar likes and dislikes.

ーI see! Certainly, it is a common story from residents that they are able to gain confidence! What other impressions did you get from living with BORDERLESS?
Being friends with many working people living in the house, I was able to learn a lot about a variety of industries and broaden my horizons.

Also, with both foreigners and Japanese tenants living together, I thought “Shockingly, everyone is able to come together as one!”

Of course, there were different religions, cultures, and diets, but to all, the fun things were fun, the bad things were bad, and I’m glad to have lived together; I realized there are few obstacles to communication.

Sharehouse in the Philippines. While traveling I thought I would make a living doing web production.

ーWhy did you leave BORDERLESS HOUSE?
I was planning on quitting my job, and starting thinking about what I wanted to do afterwards.
So why not try going abroad?
I resigned from my company of two-and-a-half years and left BORDERLESS HOUSE to go abroad.

ーWhy did you leave the company and decide to go abroad?

I thought “I’m not really cut out for office work.”
I really disliked the feeling that I didn’t have the authority to be dealing with other people’s problems.
I met various people at BORDERLESS HOUSE and was interested in many different countries, so I decided to go backpacking overseas.
However, I didn’t want to limit my experience because of finances, so I intended to make money while traveling.

ーHow did you intend to make money?
Through web production.
I found a sharehouse in Cebu, Philippines where you can learn programming.
After living and studying there, I planned to travel the world!

ーt’s so interesting that there is a sharehouse dedicated to learning programming! How was that experience?

The house was run by a Japanese person and the residents were all Japanese, so I didn’t have any problems even while living abroad for the first time.
But in the middle of my time there I realized, “Oh, I’m not cut out for web production either” (lol).
So, I stopped learning programming.
As I was already comfortable living in the Philippines, and although I still planned to travel the world, I lived there for about a year.

ーWhy did you find living in the Philippines so great? What did you do with your year there?
The number one reason was that I was in an environment where it was easy for me to live.
The Japanese community there was great.
We didn’t interfere with each other, but when it was time to have fun, we were all able to come together for a really good time!
Also, I was able to continue working on my English!
Even though my English was weird, everyone was really kind and I was able to get through daily life comfortably.
It was the same environment as my sharehouse life, what I would refer to as the spirit of Omori house (lol). It was a country in which I could get by with the spirit of “Unexpectedly, somehow it will all work out.”
Since I had stopped studying web production, I was able to spend my time relaxing while helping out with housemates’ work and going sightseeing.

ーDid you go to any other countries during your time in the Philippines?

Yes, I went to a few different countries. I mainly went to places with direct flights from the Philippines such as Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Macau, China and Indonesia, all which had unique and new things to offer.
Even when visiting neighboring countries, it was interesting to see how different the atmosphere and culture was.
When I lived in BORDERLESS HOUSE, I often sympathized with the thought that “Oh, we are all the same,” but after personally experiencing life abroad, I realized it was more like, “We are similar, but different.”
I was really excited to see the spread of things that are unthinkable in Japan.

ーThat’s so wonderful! Do you think you will return to the Philippines after the end of the coronavirus?
I want to go to Cebu to have fun and play. Because it is basically my second home (lol).But, I think it would also be fun to experience the culture of a different country which I haven’t yet visited.So I want to challenge myself in a new country such as Europe, Africa, and North and South America. I want to try going to countries like North Korea. Either way, I’m really just interested in experiencing the differences between cultures in different countries.

In regards to personal change, I feel that the world has become closer.

ーThat’s so great! I definitely want to hear more from the world-traveller Satis. Lastly, what is the “change” that you may have had while living in BORDERLESS HOUSE?

In simple words, it is that the world has become closer.

“I’m going overseas” has become a natural decision and choice for me.

Like I said at the beginning, when I was in middle and high school, English was a super weak point for me.

Before moving into BORDERLESS, the thought of going abroad had never even crossed my mind.

However, living in a sharehouse with foreigners and internationally-minded people has helped me come to terms with and visualize the unknown world overseas.

ーI think that’s really wonderful! Finally, please give some words to our readers!
First, definitely try out a room-viewing.
I personally went to a room-viewing consultation and received a lot of suggestions from the staff which greatly strengthened my decision to go with a sharehouse.
Even with a room-viewing, if you are still undecided, just try moving in anyways!
The initial costs are low and the contract period is short, just one month. Also since you can always move to a different house, the risk is low.
If you move in, you’ll be in the capital city, and I can guarantee that it will be interesting!

ーBecause the world became closer, this time I feel that Satis had the spirit to want to actively take a step into the world. Thank you so much for your wonderful story!

Editor’s Note

Despite not being confident speaking English, Satis was able to overcome this obstacle and jump head first into environments with the attitude that “It will all work out somehow.” After having now taken a step into the world, it was a story which allowed all the excitement to be re-experienced. Encounters with other people are certain to bring about wonderful personal changes. BORDERLESS HOUSE has many unique residents from all over the world. Would you like to experience a change?

 

發表於

How to Build Community in Japan as a Foreigner

Hi, this is Claire from Borderless House! I’m here this time to talk about a really important topic, which is how to make friends and build a supportive community as a foreigner in Japan.

Effortless Sharehouse Community

To be honest, when I decided to move to Japan last year, I was only considering living alone in an apartment next to my workplace. However, I ultimately wasn’t able to secure a place and was forced to choose another option. Although at the time I was sad that I lost my opportunity to live solo in Japan, I am forever grateful that I was able to instead find a home at Borderless House. It will forever be one of the best decisions I made throughout the past year. I am a social person, and with limited opportunities to meet people around my age group at work, as well as an irrational fear of going places by myself, living alone would have certainly ended in a lonely disaster.

Needless to say, it is important to have a strong support system when moving to a different country. One way to immediately set yourself up for success in making friends and community when moving to Japan is by choosing sharehouse accommodations that allows you to make both foreign and Japanese friends! You will be able to relate to your foreign friends as a fellow non-Japanese resident, and also will be able to get a more authentic experience of Japan through the knowledge and camaraderie of your Japanese friends.

My Sharehouse

This leads me to my current situation. Since the beginning of August 2019, I have been living in Borderless House Iidabashi1 with 14 other housemates. I often find myself using the words “friends” or “family” to describe my fellow sharehouse residents, as there is an extremely special bond that forms when you get to go through daily life with other people. When I began my time at the sharehouse, I chose to live in a single room which meant that I was able to slowly get to know my housemates when hanging out in the common areas and go back to my room if I ever felt overwhelmed or needed some quiet alone time. Since getting to know my housemates, I recently decided to live in a share-room with one of my closest housemates. I was skeptical about staying in a shared room at first as I felt like I wanted to have my own independence and space in a single room. However, looking back I honestly wish that I had made the move to a shared room sooner as I have formed even deeper bonds with my Japanese roommate, making it feel like I have a sister here who I can talk to about anything.

What makes Borderless House so special is that it keeps the ratio of its houses to 1:1 in terms of both nationality (Japanese/foreigner) and gender (male/female). I am always tempted to make friends with people who are very similar to me, which means that I most likely would have only made female, American friends here in Japan. Now, of course, having friends who are similar to you and who understand your background are by no means bad. However, now living at Iidabashi house, I have come to realize the deep value of making friends with people who come from backgrounds are different from my own. I have been moved while listening to the stories of my housemates; I get to see the love they have for their family when they speak about their hometowns, feel my mouth water when they describe their favorite foods back home and be inspired hearing about their goals and aspirations for the future. Because of these interactions, my own mindset has expanded and thanks to my housemates I believe I have become a more compassionate and understanding person. I am now much more able to step out of my comfort zone and have overcome some of my timidness.

BH Online Language Exchange Program

One question that may come up for some readers is “How do I form a community in Japan before moving there?” Recently, due to the Coronavirus, many people have missed out on the opportunity to come to Japan and Borderless House has responded by creating a Language Exchange Program where you can get matched with a current resident Borderless House sharehouses here in Tokyo! Not only will you be able to connect with Japanese residents and practice Japanese, but due to Borderless Houses’s unique mix of people, you also have the option to learn a variety of languages and cultures from around the world. By speaking with residents you can prepare for your trip to Japan by getting insider knowledge about Japan from a Japanese resident, or get answers to your questions and worries through the real-time perspective of a foreigner living in Japan. Why not join the program and start building a community in Japan ahead of time? Your language partner is waiting to meet you!!

In-person Meet-ups


Just as it is important to build friends outside of your family circle, of course, it is also important to branch out and have friends outside of your share house or other living accommodations. Given that Japan is becoming more international with each successive year, you are never alone in your desire to make friends and meet new people. One way to get connected to this community is through Meetup, which offers a platform for people to create get-togethers and events in Tokyo. Events are usually associated with shared interests such as sports, coding, gaming, language exchange etc. It can feel a bit intimidating at first to step into a room full of strangers, but remember that everyone attending the event shares the common goal of making friends. Walk into the even confidently and with a smile, and you will be surprised at the amount of people who will want to hear your life story and be friends with you! I have had a very positive experience at these events and made some lasting friends, both Japanese and foreigner. If you don’t have a strong inclination towards any of the interest group meet-ups offered, one of the easiest ways to get involved in the meet-up community is through attending a language exchange event; Grab one of your Japanese housemates and go to a Japanese-foreign language exchange together!

Sports and Interest Clubs

↑↑goofing off with my swim teammate

Another way to create a fast and lasting community is through joining an established sports or interest group. Many of the same types of clubs and groups that existed in your home country also exist in Japan! It’s a great opportunity to use your Japanese skills in a familiar setting. As I was a swimmer in America for 17 years, I decided that one way for me to create friends here in Tokyo was to join the swimming community in Tokyo. Doing something that I am familiar with while meeting new people helped me have the confidence necessary to step out of my shell and interact with others. I was able to learn new swim-related Japanese and improve on my skills at the same time! Within my own share house there are people like me who are involved in familiar hobbies by being a part of music groups and bouldering teams. You should also feel free to take up a new hobby if you want to! In addition to swimming, I started taking dance classes for the first time in my life, and although it is extremely far out of my comfort zone, after going to class consistently for a few months, I have made incredible friends and have become a member of the dance studio members club!!

In contrast to Meetup events, joining an established club or community makes it more likely that you will continually meet with the same people each week, making it easier to build a long-lasting community. To find these groups, you may need to network a bit and do some google searching, but usually sports and other interest communities are vast and eager to help. If you are a college alumni, see if there are any alumni in Tokyo that you can reach out to, and with social media it is easier than ever to find people with similar interests who are living closeby. Don’t be afraid to contact people out of the blue. Humans are social animals and we love to connect and help each other, so don’t be intimidated!

Other Advice and Take-aways

When first moving to Tokyo from a foreign country, making friends can seem intimidating. Borderless House undoubtedly is an immediate way to make lasting friends and connections, and we are ready to welcome you with open arms! For making friends outside of your sharehouse family setting, my best piece of advice is to find like-minded people with similar interests. As many things are new and unfamiliar, find a situation where you can feel most comfortable and freely express your personality. Be sure that you also consistently show up to each meeting or practice if you join a group- building connections takes time and effort!

However, make sure that for each comfort zone that you have here in Japan, you find another place that challenges you to grow. One pitfall that I would caution against is only joining an international community during your time here in Japan. Again, joining a Borderless House and some of our programs, such as the Online Language Exchange, are easy ways to make sure that you will be able to immerse yourself in Japanese language and culture by making connections with locals. Don’t be afraid to join clubs or groups that don’t have many non-Japanese participants! You never know the bonds and self-growth that you’ll be able to make by pushing yourself a bit outside of your familiar zones.

A whole community of exciting and passionate people are waiting here in Tokyo to become your friend, so start networking, start exploring, and watch your experiences in Japan brighten and expand!