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2020年6月15日2020年6月15日

House Sharing Will Be A Good Way Of Living To Save Money

When moving to a new country, people have to start their lives out. They have a new job, must meet new people, make some friends, and they live in different surroundings. As exciting as it sounds, it can also be exhausting to adjust to everything new at once. It will also undoubtedly be expensive.

According to most foreigners that have moved to foreign countries, the biggest challenge that they faced after the move was finding accommodations. Some people end up at expensive studio apartments due to a lack of choice, others have to compromise on the locality of the apartment or pay high rents to enjoy a comfortable stay.

Not every house owner in east Asian countries is willing to rent their place to foreigners, and even then most of them ask for a local cosigner to guarantee on behalf of the tenant. The language and the cultural gap make local people feel that foreigners won’t understand them or get along with them. This is why they make no compromises on security money and ask for higher rents from foreigners.

Making a move can be an extensive and lifechanging task, which often disheartens people. Without friends and family around, they find it difficult to conduct an apartment search.

The solutions to all of the problems faced during apartment searching are offered by share houses. Share houses are rental houses with multiple rooms available for rent. While people have separate rooms, they also have common areas like the living room and kitchen. Share houses are mostly found in cities where the number of foreigners living in the city is high. The primary goal of a share house is to make sure that foreigners do not find it difficult to adjust to the new country.

Compared to apartments, share houses are a cheaper alternative for a comfortable accommodation. Along with clean rooms and basic amenities, share houses provide an opportunity for foreigners to make friends in the city.

People living at share houses are able to save money and have more flexibility in terms of the contract. If you’re on a small budget and are considering a move to countries such as Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, you might want to go through this article on how house-sharing could be a good way of living to save money.

Avoid Long Contract Periods

Most apartment rental contracts are signed for one year. The tenants have not experienced life in those apartments before signing the agreement. This is why when they experience some challenges living there, they are unable to move as they are bound by the contract. If they have to move by breaking the contract, they might have to pay a penalty.
Moreover, if you are required to move back to your country or some other place due to unexpected circumstances, then you will have to break the contract and will be charged.

Living in a share house is more flexible in situations like these. When living at a share house, if you do not like the place you are at, you can easily move out. Share houses are rented for shorter periods of time, so if you’re moving to a foreign country only for 6 months, staying at a share house could be your best money-saving bet.

Most share houses offer a room for the minimum stay of 1 month. Even if you are asked to sign a yearly contract, it will include a clause that if you give 30-45 days notice before moving out, then you will not be charged a penalty for moving out with less than a month’s notice. This offers relief to tenants who are unsure about the period of their stay in the nation.

Fully-Furnished Rentals

When having moved to a new apartment, you will need to furnish it as soon as possible for normal life to begin. Some of the furniture and appliances that you will need during your stay include a bed, table, cupboard, refrigerator, washing machine, water heater, air conditioning, etc. Buying furniture and appliances is a big investment. These items will likely cost you around one month’s rent.

Share houses are fully-furnished to ensure comfort. Every room has a bed and cupboard, whereas the common rooms, kitchen, and bathrooms are equipped with all the required furniture and appliances. The bed, pillows. cupboard, etc. are offered at a one-time fee that is below 10000 Yen.

When someone moves to a share house, they only need to carry their everyday personal belongings. They do not need to spend money on furniture or decor and therefore are able to save money. They are able to use appliances that they might not have purchased themselves if they were to rent a private apartment. For example, a dishwasher.

When they move to another country, they do not have to worry about selling or transporting furniture and appliances. This takes a lot of cost load that they are already bearing, off of their shoulders.

Many share houses even offer luxury amenities like a home theatre and fitness studio for the housemates. This is done to attract people to the share house and provide value for their money.

Free Internet

Whether you are a student, working professional, or tourist, the internet is a necessity for everyone. It helps people stay connected, updated, and entertained. To enjoy seamless internet connectivity, most people have Wi-Fi installed at their apartments.

Setting up the internet at your apartment will be some cost to you. You will also have to pay some extra cost in the beginning. There are not many landlords that will provide free internet to their tenants. However, share houses offer free internet connectivity to all its housemates at no extra cost.

The cost of the internet is already included in the monthly rent. The internet connectivity is strong and the housemates can enjoy smooth surfing. Access to the internet is limited to the housemates to avoid usage by outsiders which would cause poor connectivity.

Less Initial Fees

Share house managers do not expect you to pay a few month’s rent as security or downpayment. The initial fee is comparatively much lower than what is charged by apartment landlords. This enables most people to expand their budget and rent a room at a luxury share house. They are even able to spend money on sightseeing around the new country.
The initial fee at the BORDERLESS HOUSES is more reasonable compared to a typical apartment or condominium.

It does not matter which country you move to, the brokerage costs are usually high. While brokers are quite efficient at finding accommodations, they are often working in their best interests rather than yours. When renting a share house, you can eliminate the need for hiring a broker. Share houses are easy to find as they usually have an online presence. When renting a room at a share house, you will not have to hire a broker and can directly contact the manager. This will help you save some money.

Lower Rents

With the increase in the number of foreigners coming to east Asian countries and local people moving to industrial areas, cities are getting crowded. This has led to a hike in rental prices in the city. For example, on average, renting an ordinary apartment in a good Japanese locality will cost you somewhere between 97000 Yen to 200000 Yen per month. The rent will depend on the city that you live in, the size of the apartment, proximity to the market or train stations, and the amenities offered.

The monthly rent of staying a share house is lower than that of renting an apartment. If you have a low budget, you can also rent a bed in a shared room or dormitory. This way, you will be able to use all the house amenities, without having to pay for a private room.

The downpayment is lower at share houses and the maintenance fee is reasonable. What’s more, most share houses are located near train stations and in low-crime localities. They offer easy connectivity to most places in the city and do not empty the tenant’s pockets.

Conclusion

Quite evidently, the process of finding an accommodation in Japan for reasonable prices can be an exhausting task. Add to that the expenses that come with moving to a new place, like buying home appliances and paying maintenance costs. However, worry not, because you can always rent a room at a share house and save yourself some money.

BORDERLESS HOUSE is a share house company with many share houses in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. The ratio of local people and foreigners at these share houses is kept equal. The motto of the company is to welcome the people that stay there and ensure their comfort. At BORDERLESS HOUSE, the rooms are rented at affordable prices, and the company offers shared rooms and dorms for people with lower budgets.

If you have recently moved to Japan and are looking for accommodation to ensure a comfortable stay, you can reach out to us at BORDERLESS HOUSE.

2020年6月6日2020年7月4日

【Borderless residents】At the age of thirty, I decided to move into this international shared house to work abroad in the future

Borderless house is a multicultural ‘community’ share house in which young people from all over the world cultivate international cultural exchange by gathering and living under one roof.

This cross-cultural share house provides not only an opportunity for improving your English skills but also a chance to create a great community of locals and foreigners, as well as an opportunity to learn new perspectives.

Many of our tenants from all over the world have a unique sense of humor and experiences that you could never imagine.

From this, we started a new project called “Borderless tenants”, which consists of interviewing tenants about how they have changed or grew as a person through their experiences at Borderless house.

The second interviewee of this series is Mr. guhee, a tenant of Borderless house for the last year and a half. He chose to live here because he decided to start studying English before he turns 30 years old.

We asked him about his great progress in his English skills and his change from a Japanese to a foreign company.

My big change before turning 30.Start your preparation for working abroad at Borderless house.

ーThank you for joining us. Please introduce yourself.
My name is Gohee. I will turn 32 years old this year. My housemates call me ‘Gohee or Gucchi’.

I have been living in the Shinagawa-oimachi house since October 2018, so for almost one and a half years. I love sports and play tennis and go bouldering quite often. Before COVID19, my housemates and I used to go play sports together once a week.

I like cooking as well, so I would sometimes cook for my housemates or we would cook together.

ーWhat made you move into Borderless house?
Just before turning 30 years old, I was looking back on my career and thought that I would like to try working abroad. Then I decided to start studying English to achieve this, and that is why I decided to move into Borderless House.
When I asked my friend for advice, he said ‘quit your job now and go study abroad’

However, I didn’t want to quit my job at the time, so I was looking for a better option. This was when I decided to study English on my own.

I started looking for a share house that would allow me to live with people from other countries and

found Borderless House.

ーSo you decided to move into a share house at the age of 30! Were you living alone until then?
Yes, I have lived by myself for 7 years in Tokyo and this was my first time living in a sharehouse.

The most impressive moment for me was my housemates threw a birthday party for me on the day I moved in

ーDid you have any problems whilst living with others?
A lot of things left an impression on me, rather than actual problems.
The day that I had moved in may have left the biggest impression on me.

That day happened to be the day of housemate’s birthday party.

I was invited to go to see the fireworks by my housemates. So I went with them in the afternoon without even unpacking and celebrated his birthday at a Yakiniku restaurant.

On my first day…even though I didn’t know their faces and names yet, my housemates didn’t mind at all and took me with them. I still remember the feelings of surprise and confusion I felt that day very clearly.

ーGoing to see fireworks with your housemates on your very first day… That’s quite a unique experience! Are there any other memories that stand out for you?
My birthday party that was held 2 weeks after I moved in is also quite a good memory.
I was never able to show off my talent of “making nigiri sushi” until then, but it finally came in handy and it was a great hit.

I served my handmade Sushi to everyone and my housemates, especially my non-Japanese housemates were very impressed with how people can make Sushi by themselves!

At the Oimachi House, we always hold birthday parties and farewell parties for everyone and each of them is very good memories for me.

(手巻き寿司パーティーの時の様子)

ーIt is fantastic that a tradition of celebrating and sending people off has been built already in your Sharehouse. Do you go out together often?

We go out together often. We’ve been to Roppongi and Yoyogi-park to have picnics, we’ve attended a glass-making workshop, etc.
I like planning events and asking people to join, so last summer I made my own Nagashi-somen and it was a big hit!

Sharehouse is a place for practice; I learned English through my daily life

ーIs there anything you decided to try out after moving in the sharehouse?
My main objective behind living in Sharehouse was learning English, so I mainly tried studying and improving my ability to communicate in English.
When I moved in, I didn’t speak English so it was hard to communicate with my housemates, especially for the first 2 months. I just studied every day.
Other things that I tried to do besides studying by myself are going out with housemates, as well as attending parties and events to communicate with them more on my day off. Because of this, after a while, my English started to improve.

ーWhat else did you do to learn English? Please give us more details.
One of my housemates works at an English conversation school, so I studied with the textbooks and vocabulary books that he/she recommended.
One of the good aspects of living in an international share house is how I was able to try using new words and phrases in conversations with my housemates right after learning them.

ーHave your housemates helped with your studies?
As there were 10 non-Japanese residents in my share house at that time, and most of them didn’t speak Japanese, I was able to learn English by just being with them.
My housemates also helped me by giving me vocabulary quizzes when I was studying in the living room.
When I was studying for the TOEIC exam, they helped me until 2 in the morning.

ーHow much did your TOEIC score improve?
My score was in the 400s when I first moved in, but after a year at the share house, my score improved and went over 800. The fact that my score improved even though I didn’t study exclusively for the test and was only studying the basics made me realize how much my English improved. It made me really happy.

ーWas the greatest change you saw in yourself since moving in the improvement of your English skills?
While this is true, I think making friends from all over the world and experiencing first hand the differences in our ways of thinking was a larger change for me. I’d never had friends from foreign countries so it was very new to me.

For example, even though I knew that different countries have differences in education, there was never a chance for me to ask what kind of education they grew up with. It was interesting to learn what was different from Japanese education.
ーHas this change been useful in your daily life?
Since I live with housemates who have different perspectives, it became easier for me to accept different perspectives that people of different generations have.

My coworkers range from those in their 20s to those in their 50s and their perspectives are very different. Now I’ve changed and started to think “it’s normal for people to have different opinions, so how do we go about this?” whilst working.

There are more career options for me as my English has been improved

ーWhat made you decide to change your job?
Because my goal was to work abroad when I moved to the Borderless House, I thought my first step was to find a job where I can use English.

When I first moved in, I needed time to get used to the share house and study English. After about 6 months after moving in, I had become more confident in my English skills and then decided to look into changing my job more seriously.

ーWhat were your criteria when you were looking for a job? What did you prioritize?
As I had no experience using English in my career, I knew it would be difficult for me to work for a company that uses English as its official language. Therefore, I started by applying for Japanese companies, because I thought there would be a higher chance of me getting hired. However, it became possible for me to apply to foreign companies after my TOEIC scores improved and I had more options available to me.

ーWhat made you decide to work at your current company?
First of all, the company has offices in 15 countries worldwide, so it allows opportunities of getting transferred to foreign branches. Second of all, while the company’s official language is English, most of the company’s clients are Japanese businesses, so I am able to use both Japanese and English for communication. I think this is a good work environment for me, as I have just been studying English for a year.

ーBesides learning English, were there any other advantages in living in Borderless house whilst looking for a job?

It was good that I was able to get inside information on foreign companies that I didn’t know about. After I started applying for foreign companies, I realized how few foreign companies Japanese people knew about.

Before applying for the job, I wasn’t aware of the company I work for now. My British housemate gave me information and advice about it, and that was what made me apply.

I am grateful for being able to learn about various foreign companies from housemates who are from the county the company originated in.

ーWhat are your future goals now that you’ve experienced living in Borderless House?

My goal when I was 30 years old was to work abroad, but now my goal is to move to a foreign country by the time that I am 40.

The first step for me now is to be transferred to a foreign branch.

ーYou had said before that you didn’t know which country you would like to live in. How about now? Do you have a certain country in your mind?
I would like to try living in an English speaking country first.

However, I would love to live in Germany eventually. Before changing jobs I had the opportunity to go see a past housemate and traveled across 4 countries in Europe for the first time. I was very drawn to Germany then.

There is more than one way to learn English. However, being able to make friends from all over the world is the greatest benefit to stay at a share house

ーFinally, please give one piece of advice to our future tenants!
There are many ways to learn English. You can go to a language school, using on-line English conversation classes, YouTube, etc.
But, if you live in Borderless house, you will not only learn English. You will also be able to learn different values and perspectives. The best part about living in Borderless house is that it allows you to make friends from all over the world!

ーYour story of setting goals, taking measures towards achieving that goal will surely be helpful for future tenants thinking of joining with the intention of learning English! Thank you so much for your fantastic story Guhee-san!

Editor’s Note

What did you think about Higuchi-san’s story?

Please refer to Higuchi-san’s notes when thinking about life at the sharehouse or finding a new way to learn English. He has shared his specific methods of studying and his process of finding a new job.

gooheeさんHiguchi-san’s Notes

Meeting new people will definitely lead to a great change.

Borderless house is filled with unique and diverse people from all over the world.

Why don’t you join us and experience “change”?

2020年6月4日2020年6月4日

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!

2020年6月2日2020年6月2日

【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

2020年5月9日2020年8月18日

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.

2020年4月18日2022年11月1日

Guide for Living in Tokyo

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

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

What People Like About Tokyomajor

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

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

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

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

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

The Weather In Tokyo

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

1. Spring: March to May

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

2. Monsoon: May to the first half of July

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

3. Summer: June to August

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

4. Typhoon: End of August to September

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

5. Autumn: September to November

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

6. Winter: December To February

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

Tokyo Attractions: Places To Visit

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

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

Best Experiences In Tokyo

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

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

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

Facilities That The City Offers

Healthcare

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

Insurance

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

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

Clinics

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

Pharmacies

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

Convenient Transportation

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

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

Shopping

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

Safety

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

The Cost of Living in Tokyo

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

Accommodation

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

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

Food

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

Transportation

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

Tax

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

The Challenges Expats Face during living in Japan

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

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

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

Relations Between Japanese Locals And Foreigners

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2020年3月31日2020年4月28日

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

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

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

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

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

這時候的我們有什麼能做的呢？

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

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

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

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

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

-配對流程-

STEP1
登錄！
請從下方表格申請。

登記表格

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

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

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

BORDERLESS HOUSE能做的

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

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

Point3
沒錯！這是一項免費的交流服務！

現在就填寫 申請表格！加入我們：）

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

我們衷心期盼你們的參與！

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2020年3月20日2020年3月23日

不只是住宿！BORDERLESS HOUSE 活動回顧

大家對於入住BORDERLESS HOUSE最期待的是什麼呢？

有很多房客告訴我們，他們最期待的就是我們不定期舉辦的活動啦！

參加活動除了好玩有趣、交新朋友，還能學習國際文化，是不是很棒呢？

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

茶壺山

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

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

↓↓ 活動影片看這裡 ↓↓

北海岸淨灘

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

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

↓↓ 活動影片看這裡 ↓↓

House Party

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

中秋烤肉

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

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

萬聖節扮裝

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

大稻埕旗袍一日遊

除了各種踏青、派對活動以外，體驗一下在地的台灣文化也是必須的！

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

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

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

↓↓ 活動影片看這裡 ↓↓

看完了以上幾個活動回顧，不知道大家對哪個活動最有興趣呢？

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

2019年12月25日2020年8月28日

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

December is the Christmas season!

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

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

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

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

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

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

So, CHECK IT OUT !!

International interaction and Christmas Party represent so much Borderless House !

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you always, Ashley !!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The first program is called number and color matching!

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

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

Is it not fantastic ?!

Is it destiny ?!

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

This meeting is forever!

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

The next program is a gesture game!

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

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

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

The first theme was the one of the difficult ones!

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

The floor is in chaos.

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

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

All of our staff were touched by their passion.

We really wanted to give them some gifts!

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

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

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

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

Are you interested in the content of the gift?

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

We all envy….

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

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

Borderless bingo is not a normal bingo game.

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

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

Let start the bingo!

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

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

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

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

The tenant of Shinjuku-Nakano 3 !!!

Congratulation!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Merry Christmas and Happy New year everyone!

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BORDERLESS Event Review

2019年5月14日2019年5月14日