國際交流 – Page 6 – 新BHサイト用ブログ

2020年10月10日2020年9月28日

How to Build Community in Borderless House 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 one of the Borderless House.

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 one of the Borderless House in Tokyo 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 the 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’ 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 all Borderless House to become your friend, so start networking, start exploring, and watch your experiences abroad brighten and expand!

2020年10月6日2020年10月6日

Why Are Sharehouses The Best Shelter Option When You Are Starting Life In Abroad?

In the present world, borders and boundaries have become fluid. These lines that mark and enclose an area to represent a city, country, or continent, and which primarily only exist on paper are in the present world not as rigid as they used to be earlier. Instead, in the present moment, these boundaries have become porous to allow people to move in and out of a country. This sits true for the borders and boundaries of almost all the countries or continents around the globe.

The Earth presently has become a global space, and all the cities and countries have become a part of its chain. Whether it is for studies or managing businesses, every year we witness people moving across borders. Because of this, it has become a natural occurrence to find citizens of different nationalities living together in a country they were not born or brought up.

But if you have ever traveled overseas, then you would know that living in a new country is not a very pleasant experience especially during the initial days. It is so because when you go to a new place you usually miss your old friends and family, and the previous surroundings terribly. Plus, when you move to a new country you feel like a stranger, and thus, it becomes difficult to blend in.

Mixing-in in a new country is not as easy as it may appear in the first place. We say so because when you go to a new place, you usually don’t know much about the culture or tradition of that place. And because of this, you always feel anxious and stressed in your new surroundings. You are always on your toes observing how other people are behaving so you would not mistakenly do that would hurt or disrespect the sentiments of the natives.

Thus, in such a time when you have freshly moved into a new country, it is considered a good idea to live in a share house. Doing so will help you in many ways. Wondering how that works? Well, in that case, read our next section to find out your answers.

How are share houses helpful in starting a fresh life in a new country?

A sharehouse is a big property that is offered on rent to tenants where many strangers share the same roof. In a share house, you can rent a single room for yourself or you can rent a room that houses 3 to 4 people in total depending upon your needs and requirements. This place is a top shelter choice for people, especially for those who have freshly shifted to a new country because-
It helps you in understanding alien customs.

As we have already established, when you move to a new country, chances are that you will be unfamiliar with its customs and traditions. This can make you anxious while adding to your stress levels. Also, there is this probability that if you did something wrong because of your unfamiliarity with the local customs that the natives find offending or insulting, then you might feel even more alienated and alone. Thus, for this reason, it is a safe choice to live in a share house at least for the initial days because there you are bound to come across many people who will be interested in international exchange.

When you will live with them, such people will help you in learning more about their local culture, while at the same time they will also try to understand your traditions. This healthy exchange will make your life significantly easier. So, if you want to know about the local customs and traditions of a place, its food, its manners, etc. in a friendly way without wasting much time, then share houses should be your top priority while seeking shelter.

It is a borderless accommodation

When you move to a new space how fluently you can speak their local language plays a very important role in deciding the ease with which you will blend in your new surroundings. So, for example, if you have moved to Japan for your further studies and you can fluently speak and write Japanese, then this will probably mean that you will find it easier to navigate Japan as compared to someone who doesn’t even understand Japanese. It is so because when you don’t understand the local language of a place, you find it hard to explain to people your queries or emotions.

Now, in such a scenario, it is wise to find a share house in your new country because in share houses you can probably find residents who are familiar with your language. In this way, your common language can help you in befriending people and it can also help you in learning the local language quite easily. We, BORDERLESS HOUSE, make language exchange easy for you by offering on our website the information about the nationality of its residents. You can even opt to talk to the residents of the share house while requesting a preview of the property.

It offers you easier access to common knowledge

When you shift to a new country, other than the customs, traditions, and language of that place there are many other things that you ought to learn about your new home town. These things include information on the common practices of the new place, knowledge about local shops and convenience stores in your locality, and awareness about the norms of living in that place such that your safety is not threatened.

Living in a share house can help you in gaining easy access to such information. It is so because when you are sharing a roof with other people you are bound to interact with them. In your conversations, you can come across the above-mentioned info without even requesting for the same. In opposed to this, if you opt to live alone in a new country, then acquiring such information may take some time.

Thus, these are some reasons because of which living in a share house should be your preferred choice. Living here can help you in settling-in easily.

2020年9月28日

What Is A Sharehouse?

A sharehouse is a rental space where people who are living independently, gather to live together. Except for private rooms, all other spaces are shared with fellow tenants. The shared spaces include the lounge area, where tenants can interact with one another, the kitchen, where they can prepare a variety of cuisines and meals, and the bathroom.

Share houses are mainly occupied by similarly aged (young and middle-aged) independently living locals or foreigners who have moved to Korea. Share houses appeal to this group of people due to the diversity, comfort of living, and fun that they offer to its tenants.

Popularity Of Share Houses

The increasing focus on shared spaces in television dramas and the collective generational desire to interact with new people and explore new things has led to the popularity of share houses in east Asia.

The Share House Culture

Different companies provide sharehouses with different themes, aiming to bring like-minded people together. Some shares houses are based on similar interests like sports, while there are some share houses that are only for girls or for single mothers, etc.

When living at a share house, one can learn about local culture, taste authentic local food, understand the local lifestyle, and make friends with local residents. BORDERLESS HOUSE is one of the leading share house companies in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, as they offer a variety of multicultural shares houses.

After co-living for a period of time, and in some cases even sharing a room, housemates leave their sharehouses with strong friendships with individuals from various countries across the globe.

Share House v/s Room Share: The Better Rental

When moving to another country, most people go for the conventional choice of a rental accommodation i.e. leasing an apartment or sharing a rental house. While the cost of a rental is divided between flatmates in a shared rental, the overhead costs and the money spent during the first month of leasing can empty your pockets.

A rental apartment has to be furnished, the monthly bills for electricity, gas, internet, and water have to be paid, and the cost of repairs, if any, must be shouldered by the flatmates.
By contrast, when renting a space in a share house, the tenants all pay a monthly rent and maintenance fee, and the management details are all handled by the sharehouse company.

A rental apartment or room is generally shared by people who either are friends or have previously decided to group together for the purpose of leasing the space together. While living with someone you already know may sound more comfortable, it leaves little space for learning. If you and your roommates are all foreigners, then it will be increasingly difficult for you to immerse yourself in the local way of living.

What Kind Of Personality Fits Share House Life well?

1. An open heart

Obviously, a share house constitutes communal spaces, which means you’ll share your space with your housemates who come from everywhere around the world. Everyone has their own different backgrounds, personalities and experiences, so, an open heart and mind are important for anyone considering staying in a share house.

2. People who love to make new friends!

Communication is one of the main concept points of BORDERLESS HOUSE. Most of our tenants expect to be placed in an environment where tenants are willing to communicate and interact to each other! So, make an effort not to hide away in your room, and instead, join your housemates, enjoy your time together, and make it memorable!

3. Maintain house cleanliness and environment with other housemates

A clean and comfortable environment requires all the housemates to work on maintaining it together. In BORDERLESS HOUSE, all tenants will need to take turns to do the housework together!

BORDERLESS HOUSE

BORDERLESS HOUSE is an International share house company with 122 share houses and 1285 rooms available for rent in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. BORDERLESS HOUSE caters to a large number of tenants every month. These tenants are from around 50 different countries and come to the share house with their own cultural knowledge to impart and a lot to gain from other housemates.

The ratio of locals and foreigners in a share house depends upon each share house company. The resident ratio between locals and foreigners at BORDERLESS HOUSE share houses is equal. This guarantees foreigners an opportunity to interact with locals and learn the culture, language, and traditions of the country.

The essence of a share house by BORDERLESS HOUSE is to create a multicultural space, where borders do not matter- where people from different countries across the world live together and share experiences. Residents teach and learn from each other, and become lifelong friends.

The Benefits Of Staying At A BORDERLESS HOUSE

● When you move to another country, you come across a lot of new and unexpected things. The food, the lifestyle, the language, the culture, and people’s perspectives are all new and strange at first. While some people find it easy to adapt into new spaces, others might have trouble interacting with people and making friends. Living together under the same roof, provides an immediate community of friends and a great environment for people to start talking.

● When living together for an extended period, housemates can learn each other’s culture and way of living. Interaction with people from different cultures helps you broaden your perspectives and learn new things about human nature.
Living with locals can help you learn the culture and folklore of the country. You can even celebrate local festivals, i.e. Chinese New Year, Seollal, and Shogatsu with local people!

● If you have moved to either Japan, Korea, or Taiwan for the long term, then knowledge of the local language will certainly come in handy. With the help your local housemates, you can simplify your life by learning the local language. Knowing the local language will help you better navigate around the country and take a step towards being accepted as a resident of your new country!

● When living at a share house, you can benefit from the advice and knowledge of your local housemates. Once you become friends, you can visit popular local restaurants and bars together. If you need to buy something, they can recommend the best shops in the area, or even accompany you to one. Basically, when living in a share house, you will never feel alone despite being in a foreign country.

● While there are many social benefits of living at a share house, it is also economically beneficial for people who are living alone. The monthly cost of staying at a share house is generally cheaper than that of a private apartment. Apart from the rent and maintenance fee, the tenants are not expected to pay for additional facilities like the internet, water, gas, etc. In some cases they can share the cost of cooking with other tenants and save money while making friends.

● Considering that a lot of people are housed together, share houses generally offer better and smarter house appliances. Some share houses even offer home theatres and fitness studios.

● To make the life of tenants at the share house easier, share house companies have dedicated house management staff to oversee the maintenance of the share house. From broken appliances to leaking pipes, every big and small maintenance job is handled by the company staff so that the tenants of the share house have one less thing to worry about.

BORDERLESS HOUSE is located in many different cities, including Tokyo, Seoul, and Taipei, amongst others. These houses are located in areas that are nearby to local markets, stations, and other regularly visited places to ensure maximized convenience and ease of living for the tenants.

2020年9月11日2020年9月25日

文化活動｜大稻埕漫遊：穿著旗袍品茶、品香更對味

說到國際交流，除了夜市、小籠包、珍珠奶茶，你還知道台灣有什麼充滿在地文化的東西，可以推薦給外國朋友嗎？其實台北大同區的大稻埕、迪化街商圈，是一個充滿文化底蘊的舊城區，各種百年歷史的建築、特色小吃、景點都聚集在這個地方！

睽違了兩年，趁著最近國內旅遊正夯，我們再次著外國朋友來到了大稻埕，和我們一起老街漫遊，體驗在地台灣味！這次除了穿旗袍，還有品茶、品香的活動，快來看看吧！

（不要忘了滑到文章最下方，看活動影片喔！）

貳零年華：體驗1920年代的旗袍風采

林阿姨的旗袍店「貳零年華Salon 1920s」，收藏了非常多1920年代的服飾和配件，而二○年代正是大稻埕最為繁華的美好年代，林阿姨的旗袍店名，就是這樣而來的。

走進店裡會發現林阿姨對旗袍的熱愛及用心，從店內的裝潢到陳設，都充滿了復古優雅，挑選旗袍的過程中，林阿姨也會根據每個人的需求，提供不同的搭配建議，替大家挑選最能凸顯自身氣質的旗袍穿搭。

除了旗袍以外，妝髮的搭配也十分重要，如果希望裝扮更有完整性，也可以請林阿姨幫忙梳妝，經過阿姨的巧手，只需要短短的5-10分鐘，就能完成非常典雅的盤髮喔！

雖然阿姨的店主打旗袍體驗，但也有部分是提供給男生的長袍選擇喔！
我們的日本室友Hiro換上長袍後，完全是員外啊！

品茶：富有層次及內涵的茶文化

換上旗袍，梳妝完成後，就準備要進行今天的第一個項目「品茶」囉！
林阿姨準備了幾種不同的茶葉，手把手帶著大家從聞香、沏茶、品茶，一步一步泡出好茶。

首先開始的，是林阿姨大手筆分享的1920年的「正山小種」，這可是產自福建，一斤上萬元的老茶葉喔！經過了年份的洗禮，茶葉也自然吸收了周遭環境的味道，帶著一種木質老建物的氣味，大家笑稱這是阿嬤家的味道。

其他還有像是帶著俠女的氣質的「鐵觀音」，氣味十分強而有力，而「東方美人」則是因為沖泡後色澤艷麗，香氣獨特，百年前被英國女王品嚐後，就賜名了東方美人。

而大家最喜歡的茶葉是「白茶」，一種未經過發酵及烘培的茶葉，沖泡前聞起來就像秋天的落葉，沖泡後則是帶有一種蔬菜的香氣，非常特別。

整個品茶的過程，我們一邊喝茶，吃著小點心，聽著林阿姨分享每種茶葉的由來、製程及故事，大家都十分投入。

品香：勾起記憶的嗅覺體驗

接在品茶之後的是「品香」活動，林阿姨準備了20幾種不同的天然香粉，每種都對應到了人體的心、脾、腎、肝、肺，大家可以根據每種香氣的功效，對應自己想要改善的部分，挑選出自己喜歡的香氣做調和。

首先林阿姨已經替大家準備好了專業的調香工具，大家依據自己的喜歡的香氣，挑選出共0.5克的香粉，其中0.2克裝進香囊中，可以隨身攜帶，而剩餘的香粉需要再加入0.2克的龍柏粉，混和以幫助燃燒，最後將香粉裝進模型中壓緊，製成香錐。

這個看似簡單的步驟其實十分需要技巧，施壓的力道不能太輕，否則香錐無法成形，而施壓的力道太重，則可能造成香錐無法從模型中取出，或是不易點燃喔。

大家七手八腳的互相幫忙，終於完成了每個人的香錐囉！最後我們輪流點燃自己調製的香，和大家分享、交流，並根據自己所調和出來的香氣，寫下一個對應的文字，敘述自己對這個香氣的感受。

有人認味香氣帶給他放鬆的感覺，也有人說香氣的味道，讓他想起了在日本家鄉的童年時光，每個人的感受都十分不同，非常有趣。

帶著外國友人，一起探索老街風華！

經過一個上午品茶、品香體驗後，大家都收穫滿滿，外國室友們也覺得非常有趣呢！其實大稻埕曾經是北部最重要的貿易港口，也是最為繁華的商圈之一，至今已經有百年的歷史，許多紅磚洋樓、巴洛克式建築都被保留了下來，走進大稻埕就像踏入了時光機一般。

而現在的大稻埕經過重新規劃後，除了有原本的老字號南北貨商行、茶行、中藥行，也新進駐了許多文青小店、咖啡廳，非常值得大家去走走逛逛！如果有外國朋友來到台灣旅遊，更是一個不容錯過，充滿在地台灣味的景點喔！

最後合照一張，大家就準備吃午餐囉！大稻埕有許多老字號的美食、小吃，就讓大家各自挑選自己喜歡的餐廳，填飽肚子為下午的大稻埕導覽補充體力吧！我們下回見！

活動影片紀錄

同場加映：

■ 不只是住宿！BORDERLESS HOUSE 活動回顧

■ 波波暑期換宿 – 替室友辦個活動吧！

2020年9月4日2021年5月27日

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

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

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

This is how this program started.

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

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

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

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

Matching with the perfect partner!

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

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

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

Details of this program and how to apply

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Miyu: Her hobby is traveling!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Please apply from the form here.

We are looking forward to your participation!

Other programs & reviews

2020年9月2日2020年9月2日

波波暑期換宿 – 替室友辦個活動吧！

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

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

中山2：Tutorㄅㄆㄇ

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

大安2：室友歡迎會

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

芝山1：Bye Bye 歡送會

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

新埔1：台灣零食同樂會

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

日本女孩評測 – 9種必吃台灣零食！ by 暄淇

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

當天我準備了9樣台灣零食讓他們品嚐！

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

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

以下就是台灣9種必吃零食排名！

最後的最後！

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

你相信這個都市傳說嗎？還是你覺得太迷信了呢？

以上就是四位波波為家裡室友所舉辦的小活動，不知道大家覺得如何呢？

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

>>我想看看共居房間<<

>>BORDERLESS HOUSE活動回顧<<

2020年8月20日

【New Campaign】Don’t be nervous! Your First Korean Friend is waiting!

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

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

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

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

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

The biggest help was a friend.

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

Borderless will introduce such a friend for the first time.

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

You will have fewer worries and more expectations!

What is ‘My First Foreign Friend’?

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

Who are we looking for?

• New tenants who have decided to move in

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

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

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

What is the difference between the existing language exchange program?

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

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

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

Benefits for My First Friend participants

1.
“I ‘m not afraid to go to Korea!”

Ask your friend!

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

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

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

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

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

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

How do you participate?

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

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

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

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4月7日2026年3月23日

Share House是什麼?

也許亞洲的其他國家對於Share House還是不是那麼熟悉，不過，在日本Share House已經是盛行了一段時間的租屋方式，這邊文章就讓我們來告訴你「什麼是Share House」。

Share House是一個讓一群人聚在一起生活的出租空間，除了個人房間之外，其他的空間均為共用。這共用空間包含了讓大家互相交流的交誼聽、能夠一起下廚準備各種美食的廚房以及淋浴間和洗衣間、曬衣場等。

Share House主要聚集了年齡相仿的本地人或移居至日本的外國人。因為多樣化的環境，以及能體驗到不同的生活樂趣，而吸引了這群房客來到Share House居住。

1990年後，由於日本的外國人口增加，因此推出了一個稱為“外國人住宅”的新型租房型態，而Share House從之而衍生的租屋方式。不過現在這些Share House，已成為了提供當地人和外國人互相交流的空間，多元文化的環境的代表。

Share House的普及

隨著人們越來越關注於Share House題材的電視劇，結合了不同世代想認識不同的人，以及探索新事物的好奇心，讓Share House的租房形態在東亞流行與普及起來。

Share House 文化

根據2015年的一項研究，移民人口佔了日本人口的1.75%，這當中有些是移居至日本工作、接受教育或旅行的外國人，而隨著都市人口的增長，在日本租房變得越來越困難且價格高，因此Share House為當地人和外國人提供了一個設備齊全的空間，也為他們提供了一個既划算又能夠體驗多元文化的選擇。
不同的公司提供了不同形式的Share House，希望能將興趣相近的人聚集在一起。有些以運動愛好者為主題，而有些則是提供給予女性或單親媽媽的專用Share House。
在日本的Share House生活時，由於能有機會和日本人同住，您可以了解到當地的文化及生活習慣，品嚐到道地的本土美食，並交到來自不同國家的朋友。

由於BORDERLESS HOUSE提供以「多元文化」為主題的Share House，因為這樣的獨特性，成為了日本、韓國和台灣地區當中的有名氣的公司之一。

生活在同一個屋簷下，或是同一間房間的房客們，經過一段時間相處之後，都能漸漸與世界各地的人們有了連結並建立起深厚的友誼。

Share House vs Room Share: 更好的租屋型態

當搬家到另一個國家生活的時，大多數的人會選擇傳統的租房方式，也就是普通的出租公寓或合租公寓。但即使與合租者一起平均分擔租金，光是管理費用和初期費用就是一筆很大的開銷。
傳統的租房型態，除了必須自行購買家具家電以外，每個月還必須另外支付電費、瓦斯費、網路費及水費，甚至維修費用在必要時也是要自行負擔。

相比之下，Share House的房客每個月支付的房租和水電費雜費等維護管理費用都包含在一起，所以不需要每個月自行去繳費，就算遇到需要維修的情況時，Share House公司也會全部為您處理好。

出租公寓或房間通常是跟朋友或原先就決定好要一起生活的同伴們一起租的空間，與您熟識的人一起生活可能聽起來很棒，但相對地，能夠學習的空間不多。如果您和您的室友同樣都是外國人，那麼您可能需要花更多時間融入當地的生活。

Share House適合什麼樣的人呢？

1.一顆開放的心
Share House提供了許多共用空間，這意味著您將與來自世界各地的室友們一起共享這間公共空間。由於每個人來自各自不同的背景、擁有不同的個性和經歷，因此，開放的心態對於考慮入住Share House的人相當重要。

2.喜歡結交新朋友
交流是BORDERLESS HOUSE的主要理念之一。我們大多數的房客都樂於與他人交流和互動，所以，不要再躲在您的房間裡了！趕快與您的室友一起享受生活，讓它成為您難忘的回憶吧！

3.和室友一起維護房屋與環境的整潔
乾淨舒適的環境需要所有室友的共同努力。在BORDERLESS HOUSE，家事或倒垃圾等工作是必須由所有房客們一起輪流完成的。

BORDERLESS HOUSE

BORDERLESS HOUSE是一家在日本、韓國和台灣擁有122間Share House、1285間房間可供出租的國際Share House營運公司。每個月提供大量的租房需求給來自超過50個不同的國家的房客，所有的人帶著各自的文化知識來到Share House裡與其他室友們互相學習分享。

當地人與外國人的房客比例取決於每間公司，而BORDERLESS HOUSE則是採取５比５各一半的比例。這能夠保證外國人有更多機會與當地人互動，並能學習更多不同的語言及認識彼此的文化。

BORDERLESS HOUSE的Share House的宗旨是在於創造一個多元文化的空間，不分國界，來自世界各地的人們在這裡一起生活並分享彼此的經驗。房客們互相教與學，成為一輩子的朋友。

住在BORDERLESS HOUSE的好處

●當搬到另一個國家時，您會遇到許多新奇又意想不到的事物。食物、生活方式、語言、文化和人們的想法在一開始都是很新鮮的，雖然有些人會發現適應新的環境並不難，但有些人可能並不擅長於交流與結交朋友。而BORDERLESS HOUSE的Share House提供了最即時的交流環境及良好的交談環境。

●當長期生活在一起之後，室友可以學習彼此的文化和生活方式。與來自不同文化背景的人進行交流可以幫助您拓展視野並學習新事物。
與當地人一起生活可以幫助您學習該國的文化與民俗，您甚至可以與當地人一起慶祝當地節慶，例如不同國家的過年方式。

●如果您長期移居日本、韓國或台灣，那麼對當地語言的了解肯定會派上用場，在當地室友的幫助下，您可以透過學習當地語言來讓生活更輕鬆，使您在融入當地的生活上更加容易，並朝著被接納為新居民的方向邁向一步。

●住在Share House時，您可以從當地室友的建議和知識中學習到很多事情。成為朋友後，可以一起去當地受歡迎的餐館或酒吧，如果您需要購買東西，他們可以推薦當地最好的商店，甚至陪您一起去。基本上，如果您入住BORDERLESS HOUSE的Share House，即使在異國他鄉也不會感到孤單。

●雖然住在Share House有很多社會層面上的好處，但對於單身生活的人來說，經濟上也有好處。一般而言，Share House每個月房租要比私人公寓便宜。除了租金和維護費用之外，住戶不希望負擔網路、水、瓦斯等額外的設施費用，在某些情況下，可以與其他住戶分擔烹飪費用來節省花費，並結交朋友。

●考慮到多人一起居住的環境下，BORDERLESS HOUSE提供了良好及高智能的家用電器。有些Share House甚至有家庭影院和健身室。

●為了使Share House中的房客感到輕鬆安全，有專門的管理Share House的人員來負責維護Share House的大小事。從損壞的設備到漏水的管道，每項大大小小的維護工作都由公司員工處理，因此房客們不必擔心。

BORDERLESS HOUSE於許多不同的城市設有據點，包括日本東京和大阪京都、韓國首爾和台灣台北等。這些房屋均位在距離車站和超市等步程不超過１５分鐘的距離，以確保住戶們在生活上的便利。

BORDERLESS HOUSE是以客戶為主要考量，並為房客提供許多免費特殊企劃活動的Share House公司

➔ House Exchange Program: 當BORDERLESS HOUSE的房客前往另一個同樣擁有BORDERLESS HOUSE所在的國家城市時，房客們可以入住當地Share House並且無需支付任何額外費用。最短可以入住一周，最長則可入住一個月！房客可以在抵達一個新的國家時、立刻認識到當地的人，從當地的室友身上得到最新最道地的推薦，也許還能和當地室友一起觀光，去旅遊書上沒介紹的秘密景點！