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2024年2月9日2024年2月9日

【Event Recap】BORDERLESS HOUSE New Year Party 2024 !

Greetings from Borderless House.

Can you believe it’s already been a month since 2024 began? Time sure flies! We’ve settled back into our daily routines after the holiday season, but today, I’d like to take you back to the New Year’s festivities for a moment!

In this blog post, we’ll be sharing a recap of our joint New Year’s party held on January 27th. It was an eventful day filled with laughter, bonding, and cultural exchange, and we’re excited to give you a glimpse of the fun we had.

So, let’s dive in and relive the excitement of New Year Party 2024!

We had the pleasure of hosting over 60 former and current residents from all 25 houses in attendance! It was a vibrant mix of nationalities and backgrounds, with everyone eagerly engaging in conversations, sharing stories, and reconnecting with old friends.

Calligraphy Competition, Quiz Time, and Mochi Pounding!

Our first activity was a calligraphy competition, a nod to the traditional Japanese New Year’s practice of “kakizome.” Instead of setting specific goals for the year, participants were encouraged to express themselves freely through words or illustrations. The creativity and enthusiasm displayed by each team were truly inspiring!

Following the calligraphy competition, we switched gears to a Borderless House-themed quiz. Teams competed against each other, answering questions about our houses, staff members, and various cultural tidbits. It was impressive to see the depth of knowledge and teamwork on display!

And of course, no New Year party would be complete without mochi pounding! Participants gathered around as we prepared fresh mochi using traditional mortars and pestles. The rhythmic pounding and laughter filled the air as everyone worked together to create delicious mochi treats.

As the evening drew to a close, we couldn’t help but reflect on the success of the event. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, we were thrilled to see the sense of community and camaraderie that flourished throughout the day. From heartfelt conversations to shared laughter, it was a celebration to remember.

Embracing the Future: Building on Memories, Cultivating Community

Looking ahead, we’re excited to continue fostering connections and creating memorable experiences for our residents. Be sure to stay tuned for future events, as there’s plenty more fun to come!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the New Year Party 2024. Here’s to another year of friendship, growth, and unforgettable moments at Borderless House Tokyo!

2022年6月4日2022年6月4日

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

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

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

Then, let me take you back to the event!

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

Fun English Lesson!

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

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

Homemade smoothies

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

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

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

Asakusabashi House Flea Market

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

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

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

Let’s make our own Watagashi (cotton candy)

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

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

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

Compost & Soil Improvers – Eco Sustainable Solutions

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

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

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

Free Lunch!

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

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

Desserts from overseas

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

Live Singing by Mayowa

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

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

Lastly

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

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

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

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

Thank you for reading this to the end!

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

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.

2019年12月19日2020年9月18日

【International Exchange Program】 Summer is about Somen!? Let’s experience Japanese cuisine that you can feel the season!

Hi! I’m Yuya, in charge of our blog.

The Food Experience Program “BORDERLESS DINERS ~Experience International Restaurants and Travel around the World~”

It’s been half a year since we started this program! The theme for August was Japanese food to go back to the basics and know about the food culture in the place we live!

Have fun and get full with two of our staff from Shimane and Yamagata, the good old countryside, Takuya and Takky!

Let’s start BORERLESS DINERS!

Happy Half a Year Anniversary for the launch of the program! Satisfying Japanese cuisine that you makes you feel summer!

Japanese cuisine is very deep and has various types of dishes and ways too cook.

One of the best parts of Japanese cuisine is you can feel each of four seasons from it.

There are a lot of dishes which express the beauty of nature or a season and are closely related to the Japanese annual events.

“So the Japanese menu this time is from the dish with a plenty of summer vegetables to the food for the summer festival.

Let’s enjoy summer in Japan in terms of food!

Flow, Flow and be Flown! Kick-start with Flowing Somem.

There is no summer without Somen!

When we dip the cold noodles cooled by ice in the cold soup and eat it, it feels like we get back the appetite that we lost because of heat.

Flowing Somen (Nagashi Somen in Japanese) is the summer tradition! In Flowing Somen,

Somen is flowing down a bamboo chute with ice-cold water and you catch and eat it!”

Someone just randomly thought “if we throw somen into flowing water, we will feel
summer very much, won’t we?”

As such, Flowing Somen was born in Kyushu and now it is the summer tradition.
So we kick-started with Flowing Somen to feel the absolute Japan.

First, we built the bamboo, then started throwing somen.

The flow was too fast to catch and eat Somen!

But gradually they were getting the tip and able to catch it!

One trouble of Flowing Somen is catching Somen is so much fun and eating it too much.

On the other hand, somen flowing in the bamboo chute looks so elegant and tasteful.

It was supposed to be a kick-start but we were already full.

Tried the traditional food “DASHI” (not the soy sauce dashi) of Yamagata!

The next cuisine is “DASHI”.

It is not about the “Dashi” (Japanese soy sauce beased on fish) but about a traditional food of Yamagata eaten in the summer.

It is a mixture of cucumber, eggplant, and myoga (japanese ginger). It can be use in many way, like put on tofu, on somen etc…

It is also a high nutritional value food so, it is the perfect food when you lose your appetite in summer!

In Yamagata region, DASHI is a soul food which appear in the fridge every summer. And people feel the begining of summer by seing the DASHI.

“DASHI” is highly recommended by our staff Takky !

The french resident who have tried “DASHI” said: ” It is similar to the ratatouille of France!”

Ratatouille is a french cuisine which is a simmered dish of summer vegetables, and it is normally eaten itself but it is also tasteful to put on cheese and meat !
Don’t you think that it is quite interesting that french cuisine and the cuisine of Yamagata region have some similarities ??

Finding similarities between different culture is one of the enjoyable point of this program.

Cucumber and Miso soup is our friend (OR BEST PARTENER) of summer ! Let’s resolve summer weariness!

The second cuisine is Cold miso soup.

It is a typical summer food eaten in different regions like Yamagata, Saitama, and Miyagi.

The recipy is : make some cold miso soup of cucumber and seasoning and put on hot rice. It is easy to make and easy to eat even you have lose appetite because of the high temperature of summer.

In the world, we can find some cold soup like vichyssoise or gazpacho. But in Japan it is not common to eat cold soup, and as we usually eat hot miso soup, for some Japanese, cold miso soup was a culture shock!

“Cold miso soup is delicious so we will made it in our house!” said our residents with their shiny smiles and they all have a refill of it.

Kaki-gori (shaved ice) the typical food of Matsuri (summer festival) was also eaten by Murasaki-shikibu (Japanese novelist) !?

Kagi-gori is the perfect dessert for summer!

Kaki-gori is normally eaten in Natu-matsuri or Ennnichi ( japanese summer festival).

These days, Korean and Taiwanese kaki-gori is famous globally, we all have an image that kaki-gori is a modern food. However, the first time it was eaten was in Heian period (794~1185)!

In the famous book called “Makura-no-soushi”, they is a part that written about the shaved iced with honey. We can understand that kaki-gori is a traditional food with a long story.

It is loved globally even the taste and the form are changing by time.
It is emotional when we think deeply about it!

About the culture of “Washoku” (Japanese food) which is registrated on intangible cultural asset.

Today’s theme “Washoku” is registated in the intangible cultural asset.

The reason is because of it rareness. Indeed, it is globally not common to use diverse type of ingredients and we can also find a strong persistence to the food culture.

The Japanese cuisine change under season and event. We can understand how much Washoku have lived with culture.

Our resident was also very suprised of the fact that Washoku which is very familiar to us was registrated in the intangible cultural asset.

“Itadakimasu” (let’s eat) and “Gochisousama”(Thank you for the meal) are some gretting we can only find in Japan?

The another reason why Japanese food is included in intangible cultural asset is because of it rare greeting.

“Itadakimasu” and “Gochisousama” is a only Japanese gretting which we cannot translate in other language.

This greeting is based on Shinto religion which conciste to believe that god is everywhere. And it become ingrained in our culture to show our respect and gratitude to the ingredients, to the person who cooked the food and to the person who have procured the ingredients.

Thanks to this program, it was an opportunity to find that they are so much thing we don’t know about a culture even if we are living in.

Vietnam this week! The travelling restaurant which we can taste the world every month !

『BORDERLESS DINERS～Taste the world by the travelling restaurant ～』is a experience based program for the residents held every month !

The next country is Vietnam!

Two chefs who are wearing Ao dai ( Traditional Vietnamese costume) are going to cook some festival Vietnam cuisine!

Normally, Pho is a typical cuisine but you can try other food and taste deep Vietnamese culture!

What kind of experience can we do the next travelling ?

Looking forward to the next report !

Tokyo share house list

BORDERLESS DINERS Review

2017年6月7日2017年11月17日

Make great use of non-standard vegetables! Wagashi(Japanese sweets) making event at Kyoto Kamigamo House!

Hello, this is Suguru from Borderless House.

One month passed from “the Kimono dressing event” that ended in a great success.

“Wagashi(Japanese sweets) making ” Event was held at Borderless House Kyoto Kamigamo on June 4th.”

Thanks to the cooperation of Dekovege Cafe(でこべじカフェ) from Kyoto University, we were able to hold it.

There are some vegetables that can not be sold in shops because of its appearance such as “shape is irregular”, “too big”, “too small”. We call the vegetables “non-standard vegetables”. Dekovege Cafe(でこべじカフェ) buys the non-standard vegetables and regularly holds a cafe and cooking classes in various place.

On the day, a total of 31 people come to the event – not only tenants of Kyoto Kamigamo House, but people from other houses as well as neighbors participated.

They tried to make Dorayaki and Ichigo Daifuku!

*Dorayaki – pancakes stuffed with sweet bean paste

*Ichigo Daifuku – consisting of a strawberry inside ‘daifuku’, which is a rice cake stuffed with sweet bean paste.

(In this time, we cooked tomatoes jam instead of sweet bean paste)

I will introduce the whole Wagashi making event (including Tea party and Drawing relay competition ) with photographs!

Kyoto Kamigamo House style!? Using nicknames makes each other close.

First of all, we worked on 3 teams; making Droayaki dumpling bean paste, Dorayaki dough making, and strawberry Daifuku team.

It started to introduce themselves.

In order to complete the cooking, team work is necessary more than anything!

However … It is difficult for both Japanese and foreigners to remember their names….

To solve the problem, we used Kyoto Kamigamo House style which is a way to call each other with a nickname. Although there are more than 20 people in the House, using nicknames made each other close and easy to memorize their names.

For example, there are some humorous nicknames, one of tenants is from Italy and the first name begins with “Chi” so that her nickname is “cheese“. The other one is “Natto Man” because he eat natto(fermented soybeans) every day in every meals. Moreover, Flo is included in his name, so that he is called “furo(Bath in Japanese)” !

Calling with a nickname made each other close, soon after self-introduction, one team took self-shots!

After the self-introduction, let’s cooking!

It looks ugly, but taste is good!

Start cooking with the guidance of Dekovege Cafe staff!

There are lots of vegetables that are thrown away when their shape is ugly, but the taste is good!
We cooked using such vegetables in this event!

One of tenants interpreted the menu described in English to a neighbor!

Most of tenants often cook their own meals. However there are a lot of delicate works in making sweets, so that neighbors and staff of Dekovege cafe helped and taught them.

All of participants were concentrating on the explanation of the staff!

Have you successfully made the shape of Daifuku well?

Everyone in the Dorayaki dough making team!

Finally completed!

After cooking, they ate Wagashi that they made together!

“Ichigo Daifuku that we made together is delicious.”

“I enjoyed making the sweets with tenants of the share house!”

There are a lot of voices that satisfy the making of Wagashi (Japanese sweets)!

We really appreciate Dekovege Cafe that gave us kindly guidance!

Who did you make a mistake? Drawing relay competition that was a great success

At the end of the tea party, “Team competing drawing relay contest” was held.

The rules are simple!

Members of each team decide numbers from 1 to 8. First of all, No. 1 person can see a subject and draw the picture. Next, connect the picture to the direction No. 2, No.3…., and the last person (No.8) guess what the theme is and answer.

The subject was “rhinoceros”

This was the third term game and all three teams are at the top, so everyone was seriously working towards winning!

Rhinoceros（No.1）

Rhinoceros…….?（No.4）

???(No.7)

And the answer of Droayaki dumpling bean paste team is ..

“”””Unicorn “””
That was so funny we couldn’t stop laughing!

“Is the picture strange from this point?”

“Come on!~ Daniel ~ !!”

After answering, everyone check where they were getting funny!

It is a game that everyone in the team cooperates and gets the correct answer.

While I was in charge of the moderator, I was pleased to see the situation where everyone was working hard and looked fun with team members!

Finally, it was the time to announce the result of this game!

The victorious team is……………….

Dorayaki dough making team!

Ichigo Daifuku team in 2nd place!

Thanks to S-san (middle photo) who was 88 years old, this team made it to the place!

As you know the funny answer, Droayaki dumpling bean paste team is 3rd place!

In this event, we learned that there are many vegetables that are discarded if the shape is ugly and non-standard. And, even if the Japanese person, it was a nice experience that made Wagashi with such vegetables!

Thank you again for the cooperation of Dekovege Cafe san!

Also, “multi-generation and multicultural communication” that was another purpose of this event.

I think that it was good opportunities to tell own thoughts to the other party with communication that is not only in languages such as English and Japanese, but also through body language.

Borderless House Kyoto Kamigamo wants to grow with the community while cooperating with tenants and local residents! We are planning to held fun events for both our tenants and neighbors in the future!

For student organizations that are active for international exchange and conduct activities teaching Japanese culture,why don’t you hold an event together?

Please contact us from the URL below!

http://www.borderless-house-zh.com/jp/kamigamo/kamigamo_partner/

In addition, there are two Borderless Houses in Kyoto “Kyoto Kamigamo House” and “Kyoto Hanazono House”!

For those who want to improve language skills, are interested in share house and international exchange, please check the house information below!

2017年5月14日2017年11月9日

Great success with neighbors! Kimono dressing and Tea party event! @ Kyoto Kamigamo House

Hello, this is Suguru from Borderless House.

“Kimono dressing & Tea party” event was held at Kyoto Kamigamo House on 13th of May.

Dressing of kimonos is a valuable experience, so it generally costs around 4000 yen a day per person. However, this time, thanks to the cooperation of Kyoto Kimono Kikaku-san, the participation fee was 500 yen! We really appreciate Kyoto Kimono Kikaku-san!

As such a wonderful event, gathering 21 tenants in total from all 5 Borderless Houses in Osaka and Kyoto!

There was also an exchange with local people in the Tea party after the Kimono dressing. 12 neighbors of the Kyoto Kamigamo House took part in it. It was an exciting event from the beginning to the end.

I will introduce the whole Kimono dressing & Tea party event with photographs!

What I find the struggle point of wearing Kimono

Male tenants who came from overseas were struggling very hard on the Tabi(socks) to be worn for the first time.

It was a funny story that one of tenants said “Where is my ring finger, where?!”

On the other hand, female tenants tried to make Obi(sash belt) by themselves! There are various shapes of Kimono Obi like ribbon.

Thanks to the guidance of the Kyoto Kimono Kikaku-san, everyone was able to dress in the kimono beautifully!

In fact, some neighbors participated the event as a “Kimono dressing” volunteer!

One of our lovely neighbors is O-san often come to Kyoto Kamigamo House. She remember all tenant’ names and nicknames. And then she participated as a volunteer this time because she wanted to become a power even a little for the tenants.

Let’s take a picture!

It was the first time for most of tenants to wear kimonos by themselves, so after the dressing they were excited and took a lot of photos

It was a “Natto pose” thought by a foreign tenant who loves natto too much and eats it in the morning, afternoon and evening!

Walking around “Kamigamo Shrine”, one of the world cultural heritage

After dressing, we divided into 3 teams and looked around Kamigamo Shrine.

This shrine is located 3 minutes on foot from the Kyoto Kamigamo House.

Everyone (the participants and the staff) took a commemorative photo in front of the gateway of the shrine!

This place for ritual cleaning of hands and mouth with water when visiting shrines.

Tea party was a great success!The beginning of a conversation is Korean dramas!?

After the walking around, 12 neighbors welcomed the tenants at the Kamigamo House!

At the beginning, thee neighbors were nervous and had the following feelings of uneasiness.

“I do not know how to start a talking”

”I can not speak English”

However, It started a talking with a casual word!

For example, one neighbor said to a Korean tenant, “I love Korean dramas!”

“Oh! Which drama do you like!?” the tenant asked her.

“I think that drama …”

In this way, good communication at the tea party was born one after another.

Those who told the tenants his history of the Kamigamo area that he was born and raised, while using gesture hand gestures.

Some girls also positively visited the tenants to learn English and Korean.

The fun time went by quickly. To the announcement of the end time, I got a lot of regretful words such as “It’s too early one hour.”

And then, some of participants asked us “When is the next event? Please tell me as soon as you decided” We received a lot of voices that are looking forward to the next event as well.

We would like to plan an event like this one again!

The photo with a big smile! Thank you very much for all neighbors who came this time!

Many pleasant comments from the participants!

It was fulfilling for the first time to have a Kimono dressing experience. I learned a lot about Kamigamo area from the neighbors, so I want to know more Kamigamo while continuing to interact with them.

W-san from Japan

It was a lot of fun to talk with the other houses tenants. I hope to participate if such a collaborative event is next time.

R-san from Japan

I would like you to organize Japanese culture events. I want to learn more about how to tie belts(Obi), please teach me!

A-san from Germany

We received many pleasant comments from tenants who participated in this event.

As feeling with traditional Japanese culture here, there is a good environment that Kamigamo House can do international exchange × local community exchange.

Borderless House Kyoto Kamigamo wants to grow with the community while cooperating with tenants and local residents!

Finally, for the success of this event, thank you very much for the Kyoto Kimono Kikaku-san from Kyoto University.

Thank you for reading our blog, well then see you next time!

If you are interested in Borderless House, please contact us!

＜Borderless House Kyoto Kamigamo＞

http://www.borderless-house.com/jp/sharehouse/h/kamigamo/

http://www.borderless-house.com/jp/sharehouse/h/kyoto-hanazono1/

2017年4月20日2017年11月10日

HOUSE EXCHANGE Junhyung Seoul to Osaka

House Exchange from Seoul to Osaka!

Hello, this is Share House Borderless House!

One of our tenants Junhyung have been to Osaka for a month by house exchange program!

We got so many pictures and comments from him and it is so adorable!

Let’s look around what he felt and experienced in Osaka with share house housemates!

Actually this is my second time I have been to Japan by house exchange program.

I have been to Tokyo with it and this time I visited Osaka!

During this trip, I tried to visit famous places in Osaka as many as I can!

I hope you guys enjoy my pictures!

The best thing I can get from house exchange program is friends!

I think it is really different to go trip by house exchange program or not.

I could make many good friends who are staying in Osaka Share House.

I am sure that it will be the best thing I can get from this tenants only program!

Because of House Exchange Program, I could feel many more things

than when I did not use this program!

When I had trip without this program, it was nice enough.

But when I had trip with this program, I think I feel and experience

many more things than that time.

I could concentrate to make my own plan because I applied House Exchange Program.

I would like to say thank you to all staffs in Borderless House Seoul and Kansai.

They were so helpful and nice, because of them this trip became the best trip I ever had!

This is one of my housemates in Osaka!

It was really nice to meet many people who are actually staying in Osaka.

During my trip in Osaka, they always helped me a lot.

Since they are locals, they advised me a lot about the places where I have to visit

and foods which I have to try in Osaka!

I think having dinner is the best and easiest way to become closer!

When I had a first dinner with my housemates in Osaka, I was so shy.

But it makes me closer with them day by day!

It was so happy to get closer with my housemates in Osaka!

If someone asks me to recommend food which he or she has to try in Japan,

I would like to recommend Takoyaki! Takoyaki was really awesome!

I had it many times in Korea, but it was really different having it in Japan!

You have to try it if you are planning to visit Japan! Do not miss it!

If you are staying in one of Borderless Share Houses, do not miss this awesome program!

It will give you really good memories and this is chance

that you can make local friends during your trip!

Hope you enjoyed my pictures and stories,

and I hope you guys apply this program

during the term you are staying in Borderless House!

* Only for tenant *

If you want to join our House exchange program,

feel free to contact us! Always welcome!

Please refer to the link below for more information.

http://www.borderless-house.com/houseexchange

2017年3月13日2017年11月10日

HOUSE EXCHANGE Jeanie Seoul to Tokyo

House exchange from Seoul to Tokyo!

Hello, this is Share house Borderless House!

Our tenant Jeanie gave us sweet review after house exchange program!

Please check it this review! 😀

Since I live in Korea, I decided that this was a good chance to explore other Asian countries.

Besides Korea,
the other Asian country that has always been at the top of my list to visit was Japan.

For this, the Borderless Share House free house exchange to Tokyo was a great opportunity!

Borderless Share House Japan has a lot of houses in Tokyo; in different areas of the city and of varying sizes.
So the first thing I did, was check out all the houses on the borderless website and do some research on which area of Tokyo I wanted to stay in, as well as consult with the borderless staff about which houses were available during the time I intended to stay in Japan.

After all the practical arrangement had been made, it was all smooth sailing from there.

I was only in Japan for 9 days, but it was great and very comforting to arrive and be greeted by the Japanese Borderless staff member, at the subway station nearby the house I was going to stay in.

As when you move into any Borderless house/apartment, I was given a tour of the house and the instructions I needed to know for my stay there (i.e. recycling, house rules), and the borderless staff member answered all the questions I had about my stay in Japan.

Since I was in only in Japan for 9 days I didn’t really have the opportunity to hang out that much with the other tenants of the house.

Most of them were workers and some where students, so they were also busy with their work and studies.

However those I did meet at the house were all really nice and curious to hear and learn, about my experience living in Korea and why I had chosen to come to Japan.

At the same time, my new Japanese housemates were also able to give me advice about the area in which we lived, as well as everything from transport to the best places to eat and shop in the local area.

During my time in Japan I not only stayed in Tokyo, I also when to Osaka and Kyoto.

Having Tokyo as my base for exploring Japan was great, because it meant that I could both start and finish my house exchange in Tokyo.

Not only was I able to visit Japan without spending a lot of money on accommodation,

I was also able to talk and interact with natives to Japan as well as other foreigners, while living with them in a share house – I truly believe that this, is the best and fastest way to gain insight into a country, its culture and its people.

I would definitely recommend the Borderless House exchange program.
Whether you want to study, do a language course or go on vacation to explore and learn about a new culture, this is a really good way to do it, because you immediately have to chance to meet and make friends with locals and other foreigners!

* Only for tenant *
If you want to join our House exchange program,
feel free to contact us! Always welcome!
Please refer to the link below for more information.
http://www.borderless-house.com/houseexchange

2017年2月13日2017年11月15日

Borderless House Osaka Tamatsukuri –opening celebration party was held!

Greetings to all! This is Chang, a staff from Borderless House Kansai.

On 11th February Saturday, we threw a potluck party with the tenants from 4 different houses,at our brand new <Borderless House Osaka Tamatsukuri>!!

Here is a report about it along with the photos taken!

Many of the tenants in <Borderless House Osaka Tamatsukuri> are share house beginners,

and this was the very first house event held at the house.

And so…we let the party begin with self-introduction session!

A little bit of strained look in everyone’s face…seems like more ice breaking needed?

After the self-introduction was the game session! The tenants teamed up as each house.

We prepared 3 different kinds of games, and a big prize for the winner team: “rent discount ticket”!!!

The first game: ping pong match on an international standard ping-pong table!

Everybody frantically chases the ball for the rent discount ticket!

Looks like everybody is enjoying themselves! Ice breaking succeeded? 🙂

The second game: the world wide famous JENGA!

Considering its simplicity in rules, we thought each JENGA game will finish in a flash… but no!

All our tenants are such good players, each game went on for at least 30 minutes!

Look at everyone’s faces! So serious!

And this JENGA tower…look how tall it ended up as, impressive!

This has to be some professional level!

After the 2 ice breaking games…the final game: pop-up pirate game!!

All the participants got way more excited, as the winner team of this game wins the prizes!

So which house was the lucky team that won the 1st prize eventually??

These two big boys!!

The second prize winners were these lovely ladies!

The prizes: a set of aroma oil and diffuser machine!

(Good thing there are more female tenants in this house!)

The third prize winners were these two fashionistas:

30 bars of takoyaki-flavour umaibo snacks!!!

(Takoyaki –a dumpling with octopus pieces inside, dipped in a sauce; Osaka’s comfort food!)

Not only the game sessions have ended in a great success, but also the tenants that participated have brought us a variety of delicious international dish and desserts!

Korean bibim guksu noodles, gyoza, Vietnamese spring rolls, takoyaki, and sushi rolls…all this wonderful collaboration of multicultural food is also the perks of living in an international share house!

Everyone had a good talk and laughter over a table full of international food.

This event became a great opportunity for both the tenants from Borderless House in Osaka and Kyoto (more than an hour apart by train!) to get together and mingle!

The event ended in a big success, thanks to all of the participants!

We hope to see you at the next event 🙂

Now there are a limited number of vacancies at <Borderless House Osaka Tamatsukuri> after only 1 month since the opening!

Please contact us if you would like to join us!

＜BORDERLESS HOUSE Osaka-Tamatsukuri＞

http://www.borderless-house.com/jp/sharehouse/h/tamatsukuri/

＜BORDERLESS HOUSE Kyoto-Kamigamo＞

http://www.borderless-house.com/jp/sharehouse/h/kamigamo/

2016年12月10日2018年1月23日