For more information, please click here. 

Living along side of Nambu line, with “Musashi-Kosugi”, the city with on-going development as your neighbor Every time visiting Musashi-Kosugi, the scenery has changed. That’s how exceedingly the town is developing. Newly built high tower apartments and large scaled shopping malls are being constructed. It is one of the most notable redeveloping towns in Japan. Share Residence MUSACO is one station away from this place. You can never avoid using the Musashi-Kosugi station since it’s where you transfer lines going to cities like Shinjuku, Shibuya, or Shinagawa. You can take either Tokyu-Toyoko line or JR Shonan-Shinjuku line to Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Yokohama. If going to the Shinagawa area, take JR Yokosuka-line. Keep in mind though, that the station is overly crowded on the grounds of convenience.
Sight changing dramatically, this is the nearest station of the share house, the Musashi-Nakahara station. Except for the big ones like Musashi-Kosugi, towns along the Nambu line are mostly nice and quiet.   It takes about 10 minutes’ walk to the house. The roads are flat so you may ride a bicycle. About 5 minutes, I would say.Found “MARUETSU”, the supermarket! Spot to shop on your way home.
Here we are! This is what the Share Residence MUSACO looks like. It used to be IT company’s dormitory. No wonder the apartment-like appearance. Entering the automatic locking door, broad entrance spreads in front of you. Making steps further into the building through the aisle, there’s lounge space, one of the main feature of the house.
Complete work of the “Share Residence “, squeezing the idea all together.　 Share Design Inc. has been running more than 20 properties mainly in Tokyo, opening new one every year. CEO of the company produces its’ interior decorations, getting inspirations from his hobby, and that’s what makes the share houses special and unique compared to others. Share Residence MUSACO may be the culmination of the uniqueness piled up together with lots of entertainment aspects.
Above is the L-shaped authentic bar counter. Displayed bottles of liquors brings up the rock spirit. Most times, people are surprised to find beer server in the house. Of course, it is for free use.

Coffee machine is at your service in the busy morning.

You probably have never seen this before at any other share house. Opening the retro refrigerator, you will find plenty of wines. Wish I had these for free…

Pleasant sunlight and ventilation. Main living room connecting inside and outside. Big window from the floor to the ceiling is giving spaciousness to the room. Outside the window, you will find wooden floor terrace. Feel free to enjoy relaxing at the terrace on sunny days. At night, sit inside and share excitement with your house mates watching World cup or Olympic games! The living room creates lots of connections and memories among residents.

View from the living room sofa. The room is lit very bright with ample of sunlight pouring in!

Everything is custom-made, from cushions to teddy bears.

 

Enough space to set hammock and large-sized tents.

See the stump on the corner? That’s the tree cut at the vacation house of the CEO himself. Surprisingly heavy since it’s a real tree.

Enormous tent resembles the ones at the Glamping sites. No matter how old you are, crawling into it will take you back to the days when you were just a little kid.

Kitchen with professional equipments. Kitchen room next to the lounge is quiet professional. Great environment for cooking lovers. Share houses ran by Share Designs Inc. throws parties and events regularly. It is highly convenient to cook together with your share mates on those occasions with wide table and enough space to move around.

Spices and cooking equipment of individuals’ are able to be kept in the locker at other room in the back.

Standard kitchen goods and tableware are well supplied as you can see in the picture, so no need to buy one when moving in.

Look at the power of the fire!

Here’s one fine oven. You can even cook turkey with this for Thanksgiving Day.

There’s two gas stoves and 3 IH stoves.

 

Opening the commercial use sized refrigerator, containers for each resident are lined up.

Each container may be a bit small for frequent cookers. Those should consider purchasing their own refrigerator.

Wow! There’s a soft cream maker hiding at the corner. I can easily imagine residents scrambling for use…

No excuses to make! Keep fit with latest exercising machines. You haven’t seen everything yet. Don’t be surprise to find more great facilities the Share Residence MUSACO have. At one side of the lounge, treadmill, cross trainer, and a machine which seems like a fitness bike is equipped. Once you start, you can never go back since the eyes of the other residents. Seeing other share mates working out will definitely motivates you to keep up the good work.

Now, this really looks like a fitness bike, but it’s not. This is a game machine called “Zwift”. It enables you to connect with cyclists all over the world online.

 

Zwift had been first introduced to Share Residence AOBADAI which opened last year. This is how you play. Weight of the pedal changes in proportion to the level of courses’ inclination. It will make you absorbed in the world shown on the monitor.

Screen shows the speed, distance, and your avatar. For those who cannot bear the eyes of other residents, don’t worry! There’s fitness room besides the ones at the lounge. Is the machine in above picture familiar to you? Yes, it’s O2 capsule. It will improve your blood flow, which is said to be effective to recover from exhaustion and keeping healthy skin. Residents are free to use at anytime! Here’s good news for music lovers. There’s a music studio where you can play electric drums and pianos. Wait, is it a barber shop!? Carbonate shower is at your service. This is way more than you can probably imagine. Now this is where it gets interesting. Take a close and careful look behind the mirror. There’s a secret door…

Residents Only! Enter the mysterious Club Lounge. I personally was shocked with this kind of surprise. I have never seen anything like this before at other share houses. Entering the secret door, there was a room filled with heavy bass sound and mirror ball hanging from the ceiling. Projector shows music videos on the wall and at the counter is DJ performing. This is the party room only the residents can use. Enjoy karaoke anytime. It is away from living district so you don’t need to worry about making noises and just have fun.

DJ in the picture is the owner of this share house! He has been working as professional DJ in the US.   Isn’t it fun to imagine Friday night here at the house? You don’t need to worry at all about taking the last train home.

16㎡ private rooms you can décor. The share house once was a dormitory of the company. Wallpapers and flooring are in several different types, so you may have a choice if the rooms are available. Some rooms have great amount of sunlight, which may be too much in the summer time without air conditioning. You cannot see in the picture, but bed, desk, and a chair are equipped, so don’t bother buying big sized furniture.

The building is 3 stories high, 13 rooms on the 1st, 26 rooms each at 2nd and 3rd floor, which makes 65 rooms in total. The closet and storage space should be enough for most people. There is a closet you can see in the picture above and a storage box at the right wall. In addition, shoes boxes are in every room. Shower booth and laundries are on the 1st floor. Water basin, bathroom, and laundry are all together in one space on the 2nd and 3rd floor. Picture on the left is the bathroom on 2nd and 3rd. Picture on the right is the 1st’s. There are more bathrooms on the 2nd and the 3rd, but 1st’s was cleaner compared to them since it’s recently constructed. 8 shower booths and two bathtubs + showers are available. At this time of the season, shower booth may be enough, but when it gets chilly, you might want to soak yourself in a nice warm bath.

/Author:kubota

 This is Jujo station north exit. Restaurants and cafes are around the rotary. From elders to students, various types of people seems to use the station. Several colleges stands near the area which brings lots of students to the town. It takes 9 minutes walk from station to the house.

This is why I started this introduction not from Higashijujo but from Jujo station. Please take a look at this shopping avenue called “Jujo Ginza shopping avenue”.

Shopping arcade with roof makes shopping easier on rainy days. Various shops lines on both sides; fish markets, apparel shops, and most of all, delicatessen shops are everywhere! Since it is surprisingly cheap, you definitely can enjoy eating around. Going through this arcade and another called “Fujimi Ginza Shopping Avenue”, there stands ARDEN Higashijujo along the main street.

The main road is pretty heavy in traffic. Look out on your both sides and cross the road.

A minute walk after turning right, you will find a building with blue line on the wall. It was completed in August and is anemic structured.

Here we are at ARDEN Higashijujo and this is share ambassodor Mai. She will be our guide.

The door is self-locking and opens with key cards. Now, let’s take a look inside.

This is the entrance. The building faces the main street, but sound insulating door prevents the noise outside from disturbing you.

The building is 5 stories high, with living room at 3rd floor and private rooms on others.

Running up to the living room on the 3rd floor, our priority interest!

Here we are, at the 3rd. We are cutting out of breath… Ready to see the inside?

What should we call this, perhaps a cafe living room? The room is filled with wood, from flooring to the furniture,  making warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Is it because they chose the unassertive aged taste furnitures, the room is both new but vintage. The comfortness are brought to the place with these styled furnitures and it harmonizes perfectly in spite of the newness.

This floor is made from three parts, kitchen, dining, and living room. Let’s take a careful look at the furniture of the living and dining rooms. 

Sofa placed surrounding the low table and TV. One is firm leather-like sofa and another is low repulsion sofa. It looks like the ones at the Tsutaya electric store, both comfortable enough to meet your expectations.

Want to enjoy TV with high definition images and good audio equipments? Lucky for movie lovers, the house equips theatre system. Great sounds will take you into the story on screen.

Small goods are keys to make the room look like a cafe. Artificial plants are placed everywhere, giving the natural scent to the room. Owner’s good taste of coordinating colors and small goods blushes up the design.  

Two tables are set in the dining room. One is a big square shaped and one is smaller round table. They seem to match well even though the difference.

8 people can sit around the big table. How about a toast, coffee, and scramble eggs in the morning? Pastas and meat dishes will be perfect for the table.

Antique styled chairs are slightly different from one another. Not many share houses pay attention to details. 

Let’s take a look at the kitchen.

Island kitchen and fine range food you see first entering the room, will give big impression to the ones visiting the property. 

There is enough space for people to gather and cook at the same time, very convenient during events and parties. There are private food storage boxes just aside from the kitchen. You can store your personal spices and dried foods.

Two mini kitchens are at the back. For simple procedure, you can use here to avoid the crowdness at the main kitchen.

What’s your opinion about sharing space of ARDEN Higashijujo? Now, let’s move on to the private rooms.

We’ll check out the room at the left side, room 206.

All rooms are either 10㎡ or 11㎡ big. I felt no big difference between two. 

For some rooms, there’s enough sunlight pouring in during the daytime. Of course, windows and doors are soundproofed.

One of the good thing about the share house is that basic furnitures are already been set. Rooms in ARDEN Higashijujo are completed with refrigerator. closet, bed, table, and chair. 

Bathrooms are on every floor.

At the very back of the bathroom, there is a balcony. Opening the door, you will see the main street. At this time of the season, sun comes straight up at the front of the room, providing shining sunlight.

Sky was crystal clear on the day of shooting. Look carefully and you will find a tiny Tokyo Sky Tree far ahead.

Getting back to the facility instruction. This is the very top of the building, with roof top balcony. Water facility is all gathered on this floor, including laundry machines.

Great location to dry your laundry on a sunny day like this.

How did you like it? The share house we introduced to you today is ARDEN Higashijujo run by Share Style Inc. The ARDEN series releases new property every year. Especially this year, three property was brought to the market; ARDEN Higashi Shinjuku, ARDEN Fujigaoka built in “Fujigaoka”, the town in Yokohama city Kanagawa prefecture, and ARDEN Higashijujo we introduced today.  

How less stressful can we make our lives depends on the house itself and the distance from your house to the place where you spend most of your daytime. Newly built ARDEN Higashijujo may be a perfect fit for some of you from those perspective, due to the accessibility to major cities such as Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, and Shibuya.

You need to feel relaxed in the house where you spend time almost every day. ARDEN may be a good choice for you with comfortable cafe living room with the concept of New ✖︎ Vintage.

/Author: Inamine 

Share ambassodor / Mai

Moved to Tokyo when entering college. She has won Grand prix in MissCampusCollection 2017 tokyo and was a semi finalist of TGA17 and have been working as a model. Now, she joins us as a share ambassador to introduce the living at share houses. Twitter account : @0525_9

「D Share Jiyugaoka」House Details Page

A vintage apartment building with department store and cafe The house is located a 15-minute walk from Jiyugaoka station and 6 minutes from Kuhonbutsu station on the Tokyu Oimachi line. The large building can be seen from far away.
Part of the building is occupied by a D&DEPARTMENT cafe and store. The 990m2 store interior stocks a wide range of products, including furniture, lifestyle magazines, and used books and CDS.
The sharehouse occupies one of the apartments in the building. The long history of this building can be seen in the design of the door and the look of the apartment. That said, on the other side of the door a brand new interior awaits. Residents can each use one shelf of this shoe storage box.
The lounge matches simple yet high quality furniture with its concrete interior The common area can be found through a door near the entrance, a space high in design yet comfortable at the same time.
The lounge caters to all daily life situations and residents can move about and use the space to suit their mood or purpose. The dining area offers counter seating, and here residents can enjoy conversation with their housemates while cooking.
The lounge from another angle. The overall color scheme lends to a relaxing ambiance. A small work area is set up by the wall. This is a plus for people who do work at home. The counter in the kitchen resembles a bar and could even be a place to crack open a can of beer or enjoy spot of wine at the end of the day. The table and its tall chairs are all of good quality. Lighting is provided not by ceiling lights but spotlights, adding to the quality of the interior. The floor has been left purposely rough, with a carpet spread out on top. The stainless steel kitchen is simple in design and easy to navigate. The house has seven rooms, and to accommodate this there two bathrooms to share between residents. There are also two toilets, and one shared washing machine.
Exposed concrete and plumbing remain untouched In order to appreciate and show off the long history of the building, much of its original materials have been used to create a slightly edgy accent to the sharehouse interior.
Looking up in the hallway you will see the exposed plumbing that speaks to the long history of the building. Residents can look far out over the city from some of the windows in the living room and the hallway, with spectacular views of Mt. Fuji and surrounds on clear days.
Nicely sized white-themed private rooms Rooms are simple in design and ready to be arranged as residents please. Each room contains a bed and simple storage unit and has a fresh white color scheme. (Room A)
This room has a large window and balcony. There is no need to turn on the lights in here during the day. (Room D) In some rooms you may see a peak of exposed concrete, like this one. (Room E)

This sharehouse is run by Arial. The company originally dealt with rental housing before broadening their business to tenant and sharehouse management.

Arial’s sharehouse model is based not only on everyday comfort, but also the pursuit of international character and design. D share Jiyugaoka is the materialization of these ideals.

While the building itself is quite old, once you move in you will surely find it to be comfortable and consider it to be a place one can live in for many years to come.

This is a quality, comfortable house in which one can contemplate about life itself in a moderately stimulating environment. If you’re thinking about moving, why not give this property a chance?

/Author:Kagawa

「Isoletta」House Details Page

Spend free and easy days in the spacious communal area designed with a blending of Japanese and Western styles Enter and you’ll find the living room and kitchen. This creates an environment for residents to meet face to face and words of greeting to be exchanged naturally.
When you’re in the living room with this vibrant red sofa you’ll feel happy and joyful. Lovely ornaments can be found here and there throughout the house.
Spacious dining area Imagine the fun you could have with 8 girls gathered around the dining table sharing a meal together.
The kitchen. Everything you could need is at your fingertips, including tableware and kitchen appliances. There are personal storage spaces for each resident, meaning you have enough room to buy and try out a variety of different sauces and spices.
The stove has gas burners with great heating power. There is also a microwave for those busy days when you want to prepare your meal with little fuss. It also has steaming capabilities.
There’s a washstand right by the entrance, perfect for checking your personal appearance one last time before you step out the door in the morning. There is a toilet on each floor. The shower and laundry.
A collaboration of Japanese and Western style with charming paper sliding screens This is Room 302. The natural light coming in through the large window and its paper sliding screen is exceptional. With plenty of storage space you’ll have little to worry about living here.
Room 403 on the 4F has a cozy atmosphere. Room 501 on the 5F comes with a bed and desk provided.
A stylish Japanese-taste ornament at the top of the stairs. No matter how busy your weekdays are, you can always relax and enjoy a beer on the rooftop gazing at the Tokyo Sky Tree at night.   A tiled sign welcomes residents and visitors to the house.   This house is administered by the company Yadoya. The owner himself has an interest in creating sharehouses and is there to support you in your new city lifestyle. When I spoke with him for this article it really came across how important he values the relationships with his tenants, as he is managing the whole operation himself. Yadoya takes care of its residents by hosting all kinds of events, such as plum wine making, cooking days and cleaning with aromatherapy, and the eight residents here, whoever they may be, will most surely achieve relaxed, peace of mind living in the city. The company also values connections with the locals of Shin-Okachimachi, and living here you may make a local acquaintance or two. Brilliant men and women, both young and old, gather in this lively arts and crafts neighborhood with its long-loved shopping arcade and Ueno park and Asakusa temple around the corner. You too will surely be met with new and exciting encounters here. This artsy neighborhood brings people together, and there’s nothing more wonderful than that. /Author:Ito

「niko house Futako」House Details Page　

Mismatched chairs, art on the wall, and a ceiling fan. Open yourself to a unique world view. The living room oozes an asian-style vibe set with classic furniture.
Eyes will be drawn first to this large table. Mismatched chairs of white, black, and varying designs sit around the table creating a tasteful finish. At the back of the room is a great sofa to sit back and relax in. I can imagine sitting down and being glued to the television here.
Looking over the room from the sofa you can see that the room has length, creating unexpected spaciousness. There’s a big TV… …and a lovely DVD player so you can watch movies with your housemates.
Homemade plum wine sits above an elegant shelf, no doubt put to use at the frequently held parties in the house. An artistic shot taken by one of the housemates. The fan hanging from the ceiling adds a Western edge to an exotic atmosphere.
The kitchen is well-loved and full of life. A gas stove with two burners. With an oven in the house, a rarity in Japanese kitchens, you will no doubt add new recipes to your personal cookbook.
Western and Japanese-style rooms invite natural light in through big windows. This is room 201. With its corner location and big windows the room gets great natural light. It also has quite a large amount of storage space for a room in a sharehouse, and residents shouldn’t have any trouble finding a place to put their things.
Next is Room 101. Fragrant olive trees grow beyond the paper sliding doors of this Japanese-style room. Room 204 is a long, corner room.
The bathroom is a beautiful space with a spacious tub. There as a free-to-use washing machine outside the bathroom. A small piece of artwork can be found in the least likely of places. I’m told that many of the housemates love making things. Take a breather up on the roof with this. great view on a sunny day. One of the main features of this house is being able to exit out onto the roof from the 2F. You can see the Futako-Tamagawa fireworks display perfectly from up here. It’s the perfect picture of youth. Upstairs there is another staircase coming down from the ceiling, evoking the kind of excitement felt during elementary school building a secret hideout. This is the roof. There was not a cloud in the sky when we took this picture, and I remember feeling so good being up here. The view from the roof down the staircase. You need to take it slow and steady on the way down because it’ very steep. You can also look out at the view from the 2F balcony. Time goes by peacefully in this quiet residential area. Niko House Futako is run by Niko House. The company also looks after another house in Setagaya, and holds many joint events amongst the two. Privately owned, there is a strong connection between management and residents. The housemates have great relationships between themselves as well, with past housemates turning up to house parties every now and again. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves here, with housemates’ original artwork found all around the house and even the manager hanging out with the residents. Even though you’re slugging it out every day slave-driven by work, you can relax comfortably when you come home to this house. You might even amuse yourself by enjoying favorite pastimes with housemates on your days off. Paintings and parts of the interior are a marvellous record of housemates past. Why don’t you, too, not only follow in their footsteps but create your own footprint in the house also? /Author:Emoto

「ANTEROOM APARTMENT OSAKA」’s detali info is view here

The modern-style entrance appears suddenly from a laneway in the shopping district. As well as the elegantly designed front entrance there is also one that backs onto the shopping district, and has kind of a folksy appeal. A very easy environment to live in.
The entrance gate. The building on the right is part of the share house. Rectangular solid glass monuments lead up to the entrance. If you look through them you can see figures made into the shape of people. This is a collaboration between two artists from Kansai, ‘void / figure’. It was created using top class display case production technology and looks as if a limitless dimension extends out within.
There is bicycle parking and the mailboxes before the entrance on the right. Here is the entrance. Let’s go on in and have a look. Opening the front door you’ll find a somewhat cold and drab area, however by looking at the floor and walls you can get a glimpse of the history of the building.
Four spaces to stimulate the 5 senses with a ceiling height of 4.6m. Stepping into the main lounge, a overwhelmingly spacious area spreads out before you. It is a place where you can relax and at the same time is a stimulating environment to arouse your imagination.
The ceiling is high and there is also a communal area on a raised platform, from which you can look down and survey the living room as if standing atop a small hill. The kitchen is designed in a U-shape centered around a counter positioned right in the middle. So easy to quickly eat a breakfast prepared in the kitchen right there before hopping off to work. Can’t you just imagine doing so?
The lounge. As expected of such a high ceiling, the room feels very spacious. You can relax here on the soft sofas and enjoy watching pay-per-view on the television attached to the wall. The walls look white from afar but if you look closely you will find that it is artwork. This is a drawing of famous artist Kohei Nawa. The counter near the window can be used as a small work space. You can listen to music on the communal iPod preloaded with a selection of tunes. The selection is updated every season. This mysterious dodecahedron-shaped object is actually a 360-degree speaker. It can reproduce voice and musical instruments with a much more natural quality of sound. Each one of these is handmade.   Climbing up a small staircase from 5th floor we find… A place to hang out with low-to-the-ground sofas arranged in a U-shape.   Apparently during remodeling and stripping back the wall they thought it was pretty cool and left it the way it was. The tiled counter table in the kitchen makes for stress free cooking. Sinks and induction cooktops have been installed on either side. There are personal storage areas to keep your own things and a total of 3 refrigerators at the back of the kitchen. There is another door facing the hallway so you can come and go as you please without having to pass through the lounge.
Communal areas are found all around the house so you can choose one according to your moods and purpose Not restricted to just the loungeroom, communal areas are found at every turn including a library where you can browse through books, a relaxation room to ease your mind after a long day and a café area you can casually stop by when you feel like it.
A study room created in a small area in the hallway. Definitely come here for some serious studying. This is a studio right in front of the entrance. A most suitable workspace to get creating in.
The relaxation lounge built in a corner at the end of the 2F hallway.  Furnished with two massage chairs, create your own relaxing space by pulling closed the curtain.  Look up in the hallway to find artwork here too. A café space has been set up at the end of the 3F hallway. It’s used a lot by residents of the 3F when they can’t be bothered going all the way down to the 2F loungeroom. There’s also a small lounge area by the window.  The hallway. The bathroom. There is also a hair dryer underneath the sink.  Looking down from the 3F hallway.  The building floors are from the original design. Perfect for a kind of rough, creative ambiance. If you look closely at the signage within the building you will notice that they are all three-dimensional.
Rooms have a simple layout you can arrange in own style There are a total of 5 types of rooms. You can choose a room that most suits your purposes including but not limited to over 20㎡ spacious rooms, rooms exclusively for females or rooms for 2 people with bathrooms.
Here is a model room for your reference.  Very spacious with a ceiling height of 2.8m. A super high-speed internet connection known as ‘Hayabusa’ and air conditioners are installed in each room. Bigger rooms have been installed with ‘mobile lighting’, a system that shines brightly on you wherever you happen to be in the room.    And finally let’s have a look at the events held around here. One of the appeals of this share house is its periodically-held events.   They call around artists with roots in Osaka, tenants plan ideas themselves and also exchange and interact with not just co-tenants but others outside the house in great diversity.  There is also a lot involvement with the local shops and they have actually held an event to deepen the understanding of food and diet by actually preparing a raw chicken.

Managing this property is UDS, a company that started out renovating old hotels, gathering people who wanted to live there and collaborating together to create their own personal spaces. While this is their first share house project they began to some extent with the knowledge to do so.

This new share house they are managing and its ‘as-is’ design resonates true with the company principle of “Constantly thinking in terms of the end-user by creating a specific new style of urban community that will stand the test of time”.

The dilution of local community is a big problem in this modern society we live in, however I believe that share houses plays a big part in connecting people with each other as well as the local community around them. While of course this may not be possible in all houses, I truly feel that there should be more communal places like these that can connect people with others.

Also, the management of this share house tells us about events where local children come around to play, saying ‘the kids run crazy around this giant living room!”.

It’s often said in Japan that ‘a village full of children is a happy village’ and that is exactly what we have here.

/Author: Kagawa

The CROSS SHARE at Tabloid: A Community Event in a Community Space

Founded in April of 2010, TABLOID is a creative hot spot in Hinode where designers and artists share a work space to facilitate a new work style, and perhaps a new creative culture in the process. Rebita, the owner of ten share houses in the metropolitan area, has chosen this prime location to host CROSS Share – a collaborative share house event. The theme for today’s event is “What do we really share in a share house?” The share culture has been steadily gaining influence in Japan, and not just with share houses. There are now various office buildings that have changed over to an “office share” model, as well as companies that promote car pooling with designated vehicles as an economic alternative to rental cars for their employees. As their names suggest, share houses are places where people all live under the same roof, and you’d be a fool to think people simply keep to themselves. These places are about sharing time together with others. After attending this event, I also came to realize residents share something special — something special that makes every person and every house unique. But enough with the introductions. Let’s take a look at around so you can see what the buzz is about.

「ReBITA Ltd. House Listing」

As I arrived, the festivities were well underway with many people already in attendance. In the booths to either side of the room, residents from Rebita’s share houses had set up booths show casing art, collages, and much more, giving spectators a glimpse of share house living.

For example, taking a look at this booth, one of the residents has put on a fashion display of sorts.

Here we have hand-crafted jewelry.

And no exhibit would be complete without fine paintings. That is, if these were actually paintings. Upon closer inspection, I was surprised to find these were actually drawn with a mechanical pencil.

Here’s a display from the Rebita house in Denenchofu. Who would’ve thought a share house would have a gardening and jogging club.

What’s this? Could it be? Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure? No – It’s a Share House Adventure! Come to think of it, there’s an exhibition in Roppongi celebrating Jojo’s 25th anniversary.

Next is a collaborative effort between a copywriter, designer, and photographer who happen to live together. Chance encounters can bring about the greatest changes in life, and you’re sure to find them in a share house.

Returning to the main area, there’s a singer on stage with a beautiful vibrato resonating through the hall, and it looks like it’s almost time for the main event to begin.

To start, there was a talk session with residents from Rebita’s share houses: “Colors of the Share House Rainbow.”

Everyone who participated was from a different share house, so first there were introductions for each house. With locations ranging from near Yomiuri Land to Gotanno, they all had something that set them apart from the others.

For example, Harajuku is known as one of the fashion hubs of Japan, and the share house located here is home to many designers. The “Share Leaf” house in Chitose Karasuyama is home to many chefs.

I can’t say for sure whether its chiefly influence from location or the residents, but it was interesting to hear how each share house was so different from the previous.

As introductions came to a close, the participants were asked why they chose to move into a share house. As you’d expect from a talk session dubbed “Colors of the Share House Rainbow,” the answers were quite varied. One person in particular was motivated to try share house living after finding themselves a part of a share house event when they only intended to take a look at the house.

When the talk session was over, it was time for a special dance performance!

 

The residents spent a great deal of time preparing, and it certainly showed in their lively performance.

Spectators were also able to get in on the fun as the dancers showed them a few steps so they could dance along. Although I was taking pictures, I found time to bust a few moves myself.

The dancing became more intense as they reached the finale, and it was clear that everyone had been drawn in by their spectacular performance.

Finishing with stylish poses, the dancers were met with thunderous applause!

The report ends here, but it seems there were still quite a few presentations planned that lasted late into the evening.

The lively atmosphere, the fantastic displays, the great performance — it was like I was back in school attending a cultural festival. Before tonight, I never would have imagined an event that would let me to relive my youth like this.

People who come together to live in a share house come from all walks of life, and while each person has their own reason for moving in, one thing is certain — life in a share house can broaden one’s horizons.

It just so happens that Rebita will be opening new share houses in Komazawa and Ebisu in the coming spring. If you’ve never tried living in a share house before, perhaps this could be your chance to experience the magic.

/Author：Sekino, Translation: Paul

 

		｢ReBITA Ltd.｣ Here at ReBITA Inc., we specialize in renovations, breathing new life into pre-existing buildings. Managing 10 locations with 631 rooms total in Tokyo, Kanagawa, and Saitama, our share houses have great interior designs and state of the art facilities — comforts you normally can’t find in a share house. It is important to us that residents are able to maintain their privacy while still enjoying the community that share house living can offer. If you’re interested in a community with borders, regardless of your background, please feel free to contact us.

The story of an interesting idea, where interesting people gather to create an interesting place

“I want to open a share house were creative people can start from scratch and express their talent through their environment.” This is the story I heard from the manager of Share Design, and the first time I visited Share Designer’s College Tama Plaza was last year in December.  Because the building itself is an establishment limited to 3 years, every room and shared space can be freely redecorated, making for a rather interesting design that gets one’s heart racing.  While very curious as to what kind of people would gather here and what type of living space it will evolve into, Share Designer’s College Tama Plaza opened successfully without any problems, and recently a “school entrance ceremony” event was held to which I was invited!  As the cherry blossoms bloom in this season of partings and new encounters, I’d like to think everyone’s new beginnings are already underway.  However, for the people who moved into this share house, this event gave the impression that perhaps their days of laughter and fun have only just begun.  So let’s have a look!

「SHARE DESIGNER’S COLLEGE Tama-Plaza」house detail page

Before the event, I took a look around the entire share house.  Compared to the way it looked half a year ago, the transformation is unbelievable with a somewhat extravagant atmosphere about the place.

There was antique furniture and a billiard table in the living room space, and in the kitchen there was a professional gas burner, a beer dispenser, and to my surprise a pizza kiln!

The individual rooms, the wall of the shoe rack, etc., they’ve all changed into spaces overflowing with originality combining various ideas.  I heard it was all customized through the workshops the residents participated in, and the process of all the residents creating things together seems  effective.

 So, when I went into the living room area, a household Shinto shrine had been set up, and a head priest was already preparing to say prayers.  There were a few residents already present who seemed to be feeling a sense of wonderment from the somewhat stately atmosphere of the room, but when everyone arrived the entrance ceremony finally began.

First, there was a congratulations for the opening of Share Designer’s College Tama Plaza, and a prayer from the head priest of the Ichigayakamegaoka Hachiman Shrine.

Finally, the residents received yet another prayer and blessing from the head priest.

After the prayers were over, we took a drink of the sacred wine that was placed on the altar, to receive spiritual power from the gods… I think.  Anyway, we made a toast and began the celebration!  After the toast, I also had an interesting talk with the manager, and the living room space was filled with laughter.

A surprise from the guys of the house?  It turns out they prepared a cake so everyone could celebrate the entrance ceremony together.  When cutting up the cake, there was a small incident where the flowers the guy in the picture was holding caught on fire, but this just made everyone laugh.

Now then, there were several residents who are seriously pursuing careers in music, and they decided to put on a performance for us.  There were a lot of residents that were also meeting for the first time so it was very interesting.

The first to sing for us was Ryu, a singer and song writer who was born and raised in Italy.

 The living room space fell silent in an instant, and amidst the tension in the air, a rich and powerful voice slowly spread across the room.

You could say it was a powerful and yet slightly delicate voice.  The song had a creative rhythm and lyrics, as well as an expressive view of the world.

 With the seemingly natural combination of his voice with the music and lyrics in this comfortable setting, everyone watched attentively not making a move.

After the second song ended, next a guitar player suddenly stepped in and it became a collaboration performance.
This wasn’t previously arranged?  And can he ad-lib on the spot?  Pretty impressive.

The lyrics also changed and the song had an up-tempo feel to it.   It’s fascinating how music can completely change the atmosphere.

When the song ended, the guy playing the guitar sang a song by himself.  Although he was still 18, he had a very honest way of singing that really reaches people. 

Perhaps I was touched by his sense of purity, but I suddenly thought of how wonderful songs are.

Next, one of the residents enthusiastically yelled “Jean’s a great singer too!”
Then, suddenly out of nowhere people started clapping, and unable to refuse, Jean had to sing. (lol)

 When he sang, it was really great.  It looked like everyone there was having a great time.

Finally, the guitarist from earlier performed along with his band.  The atmosphere of the room resembled a live concert more so than a share house, but I think there may be a day in the near future when a genuine live concert is held here.

 When I talked with the band members, I was surprised to hear they had just graduated from high school and moved in to continue their music careers in Tokyo.  A group of people with such big dreams and ambitions taking action and living together was simply astounding.

“it looks like I can do some interesting things here.”,“It looks pretty fun.”,“Looks like I can meet a lot of different people.”

While there were a lot of creative people you wouldn’t normally meet such as actors, artists, and performers, these are some of the reasons they decided to move in.

While Share Designer’s College Tama Plaza location, a 15 minute walk from Tama Plaza station, is not what one would call the ideal location, all the rooms are already occupied and there are people waiting for openings.  While I think location is very important in the world of real estate, what those interested in living in a share house are looking for may be something different.  

One must not forget that Share Designer’s College Tama Plaza’s facilities will only be available for 3 years.  After the 3 years are up, there may be a “graduation” event, and just thinking of how this share house will transform in that time is simply another part of the fun.

 As there also appear to be tenants who are here only for a short time stay, those who’d like to create stories together with the other tenants or participate in events at the share house, please be sure to send in an inquiry.  As soon as there’s a space available, we’ll let you know.

 An interesting idea, where interesting people gather and naturally create an interesting place.  This is definitely the impression I got from the Share Designer’s College Tama Plaza entrance ceremony.

/Author: Moriyama

「Chez toi MALUKI」House Details Page

The exterior of Chez toi MALUKI. It may look like all the other houses in the area, but the interior is full of new ideas and innovations. The Chez toi MALUKI nameplate. I personally like the metallic quality here. A mailbox for every room. The design is very cute, don’t you think? A blackboard for communication between tenants and the management staff. Using a blackboard instead of a white board takes us back to the past, to elementary school when we would scribble graffiti all over the one in the classroom. The interior of the building is full of new ideas and innovations. Before taking your shoes off in the front hallway there is a door on the left side leading to the communal lounge. You can wear your shoes right up to where the floor changes height. There are four windows in here so there is no need to turn on the lights during the day. Gorgeous lighting has been installed above the dining table, creating somewhat of an extravagant ambiance. Drink cocktails at the counter in the kitchen to feel as though you’re sitting in a bar. The kitchen comes with all of the general cooking appliances so making dinner is a breeze. There is also a large sofa near the entrance, perfect for relaxing. A relaxed atmosphere in which one can gain peace of mind. Returning to the front entrance from the lounge and heading upstairs, we find the rooms, washbasins and the bathroom. There are two washing machines here. Shelves in the bathroom are divided by room number and tenants can keep items such as shampoo and soap in here. The shower room. There is also bathroom with a tub so you can have a good, relaxing soak. I’m sure there will be those happy to know that it also includes a feature to reheat bathwater. The toilet.         The 2F and 3F hallways. The washing machines, washbasins and bathroom with tub are on this floor. Room 302. With 10.1㎡ of space there is plenty of room for one person. There is also a big closet for storage, making moving in a breeze for those with heaps of luggage. Looks like you can store a lot of stuff in here.

Thank you for reading through to the end of the article! How did you find Chez toi MALUKI? No doubt many of you were thinking about what kind of life you would lead here and what kind of creations you would come up with, right? I’d be really happy if you did. Imagination is the first step towards creation! In this share house you are sure to feel as though you can accomplish even the most difficult of ideas.

That said, I do believe that share houses are places rich in creativity, as well as the lifestyle that comes hand in hand with them.

Sharpen your senses and fulfill your creative desires everyday here at Chez toi MALUKI!

/Author: Kagawa

 For further details about Share Designer’s College Tama Plaza, please click here

/Author:moriyama