A faster path to your dreams: X-Garden Sakuradai

「X-Garden Sakuradai」House Detail Page

Here are a few shots of the outside and inside of X-Garden Sakuradai.  The main lounge and kitchen are connected, and further inside there’s yet another lounge where you can have leisurely conversation with residents, as well as a comfortable living room to relax in.

 The bottom right picture is the conference room equipped with a large screen and projector.  It’s definitely on par with one’s you’d usually pay to use.  When there are no seminars going on, it’s free to use as a work space for residents and non-residents alike.  And of course, the room is complete with wireless internet and outlets. 

 Also, the rooms at X-Garden Sakuradai include all the essentials such as a bed, desk, and small refrigerator, as well as a unit bath and a mini-kitchen.  As for size, they’re all spacious 12 tatami rooms, so even if you’re used to living alone, there’s no need to feel hesitant about moving in.

Now for the event.  As we entered the conference room, preparations were well underway. The theme for the seminar was “A way of life for the next generation,” and the lecture was conducted by Haruaki Deguchi from the Lifenet insurance company.  Taking a new approach to providing insurance, Lifenet has broken away from the traditional thinking of today’s insurance industry.  In 2012’s Oricon customer satisfaction rankings, Lifenet has been at the top for medical insurance satisfaction for two years in a row, taking a great leap forward in the industry.

 As head of the company, Mr. Deguchi’s goal is to provide inexpensive and serviceable insurance products and services that are easy to understand through honest business.  And with a desire to create a society where the next generations insurance costs are halved, allowing people to raise kids with peace of mind, he’s a pioneer that’s taken the life insurance industry by storm.  Captivating the audience from start to finish, he’s truly a man of great merit.

The event started with introductions by the event planner Masahiro Uchino, followed by Mr. Deguchi.

Immediately after introductions, Mr. Deguchi began his lecture.  From the way he spoke he seemed gentle mannered, and the way he occasionally threw in a joke to keep things light hearted was very impressive.  From the outside looking in, it was easy to see that everyone listening was being drawn in by his unique speaking style.

Here’s a shot of the lecture in its entirety.  With everyone listening keenly to Mr. Deguchi’s lecture, he acknowledged their attentiveness looking about the room, making sure to give each and every person direct eye contact.  

The way he progressed from point to point with a focus on statistics, facts, and logic was very impressive.  As someone who tends to think very subjectively, there seemed to be a lot of points in the lecture that call for self-reflection. 

After Mr. Deguchi’s lecture, they transitioned into a question and answer session.  It was pretty surprising to see everyone eagerly raising their hands to ask questions.

The question and answer session kept a pretty quick pace as people instinctively got up from their seats to ask questions.  I couldn’t help but be impressed by everyone’s desire to learn and experience new things.

When they wrapped up the question and answer session, we all moved to the lounge to enjoy a small social party.  In an instant, people immediately gathered around Mr. Deguchi where they’d all exchange greetings and business cards.

 Here everyone’s in line including me, waiting for a chance to talk with Mr. Deguchi, as he took time to talk one on one with everyone, answering all of our questions.

Greetings with all the participants were done, and we took a quick group photo before enjoying our drinks.  You can tell everyone had a great time.

And with a toast, we began the party.  After that everyone seemed a lot more relaxed.

 Any tension or nervousness from before was gone, as everyone enjoyed lively conversation along with great snacks and drinks.

Here’s a shot of the event planner Mr. Uchino and Mr. Deguchi together.  You can see a sense of relief in their demeanors now that the event’s over.  It was really nice of them to provide such a great place for meaningful social exchange.

On the way out, there was a plate with “夢” (dream) written on it, and before I realized it I’d already taken a picture.  It made me wonder if seeing that word, “dream”, everyday could help put goals within reach, like self-suggestion.  It’s been said that the wife of Ryota Murata, who won the gold medal for middleweight Boxing in the London Olympics, wrote “Congratulations on your gold medal” on their refrigerator before he’d even gone to London.  Perhaps seeing that on the refrigerator everyday gave him the mind-set he needed to win the gold medal.

Mr. Uchino, who manages the X-Garden sharehouse, has wanted to create a share house to foster entrepreneurs for a long time, and taking part in everything from the house planning to its opening, a part of his dream has finally come true.  To hear about his level of dedication to the share house, it’s sure to become a place of reassurance for those who move in looking to take on new challenges.

Also, while the first line in the article emphasizes that this is a place to improve one’s skills, this isn’t to say it’s mandatory.  This share house was made to be a place where people can feel inspired and to enjoy changes within themselves.  There’s no rush to hit the ground after moving in, so one could say this house is for those looking to meet people who may inspire them and change their day to day routine.

I’ve heard they’re also planning some interesting presentations such as “Master a magic trick in 2 hours” or “Techniques to get people laughing.”  I’m not the proactive get up and go type, so I’d also hope they have a lot of events planned where one can simply relax and enjoy what’s going on.  After all is said and done, I definitely feel this event from X-Garden is the stuff that dreams are made of.