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月別アーカイブ: 2015年2月

5 reasons why you should stay in a share house in Tokyo

While most people living in Tokyo stay in apartments, more and more people think that staying in a share house（シェアハウス）is a good alternative. You might think share houses are for college students with a minimum budget, but that’s not the case here in Tokyo. In fact, some share houses are more expensive than apartments in certain areas like Kichijoji (which is where I live). Many people still choose to stay in a share house because they see a certain value in sharing spaces with others.

In a share house, most people stay in private rooms. The bathrooms, shower rooms, and kitchens are shared with other residents.

Today, I’d like to explain why staying in a share house is a good idea in Tokyo, even if it’s a short stay.

1. It’s fun!

Photo by Chinatsu Okizaki

This is probably the biggest reason I live in a share house. There is always someone to talk to when you are at home. Before I moved in Oakhouse 2, I was always forcing myself to get out of the apartment to hang out with my friends. I wouldn’t say I’m too introverted but it was easy to be lazy and just stay at home watching movies or playing games.

Living in a share house changed me in a way that it made it easier to socialize. It means you can have fun at home, not outside. It also means you get to meet some new people while staying at home because people from outside come to your house.

2. It’s efficient!

Photo by Chinatsu Okizaki

Staying in a share house would be great even if it’s a short stay. Every once in a while, I see some people staying for 3-4 weeks or a couple of months in my share house. They are sometimes travelers, Japanese language students, or business people who have to stay in Tokyo for more than several weeks.

One time I met two guys from Ireland traveling around Tokyo for about a month. They said they chose to stay in the share house paying a full month’s rent because it’s cheaper than staying in a hotel and easier to make local friends. I thought it was a great idea because they could ask us where the good foods are or how local people have fun in Kichijoji. In a way, you get to know the city and the local life very efficiently.

3. Less troubles!

Living in a share house is much less troublesome compared to living in an apartment. Most share houses in Tokyo are run by a management company which means they hire someone to clean all the common spaces. They also take care of the trash, too. Also, each room is fully furnished. Things like washing machines, dryers, microwaves, rice cookers are available in common spaces. Toilet paper and dish soap are refilled by oak house too. It might not sound like a big deal, but trust me it is. These kind of small things add up and save you so much time and money.

4. It’s safe!

Photo by Chinatsu Okizaki

Even though it’s fairly safe in general to live in Japan, some people choose share house because it’s safer than staying in an apartment. It’s kind of interesting that there are certain numbers of people who would never come out of their private room in every share house. There are some people like that in my share house too. They never ever come to kitchen to cook or try to socialize with other residents. I checked with other oak house managers too and it seems like a universal thing. We call them “the ghosts”. Because no one has really has seen them or talked to them, they just continue to be mysterious.

Then I started thinking… why would they choose to live in a share house in the first place? As I mentioned previously, the rent of share houses are not cheap in Tokyo. If they want privacy, they could easily find an apartment. Me and my housemates talk about this sometimes and the most decent explanation so far is safety.

There are usually people in the living room, so it would be hard for someone outside to… let’s say, steal something? It’d be just too obvious, right? If you think you can explain better, let me know. I’d be very interested to know.

One time, one of the girls who lived here had to call an ambulance. She was lucky that there were some people to help her. Looking back, it could’ve been much worse if she was living in an apartment by herself.

5. A trendy local experience

Living in a share house has been an up-and-coming urban trend in Japan in recent years. There was a reality show called “The Terrace House” which was on air until September 2014. The show was so popular that they even released a movie just a week ago (released on the 14th of February 2015).

People have this impression that living in a share house is kind of like a cool urban thing to do in Tokyo. Some share houses are pretty new and well designed too. You probably get to know many local Japanese people.

Any thoughts or questions? Let me know by sending me a message here. guafly2002@gmail.com

No more expensive phone bills with unlocked phone and SIM card

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If you are spending 6000 to 7000 yen every month on your phone contract in Japan, it is time to make a change. I know 6000 yen a month is already expensive but that’s the amount most people with smartphones pay in Japan.

There is a way to cut down the phone bill. I spend about 1600 yen a month and it’s very easy to start even if you don’t understand Japanese.

Remember, you don’t need to make a contract with any of the major telecommunication companies like Docomo, au, or Softbank.

What you need is…

・An unlocked phone
・SIM card service provider

That’s it. There are several companies which provide SIM card services. What I’d personally recommend is the service provider called “IIJ Mio phone“. I’ve been using their SIM card for about 4 months and I’m very happy with it.

The best part is their price. If you want a phone number, the minimum plan is 2GB for 1600yen (this is the plan I chose). If you don’t need a phone number and ok with just data, it’s even cheaper starting from 900 yen a month.

Only downside is that SIM free phones are usually expensive and you need a decent amount of money as an initial investment. It’s easy if you are comfortable using android phones which starts from 20,000yen (depending on the model). iPhones however are far more expensive as the latest iPhone 6 priced at 75,800yen on Apple online store (as of February 10th, Apple stopped selling the latest model due to the heavy demand).

Anyway, if you don’t mind using Android phones or old model iPhones, it wouldn’t be too hard to find one in Japan. It also works with the phones you can find in countries such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore because all the phones sold in those countries are SIM free (unlocked).

One more thing to mention about this service is that they don’t have a 2 years contract policy unlike typical contracts with major companies. So if you make a contract with the major companies and you decide to leave Japan before the contract ends, you’d need to pay about 10,000 yen or more just to cancel the contract. It’s kind of like a evil system that everyone hates but major companies continue to do.

The situation might change soon though. There is a new law taking effect in May 2015 which will allow us to unlock any phone at will. It’s probably a good change and the amount of money people have to pay may go down thanks to the competition.

Let me know if you have any comments or questions!

Introducing “Spice Up Tokyo” : A blog written by a Oak house resident

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Interested in living in Japan? Whether you’re into Japanese culture, language, or modern pop culture, it’s frustrating to know how little information out there about the actual life in Japan. On this series of blog posts, I’d like to introduce useful tips when you actually start living in this somewhat mysterious country.

My name is Shima, a 28 years old Japanese guy living in Tokyo. I work as a professional editor and currently live in one of the Oak house share houses in the area called Kichijoji.

I call my series of posts “Spice Up Tokyo” hoping that you find a way to make the most of your days in Tokyo. I plan to update at least once a week. Enjoy!