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