Moved to Tokyo at the age of 18 and found a home to return to Tokyo. The youngest resident who makes dance her career found peace of mind in a social apartment.

A social apartment where people with diverse jobs, hobbies, and ideas live. Each of them has their own way of living in this house.

This time, we will talk to " Riko," who has been living in " Social Apartment Miyamaedaira " for 9 months.

After graduating from high school, she moved to Tokyo at the age of 18 to make dance her career. She was the youngest person to move into Social Apartment Miyamaedaira. It was her first dance job and her first time in Tokyo. The support of her hectic life at the Social Apartment helped her to cope with the challenges of life in Tokyo.

We asked Riko to tell us about her days at Social Apartment as she continues to take on new challenges.

I wanted a community outside of dance in Tokyo

─ You came to Tokyo right after graduating from high school to dance, didn't you?

Yes, I did. I moved to Tokyo last April. I work for an entertainment agency choreographing dances for artists.

─ Do you also perform live as a dancer?

I am not doing that at the moment. I haven't decided yet whether I want to perform as a dancer or work behind the scenes to create live performances. I was interested in both.

I joined my current company because I wanted to be in an environment where I could work as both a dancer and a backstage dancer, and I wanted to hone my dance skills.

─ When did you first think that you wanted to make dance your career?

Since I was a child. I have always loved dance. I wanted to dance more than study, so I chose a high school that specialized in dance.

After graduating from high school, I didn't have the option of going on to higher education, so I moved to Tokyo to make a living through dance.

─ So you have been dancing all your life. You started living in a social apartment when you moved to Tokyo. What made you decide to live there?

At first, my mother told me about this property. When I went to see the apartment, I thought that this was the best place for me to live after moving to Tokyo by myself. It is only one train ride to the nearest station of my current company, it is near the station, and the rent is reasonable.

Above all, when I first came to Tokyo, I thought it would be nice to have a community outside of dance, so that was another attraction.

If I hadn't lived in Social Apartment, I think I would have been sick.

─ ─ How did you feel after actually living in the Social Apartment for 9 months?

I am really glad that I lived here. Last year, there were so many moments when I felt that I would have been sick if I had been alone.

I was busy at work and had a lot going on in terms of relationships, and there were times when I got sick.

At those times, my good friends at home were worried about me. They bought me medicine and drinks, and cooked meals for me. They really saved my life.

─ ─ When I fell ill, I was grateful to have people in the same house who could do such things for me.

I also had a lot of experiences that I think I was able to have because I joined this group. We went on a trip to Izu together, went to Nikko, and went SUP for the first time in my life. I would never have gone by myself. We also talk about going snowboarding in the winter.

We are all adults, so they drive the car for me. I am grateful for that.

─ ─ What kind of people are you close with?

I get along well with people who are about 6 to 7 years older than me. They are my older sisters and brothers, but I don't feel there is much age difference between us.

I have always been the type of person who doesn't make a lot of noise, and I am more relaxed than my peers. Maybe it is because I have always had many opportunities to interact with older people. Even in high school, the dancers and studio owners I was involved with were all older than me.

The fact that my home is a place where I can relax is really significant.

─ ─ How do you spend your daily life?

Unless I am not busy with work, I go down to the lounge. We cook pots and pans together and watch dramas together.

We also talk to each other when we have a bad day at work. As a senior member of society, he gave me a lot of advice and was very helpful.

I think it is really big for me that my house has become a place where I can relax.

─ ─ It has truly become a home away from home in Tokyo. I suppose it is because the place where you live is a community separate from your work.

That's right. Thanks to this, I can clearly separate my "on" time from my "off" time. I have a private room, so if I want to be alone, I can stay in my room.

Q. Is there anything you would like to do in the future at Social Apartment?

I would like to participate in more social activities with other apartments. Last year I performed a dance performance at the Social Summer Outing (a large summer event in which Social Apartment tenants participate), and I would like to go to events like that. I have yet to visit other properties to play, so I would like to visit them.

My goal for this year is to participate in MAMA in Korea.

TM: What about in terms of dancing? Is there anything you would like to challenge yourself in the future?

I would like to stabilize my income without relying only on my current company job. I have decided to start a new job as an instructor this year.

Also, I would like to be on stage this year. Last year, all I did was teach.

─ ─ What kind of stage do you want to perform on?

I would like to perform on the Korean music program "MAMA"as a back-up dancer for K-pop idols.

A lot of my friends are on the show. I feel frustrated when I see them. That's why I want to participate this year. I think it's important to put it into words like this.

T : K-pop is a big thing nowadays, isn't it?

I've been into it recently. And if you want to perform on a big stage, K-pop is definitely the way to go. That's why I want to go to Korea this year. I have recently started studying Korean.

This is one of my current goals.

─ ─ Lastly, do you have a message for those who are thinking about moving into a social apartment?

I think it is a great environment because I can meet people of various ages, have experiences that I normally cannot have, and it is also a place where I can relax.

I think it is very rare to find a place to live with so many people. When people at work ask me how many people live here, they are surprised when I tell them about 90.

I think it would be good to experience this lifestyle, even if only for a short time in your life.

(Reporting, writing, and photography by Tsubasa Inouye)