April is the month of "Nice to meet you" and we held a Welcome Party｜@Terminals Ibaraki & Social Apartment Eda

When I was a student, every time a new semester came around, I would feel excited about what I would meet this year, but also a little anxious about how I would get along with everyone. and "I wonder if I will be able to get along with everyone" and "What should I say to them?

At Social Apartment, we also welcome new residents every year from March to April, when spring arrives and new life begins! We held a Welcome Party this year as well, hoping that it would be a good opportunity for new and current tenants to say "hello" to each other.

This year, we picked one property each from the Kansai and Kanto regions: on April 5 (Sat), at Terminal's Ibaraki in Kansai, which celebrated its 6th year since opening, and on April 19 (Sat), at Social Apartment Eda in Kanto, which celebrated its 16th year since opening and had its common areas renewed last year. The event was held at Social Apartment Eda, which was renovated last year and has a completely new common area.

This time, everyone gathered around the dining and lounge tables in the common area with bento boxes and snacks in hand, and enjoyed chatting and laughing while playing quizzes and games to expand their circle of friendship!

Welcome Party is not only for "new" residents?

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, April is a time when the number of "new" residents increases. That is why there are many new encounters. But actually, the Welcome Party is not only for new residents who have just moved in, but also for those who have been living here for some time but have not been able to visit the common areas, those who have been spending more time in their rooms recently, and those who feel that they have not met anyone new recently. We hope that this project will give people a chance to enjoy "new encounters" and "living with common space"! This project was started with this in mind.

Some people say "Nice to meet you" and blend in with the current residents without any difficulty, while others gather up their courage and introduce themselves, saying "Nice to meet you," and gradually get used to living in the common area. There are also those who, having been waiting for the right moment to speak to someone, were approached by a current resident and found a kindred spirit. Some of them went to check out the lounge or the kitchen, but at certain times of the day, they found that "other people seemed busy at work," or "there were so many people that I didn't know who to talk to," or conversely, "there was no one there...," and they returned to their rooms after having gone to the trouble of visiting the common areas. I think there are many people who are like "I don't know who to talk to" or "I don't know who to talk to".

In social apartments, because private space and common space are compatible, it is true that each resident has his/her own "pace". But because of this "pace," one of the joys of living in a social apartment is that you can find friends whose rhythm of life and sense of values match your own.

Let's introduce ourselves.

Let's begin with a quick self-introduction! We circle around everyone's names and nicknames, and that's it. You will have enough time to get to know each other. The common area was filled with "Nice to meet you" greetings and applause!

Many of the participants this time were "less than 3 months" and "6 months to less than 1 year" since moving in at Terminals Ibaraki in Kansai, but there were also people who have lived here for more than a year! Some had just moved in and had not been able to visit the common areas, while others said, "It's been a long time since I lived here, but this is the first time I've been in the common areas! Some of them had not moved in yet and hadn't been to the common area before. At Social Apartment Eda in Kanto, there were some residents who had just moved in, but half of them had been living there for more than a year. There were even some who had lived here for more than five years! There are still many people who have seen each other before, but have never greeted or talked to each other before.

The "Iroha" of living in a social apartment

Let's get the team together as soon as possible! So, let's start with the rules of living in a social apartment, "I want you to know this correctly! We will be presenting a quiz titled "HOW TO ENJOY SA LIFE," in which the participants will be asked about their "lifestyle trends" based on the rules that they "want you to know! While both speed and percentage of correct answers were required, some participants answered confidently, "This must be it! or "Which one do you think it is? and "Which one do you think it is?

This time, since "housekeepers," who are in charge of cleaning the properties on a daily basis, also participated in the quiz, we included "mistakes" and "misunderstandings" that sometimes occur in the use of common areas and guidelines. The housekeepers were relieved to see the residents successfully answer all the questions correctly under the housekeepers' enthusiastic eyes and expectations.

It was a great relief for us to see them thinking, "This is so easy! The reason why they think "This is easy!" is because everyone uses the common areas neatly while observing the rules and manners on a daily basis!

Now, what is the "pace" of everyone who uses such common areas? Of course, it varies from property to property and from resident to resident, but since we had asked about the "pace" and preferences of this year's participants in a questionnaire in advance, we asked this question as well! I hope this gave you a hint as to which days of the week and times of the day you can meet your friends in the common areas, or which areas are the most likely to attract people.

Commonalities are the "key" to knowing your neighbors!

What is it about people who have never met each other before, but when they learn that they are "hometown" or "compatriots" or have common interests and hobbies, they instantly develop a sense of familiarity, a sense of security, and interest in each other...?

The time limit for the "Find Something in Common Game" is only 5 minutes. It is a very simple game in which you find something in common with everyone in your team and write it down.

No matter how trivial it may seem, you will be able to find something in common with your team members! We are the same! the teams cheered in yellow when they found something in common. This time, both the Kansai and Kanto venues had several participants from foreign countries, making for a team with a rich international flavor. There was even a team in which all four team members were of different nationalities. In such a situation, it was quite difficult to find common points among all the members, but we asked each other, "What do you like? They were able to find commonalities by asking each other, "What kind of things do you like? Some of them even found a happy common ground, such as "I like properties! There was also the happy commonality of "I like properties!

Even in just five minutes, the whiteboard was filled with the commonalities they had discovered in each other.

Many of the residents of Social Apartment seem to enjoy getting to know each other better by discovering not only what kind of people they have in common with, what kind of hobbies, interests, and skills they have, but also what they have in common that they do not have, and what they find "different" and "something they do not have". Please share your "commonalities" and "colors" with each other.

Enjoy your life from now on!

For the quiz "HOW TO ENJOY SA LIFE" and the "common point search game" prizes, we have included everything from nostalgic candy to "takoyaki sets" that everyone can enjoy together around the dining table and "pancake mixes" that are perfect for breakfast parties!

At Social Apartment, there are often "Gohan-kai" or "Gohan-kai" or "Gohan-kai" parties held. Sometimes we each cook a meal and happen to be in the dining room and eat together, and other times we call it a "Gohankai" and cook and eat together.

After seeing the prizes, some of them immediately arranged a date to make an appointment to cook and eat together. We hope that one day everyone will be able to get together again in the common area kitchen or dining room...!

Editor's Postscript

At Social Apartment, although the turnover of residents varies according to their lifestyles and life plans, we welcome more new friends in April as they prepare for the beginning of their new lives. As we send off our departing friends with a "see you later," we also get to say "hello" to our new friends.

When you first move into a social apartment, it is important to introduce yourself to new people. Although you know this, it may take a lot of courage to do so. Because everyone seems to already know each other well, and it is natural to feel a little awkward in a group where it is "just me" versus "everyone else". If you miss the timing a little, you may feel that it's too late, and you may feel a little nervous. There may be such a case. However, I am sure that this is a path that every resident of a social apartment has taken, and that is why many of them warmly welcome you no matter how faintly you say "Nice to meet you. Don't be in a hurry, but try saying "Nice to meet you" at your own timing. After that, there may be many pleasant encounters and a unique life with friends who share the "now" that awaits you.

Planning and photography by Kida / Ito, text by Ito