We want to deliver the reality of social apartments. Behind-the-Scenes Interviews for the Residents' Talk Variety

Inside SA" is a project that focuses on the inside of social apartments. For this issue, we interviewed three sales staff involved in the production of " Neighbors Telling, " a variety of resident talk shows!

This project brings the real voices of residents from their perspective through their talks with each other. What kind of thoughts and persistence went into this major project, which was completed with the same quality as a TV program? We asked Mr. Yamada, Mr. Hashimoto, and Mr. Kikuchi to give us a behind-the-scenes look at the project!

Q: First of all, tell us about the project. What kind of project is Neighbors Telling?

Yamada:
Neighbors Telling is a variety of tenant talks that show the reality of social apartments!
For those who are not familiar with this way of living, I think it is hard for them to imagine what life is really like in a social apartment and to grasp the reality. That is why we are presenting videos of actual residents talking about their experiences in their own words.
By watching the videos, you can get a feel for what it is like to live in a social apartment!

Hashimoto:
How have you gotten to know each other since you moved in? How often do you show up at the lounge? What's your love life like? and so on.... We asked the three residents to talk freely about topics that many people wonder about at least once when considering moving in.
Because it is a talk variety show, we have not created a stuffy atmosphere, but rather a structure that can be viewed casually during commuting time or before going to bed.
The best part of the video is that it is based on the residents' own impressions, so you can get a sense of the "reality of life" from each resident's point of view, which cannot be conveyed through the website alone!
Q: How did you originally come up with the project?

Yamada:
We are often asked by prospective tenants who come to view our apartments, "What is a social apartment really like? Yamada: We are often asked "How are social apartments really? In response to such comments, I have wanted to create content that conveys the "reality of living" for some time.
However, I sometimes feel that behind the question of "how it really is," there may be a desire to know the reality that cannot be put into words.
But to be honest, even those of us who are familiar with social apartments find it difficult to convey this "firsthand feeling" in words or text alone.

Hashimoto:
This is my own personal experience, but there was one incident that made me realize something.
One time, when I was showing a property to a potential tenant, I met a tenant who was having a hard time deciding whether to move in or not. As a former tenant, I was showing him the property based on my own experience, but he didn't seem to have a clear idea of what he was looking for....
So I asked one of the current tenants who was just in the kitchen. He told me specific and detailed episodes that he could only tell me because he actually lived there. At that moment, the considerer's expression, which had been clouded just a moment before, cleared up in an instant.
It was as if the "living" that had been in their imagination until then was suddenly brought to life in front of their eyes as a realistic landscape, depending on "who tells the story and in what words.

Yamada:
I thought it would be an interesting project if we sent a video of the residents talking freely about Social Apartment, as it would give people a chance to get to know Social Apartment in a casual way!

Kikuchi:
By the way, that resident is Mr. Tagachan, who also appears in Neighbors Telling, isn't he?

Yamada:
Isn't that the line Hashimoto-chan wants to say? （Yamada: Isn't that what you want to say?)

Hashimoto:
I've been robbed (laughs).

I want to deliver the feeling of watching with friends! What about the entertainment tricks of the show?

Q: The program was filled with entertainment elements such as the appearance of puppets and the theme song.

Kikuchi:
When we were doing research to deliver the reality of social apartments, we were concerned that if the videos were too serious, we might not be able to get into what they were talking about.
The real-life experiences that the residents shared with us were filled with hints, but we felt it would be a waste if we couldn't reach them.
Then, when we thought about what was needed to make the content easy and enjoyable to watch, we came up with the idea that we needed entertainment elements and a mechanism to make people become attached to the program itself.

Yamada:
In a talk variety show, the MC or commentator makes comments.
I thought, "It would be cute if a character made a comment instead of a person! (laughs). That's when I thought, "Puppets could be a good idea. (Laughs). That's when I had the idea.

Kikuchi:
Yamada, you said you came up with the idea out of the blue (laughs).
Q: The MCs, Kathy and Melon, were adorable characters. Who designed these characters?

Kikuchi:
Actually, it was me (laughs).
I have always enjoyed creating things and coming up with ideas, and once I got started, it became a lot of fun (laughs). We all discussed and decided on the characters' settings, but I was in charge of the designing and giving them shape.
I am not good at sewing, so I asked Ms. Hashimoto, who is very dexterous, to help me with the final touches!

Yamada:
I got the fabrics at YUZA FATTYA (laughs).
(Laughs) I also had a lot of fun thinking about characterization. Cathy is 28 years old, good at her job, and caring. Melon is 23 years old, free-spirited, intuitive, and a bit childish.

Kikuchi:
As for the theme song, it was composed by our diverse in-house video editor (laughs).
When editing the video, he thought that the theme song was important for a reality show, so he composed it himself.

Hashimoto:
When the draft of the video came in, the whole team was surprised and had a good laugh (laughs). The upbeat and cheerful tone of the song makes it very easy to listen to and makes me want to hum the melody every time I hear it.
If you listen to the lyrics carefully, you will find words related to social apartments, and I couldn't help but giggle.

It made me think, "Maybe this kind of living is possible.

Q:Once again, what kind of people in particular would you like to see Neighbors Telling?

Yamada:
I want people from all walks of life to watch Neighbors Telling, but I especially want people who want to change something but don't have the courage to do so. There may be hints in the casual conversations among the residents.
I would be happy if this film could be a chance for anyone to get to know the realities of social apartments in a casual way. I believe that the site is filled with stories that make people laugh unintentionally, "one-liners" that you can't sympathize with without experiencing them, and other real-life stories of sei-katsu-sha that you can't touch in other contents!

Q:What are your plans for the future?

Hashimoto:
We are still considering it, but we would like to plan a second installment! This time it was a women's talk session, so the planning team is discussing the possibility of a men's only session for the next time.
However, since this project is only possible with the help of the residents, we may have to recruit people who want to appear. I wonder if we will get any applications (laughs).

Kikuchi:
It would be great if there were people who said, "I am the one! I would be very grateful if there were people who said, "I am the one!
(laughs) We would also be happy to receive feedback on the video. It was very encouraging to hear someone who had already come to see the video say, "I saw Neighbor's Telling! That was very encouraging!

Yamada:
Please enjoy watching it, as it is something you can easily watch before going to bed or on your way to work! We will do our best to make the second episode as good as the first, so we hope everyone will watch all the episodes!

Editor's Postscript
As a side note, I personally believe that "real" is something that conveys the words, feelings, and experiences of the people who actually experienced it, without any filter. The way someone is talking, for example, even if it is just a single word or phrase, it can be conveyed without any hesitation, such as "I understand! or "Well, I don't know how to explain it," I feel that it reveals what kind of temperature the person was exposed to and what he or she is feeling on a day-to-day basis.
In this sense, I felt that " Neighbors Telling " was a project that allowed us to imagine the life in a social apartment, which had seemed like a distant idealism, much closer to us.
This project was started from scratch by three people with different characters, who had fun while worrying about the project. One who loves to create something and leads the team. The one who supports the team at his own pace but with a sharp point of view. People who are curious and enjoy working on any kind of project. The project team's efforts and thoughts are not only reflected in the charm of the residents, but also in the individual personalities of each team member, and in the way the project is designed for people to enjoy watching it.

If you have not seen the film yet, please give it a try!
You will surely find hints for your own life in the casual comments.

(Interview and text by Hayashi / Photos by Okuyama)