I wanted to escape from "normal life. I am a serious person, but I found my one and only "daily life" at Social Apartment.

Social apartments are rental apartments that include a lounge and other public spaces in addition to conventional rental housing. It is a new style of living where you can enjoy community with other residents while maintaining your privacy, and "expanding your world.

In this interview, we spoke with Hiroto, a resident of Neighbors Higashi Jujo, a social apartment located a four-minute walk from Higashi Jujo Station.

Hiroto says that he has been feeling unsatisfied with the "normal life" he has been leading up to now. What did he gain from Social Apartment?

Feeling that his "normal life" was not enough

What made you decide to live in a social apartment?

I had been living on my own for two years since I graduated from university, and I had always wanted to have a different experience from others.

I always thought that the life I had led so far was very "normal"....

I am the kind of person who does exactly what I am told to do. I do what is considered good by the world and what my parents expect me to do, honestly and diligently. My work and my life were stable, but I felt that I was not enough.

It is difficult to suddenly change one's job, but it is possible to change where one lives. With this in mind, I decided to move into a social apartment.

So you were looking for stimulation and change.

I also wanted to make friends with people with whom I had a deep relationship. I have always been good at making friends in a shallow and broad sense, but I didn't know how to have deep relationships.

When I belong to a community, such as a school or a club, we are close, but after graduation, we tend to gradually drift apart. We spend time together, but it's a shallow relationship where we don't really talk about ourselves. I had a lot of friends, but not many close friends, and I felt somewhat lonely.

On the other hand, at Social Apartment, we share our daily life together, so I was hopeful that our relationship would not end up being shallow.

Of all the social apartments, why did you choose Neighbors Higashi Jujo?

The first social apartment I came across was Higashi Jujo. But when I went to the first open preview, I had given up on the idea that it was out of my budget.

But after living alone for two years, I realized how much money I spend per month. I decided to live there based on an estimate that even if I had a deficit of several tens of thousands of yen per month at worst, I would be able to cut back from my savings.

I also talked to a tenant when I went to preview the apartment, and he made a great impression on me.... He and I later became good friends (laughs). (laughs) I was more interested in the people who lived there than the location, so the fact that I was able to talk to them even for a short time was a deciding factor.

Talking to all kinds of people makes you feel good about yourself.

Have you seen any changes in yourself after living in a social apartment?

I have made deep friends. Even if my life stage changes in the future, I want to go on trips with them and stay close to them. It is great to be able to talk about everyday things.

Most of my friends from high school and university I haven't seen or talked to in a long time, so the topics we talk about tend to be big topics. But in social apartments, since we see each other every day, topics tend to be about unimportant things. I found that I was able to disclose myself.

Is there anything you were conscious of when interacting with people at the social apartments?

I always tried to talk to people on my own. The moment I saw someone for the first time in the property, I would say, "Nice to meet you! I would say, "Nice to meet you! In this way, I gradually expanded my field.

I don't speak English, but I would talk to foreign students living in social apartments as much as I could (laughs). Actually, before moving in, I had done some preliminary practice by traveling alone.

I stayed at a guesthouse on my trip and simulated life in a social apartment by talking with travelers and going to a bar and talking to strangers.

I also practiced cooking so that I wouldn't be embarrassed to show off my cooking in public. I researched inexpensive supermarkets and set myself the task of assembling a menu that mainly consisted of vegetables (laugh).

You must have prepared very carefully (laughs).

Yes, I did. Because of that, I made many different types of friends, and I was able to talk with new people without fear. I also realized that talking to all kinds of people helped me to feel better about myself.

People are all different from each other, so it's fun to make discoveries. Because of my job, many people around me are serious and stable-minded, and I am good at doing the work that is available rather than what I want to do. On the other hand, many people at Social Apartment are doing what they want to do, which is very stimulating. I get good influences from both the daily life of the company and the daily life of Social Apartment.

I used to not like my seriousness so much, but here I am accepted as a good personality, and I am glad that I am serious. I feel like I have everything I was looking for before I moved here.

What kind of life do you usually lead?

I like to eat dinner with everyone, so I make sure to go whenever I am invited. I also try to be in the common area at least once a day. I bring a tumbler to work every day, so I talk with everyone when I go to wash it. For this reason, I dare not buy detergent (laughs).

Social Apartment is a safe place where I can be myself as I am.

What do you like about Social Apartment?

Having someone who is more than a friend in your daily life. More than friends, less than family...I guess you could say. Going home and talking to everyone was a great support for me.

Usually when I go home, I just eat dinner and go to bed by myself, and I think my time at home becomes monotonous, but having people who spend their time in a completely different way than I do right beside me makes my daily life so much richer.

But I have people who spend their time in a completely different way than I do right beside me, and it enriches my daily life. I think that lack of mending is good. If I hadn't seen a friend in a while, I would think, "I'm sorry to see him like this," but at Social Apartment, I have no choice but to come back with my face as it is, and they accept that. It is a safe place where I can be myself as I am.

Lastly, please give a message to those who are currently considering moving in!

I don't think you need this much rehearsal (laughs). I think you should come and take a look at the house at least once to get an idea of how you want to live there. Some people trip over the gaps there....

I think it's okay to just say hello, so please try to talk to the residents at the time of your preview!

This is encouraging advice for those who are anxious about living in a social apartment. Thank you very much for your time today!

(Reporting and writing by Yuki Ishikawa, Photography by Tsugufumi Matsuma)