Neighbors Saginuma Alumni Interview | Shigeto Edition: “My Role Is to Connect the Charms of the People Who Gather Here”

The “Neighbors Stories” series features interviews with residents who share their experiences of meeting new people, changing, and growing while living in a social apartment. For this installment, we interviewed Yacchan and Shigeto, who lived at Neighbors Saginuma for about two years.

As founding members who shared an intense and close-knit experience, the two are such good friends that they even ended up wearing similar patterns by coincidence on the day of the interview. We asked these two “seniors” to look back on their time living there.

We’re bringing you two installments of their stories—experiences they can only share now. This time, it’s Shigeto’s turn. Before moving in, Shigeto was shy—so what did he take the initiative to do...?

—Yacchan and Shigeto, thank you so much for your time today! First, could you please briefly introduce yourselves?

Yacchan:
I’m Yacchan, and I lived at Neighbors Saginuma for two years. I currently work as a visiting nurse. I’m originally from Kagoshima, and my hobbies include volleyball and visiting hot springs and saunas. Actually, just before this interview today, I went to Yukemuri no Sho in Miyamaedaira!

Shigeto:
I’m Shigeto, originally from Kobe. I also lived at Neighbors Saginuma for about two years. I work at an IT company. My hobbies include outdoor activities like snowboarding and camping, as well as riding motorcycles and playing the drums. I also occasionally organize parties and big group trips.

—If you had to describe each other’s personalities in one word?

Yacchan:
I’d say Shigeto is a “passionate organizer.” Back when we lived at Neighbors Saginuma, he took the lead in planning events and trips for both small and large groups. He really led the way as the organizer of these events.

Shigeto:
If I had to describe Yacchan in one word, I’d say “cheerful.” He’s so upbeat and always makes everyone laugh with his sense of humor.

—What made you decide to move into a social apartment, Shigeto?

Shigeto:
During the COVID-19 pandemic, my desire to connect with people just exploded.

When I heard a new social apartment was opening, I attended a preview event before it was even finished. I’d already decided to move in before I even went.

I’m actually a bit shy by nature, but I was so excited about starting this new life that I completely forgot any worries I had, like, “Will I really be able to make friends?”

Yacchan:
It’s true—right at the start, everyone was so happy to be interacting with so many people for the first time in a while; everyone’s eyes were sparkling (laughs).

—I hear you were one of the founding members. Was there anything in particular you did to help you fit into the community?

Shigeto:
I’d pop into the lounge often and take the initiative to talk to people who seemed just as shy as I was to make friends (laughs).

This might be a common experience for shy people, but you can tell who’s shy without them even saying a word (laughs). The first friend I became close with was someone with a personality similar to mine.

By consistently reaching out and spending time in the lounge, I found myself making more friends, and there were times when I thought, “Huh, maybe I’m not actually shy after all” (laughs).

That’s how smooth communication was in the beginning.

—How did you balance your time in the lounge with the time you spent in your room?

Shigeto:
I think I probably spent more time in the lounge than in my own room until I moved out. You could say I was basically in the lounge all the time except when I was sleeping.

Since I work fully remotely, I’m often at home all day, but even when working, I made a point of spending time in the lounge.

In the lounge, there were people cooking, hanging out together, playing games, or watching TV. Since it served as the hub of daily life, I think the lounge was the perfect place for me at that time, when I really wanted to connect with others.

Yacchan:
It’s true—Shigeto was always there when I got home, cooking gyoza for me and everyone else coming back from work (laughs). Those were the days.

Before I knew it, I’d become the “community organizer”

—What prompted you to start planning events?

Shigeto:
It was a little while after we opened, around the time small groups were starting to form naturally. That wasn’t a bad thing in itself, but I wanted to make the community more vibrant. I felt it was a waste for relationships to just stay stagnant, especially since we had such a diverse group of people with different personalities and values.

Of course, I’m sure some people were content just sticking with the people they got along with. But I think, in reality, everyone had someone they were thinking, “I’d like to talk to them,” if only they had the chance. I was like that myself.

Yacchan:
You organized all sorts of things—dinner get-togethers, birthday parties, anniversary events, and more.

Shigeto was really good at getting things off the ground. Everyone, including me, would come up with ideas, but when it came to actually organizing and running the events, we relied entirely on Shigeto (laughs).

Shigeto:
That experience turned event planning into my new hobby and special skill (laughs).

▲Right: Christmas Party / Left: The band formed for the Neighbors Saginuma anniversary event

—Out of all those, is there an event that stands out the most in your memory?

Shigeto:
The first event I organized, “Let’s Go to School,” is especially memorable. A dozen or so of us spent the night at an abandoned school, ate school lunches, and played sports in the gym. The long rope skipping was the biggest hit. Everyone was playing with all their might, just like they’d gone back to being kids (laughs).

It made me happy to see that this event helped some people grow closer.

▲ “Let’s Go to School” Event

—Why did you feel that “I want the community to become more active”?

Shigeto:
Well… now that I think about it, I think it’s because I want to “make the most of the unique qualities of the people gathered here.”

The fact that people with completely different personalities and values are gathered here at the same time is amazing in itself, and the more our connections expand, the more new discoveries are bound to emerge.

▲Left: Neighbors Saginuma Anniversary Event / Right: Shigeto’s Birthday Party

I also wanted this to be an open and transparent community.
Since everyone has different lifestyles, there are bound to be some concerns—no matter how minor—about how we use the common areas.
But wouldn’t it be more comfortable for everyone if we could talk things out openly when those issues arise and naturally express our gratitude with a simple “thank you”?

I believed that kind of atmosphere comes from day-to-day communication and simply “getting to know one another.”

Yacchan:
Now that you mention it, back then everyone really valued “how things were communicated,” didn’t they?
Even if something bothered them, instead of turning it into a blame game, many people would preface their comments with something like, “I do that too, though,” or use humor to convey their concerns gently.

Also, maybe the reason so many couples were forming back then was because of that open and welcoming community atmosphere.

Shigeto:
There sure were a lot of them (laughs).

Yacchan:
As far as I know, about 10 couples? I started to think that maybe you couldn’t move out unless you found a partner (laughs).

Doing everything I wanted to do, and moving on to the next stage of life

—How did living at Neighbors Saginuma affect you personally?

Shigeto:
The best part was meeting friends I feel I’ll stay connected with for the rest of my life. Maybe it’s easier to get close emotionally because we live in the same place and see each other every day.

One thing I’ll never forget is when something sad happened and I was venting to a friend in the next room—before I knew it, I was bawling my eyes out (lol). Meeting friends with whom I can be that open about my emotions, even as an adult, is a real treasure.

Yacchan:
That really happened, didn’t it? (laughs). I still meet up with the friends I met at Neighbors Saginuma regularly—probably at least once a month.

—So it sounds like your hopes before moving in have truly come true.

Shigeto:
I’m married now and have moved on to a new stage in life, but I feel like I’m where I am today because of those days when we’d stay up all night talking. Now, I’m making the most of my time for myself and my family.

Yacchan:
That’s right. I was having so much fun that I was always pushing my physical limits (lol). We really did it all!

Shigeto:
I enjoyed life at the social apartment so much that I sometimes find myself thinking, “I’d love to go back to those early days when it first opened,” but even so, I can honestly say, “I have no regrets!”

If I could go back to before I moved in, I’d tell my past self who decided to live at Neighbors Saginuma, “You made a great decision!”
Actually, maybe even back when I was in college would’ve been fine.

—It’s wonderful to have days where you can say with confidence, “I’ve done everything I set out to do.” Shigeto and Yacchan, thank you so much for sharing your wonderful stories!

[Now Recruiting Opening Members] Neighbors Yokohama Tsurumi Pre-Completion Open House

As Shigeto-san mentioned in his story, the pre-opening tour is the first step toward a “new life” and the starting point.

With “Neighbors Yokohama Tsurumi ” set to open in March 2027, we’ve begun recruiting new residents through our pre-opening tours. Why not be one of the first to experience the excitement of building a new community from the ground up as an opening member?

[Participation Benefits]
《Pre-Opening Tour Exclusive》We’re holding a special campaign with discounts on initial fees!!
★ Sign up for the 1-year plan and get the key money waived!
★Sign up for the 2-year plan and get no key money + 2 months of free rent!

▶ Click here for reservations and inquiries

Reservations will close once capacity is reached, so if you’re interested, please contact us as soon as possible!

[Editor’s Note]
Every community has people who “make things happen.”
They aren’t acting because someone asked them to, but simply because they want “this place to be even better” or “for the people here to have a great time.” I felt that Shigeto was exactly that kind of person.

A community isn’t built by just one specific person, and everyone has their own role and level of involvement. However, isn’t it true that a community needs people who take the initiative to make things happen? It’s easy to forget that these individuals are actually the lubricant—and perhaps the very backbone—of the community.

I can’t help but imagine that there were surely people who became even closer friends thanks to the events Shigeto organized, and others who were able to settle into the community after he reached out to them.

Both Yacchan and Shigeto said in unison, “I have no regrets,” and “I’ve made friends for life.” Being able to look back and say that you fully enjoyed your limited time on your own terms may be the very proof of a rich and fulfilling experience.

If you’re someone who’s thinking about meeting new people, I really hope you’ll take the plunge. Just like Yacchan and Shigeto, whom I introduced here, you might find a connection that lasts a lifetime.

▶ Click here for Yacchan’s story

(Reporting & Text: Hayashi / Photos: Uchida)