Neighbors Saginuma OBOG Interview|Shigeto-san's version "The role of connecting the charms of people gathered together

Neighbors Stories" series of interviews with residents who talk about their encounters, changes, and growth at Social Apartment. This time we interviewed Yacchan and Shigeto, who have been living at Neighbors Saginuma for about 2 years. ( ▶Click here for Yacchan's version )

They spent a lot of time together as opening members of Neighbors Saginuma, and they are such good friends that they were dressed in similar patterns on the day of the interview. We asked these two senior members to look back on their time at the share house.

We will send you a double feature of their experiences, which they can talk about only now. In this installment, we will talk about Shigeto-san. Shigeto-san was shy before moving in, but what did he do to take the initiative?

Yacchan-san and Shigeto-san, thank you for your time today! Please begin with a brief self-introduction.

My name is Yacchan:
I have lived in Neighbors Saginuma for 2 years, my name is Yacchan. I am currently working as a visiting nurse. I am from Kagoshima, and my hobbies are playing volleyball and going to hot springs and saunas. In fact, before today's interview, I went to Yukemurinosho in Miyamaedaira!

Shigeto:
My name is Shigeto and I am from Kobe City. I lived in Neighbors Saginuma for about 2 years as well. I work for an IT company. My hobbies are outdoor activities such as snowboarding and camping, I also like riding motorcycles and playing drums. I also plan parties and large trips on an irregular basis.

How would you describe each other's personalities in a few words?

Yacchan:
I think Shige and I are "passionate planners. When we lived in Neighbors Saginuma, he took the initiative in planning events and trips for small to large groups. You led everyone as a leader of events.

Shigeto:
If I were to describe Yacchan in one word, it would be "cheerful. He is cheerful and always makes everyone laugh with his humor.

Shigeto： What made you decide to move into Social Apartment?

Shigeto:
I had the Corona disaster, and my desire to get involved with people exploded.

When I found out that a new social apartment was going to open, I attended a preview before it was completed. You had already decided to move in even before attending.

I am a shy person by nature, but I was so excited about my new life that I forgot my worries about whether or not I would be able to make friends.

Yacchan:
It's true that at the beginning of the opening, everyone had a twinkle in their eyes because they were so happy to be able to interact with so many people for the first time in a long time (laughs).

Yacchan： I understand that you moved in as an opening member, but was there anything that you tried to do to fit in with the community?

Shigeto:
I frequently visited the lounge and made friends by talking to people who seemed to be shy like me (laughs).

It may be a common shyness thing, but you can tell who is shy without talking to them (laughs). The first friend I became friends with had a similar personality to mine.

When I was steadily talking to people and being in the lounge on a regular basis, I made more friends and sometimes I thought, "Hey, maybe I'm not shy" (laughs).

(Laughs) That's how smooth communication was especially in the opening.

How did you find the balance between time spent in the lounge and time spent in your room?

Shigeto:
I probably spent more time in the lounge than in my room until I moved out. I guess you could say that I was basically in the lounge except when I went to bed.

Since I was fully remote, I was often at home all day, so I tried to spend time in the lounge even when I was working.

The lounge is a place where people cook, hang out, play games, and watch TV. It is a place that serves as a base for living, so I think the lounge was the perfect place for me at that time when I had a growing desire to be involved with other people.

Yacchan:
It's true that Shigeto was always there when I came home, cooking dumplings for me and everyone else after work (laughs).

I found myself becoming a "community organizer

What was it that led you to start planning events?

Shigeto:
A little while after we opened, it was around the time when a small group had somehow started to form. Not that there is anything wrong with that in itself, but I wanted to make the community more active. We had a group of people with different personalities and values, but I felt it would be a waste to have the relationships remain static.

Of course, there were people who were satisfied just with relationships with like-minded people. But in reality, I think everyone has someone they would like to talk to if only they had the chance. I myself was the same way.

Yacchan:
You planned a lot of things like dinner parties, birthday parties, and anniversary events.

Shigeto was really good at organizing things. Everyone, including myself, would come up with ideas, but we relied on Shigeto to actually organize and run the event (laughs).

Shigeto:
That experience led to a new hobby and skill: event planning (laughs).

Right: Christmas party / Left: Band formed for the Neighbors Saginuma anniversary event

Shigeto： What was the most memorable event among those events?

Shigeto:
The first "Let's go to school" event we organized was particularly memorable. A dozen of us stayed overnight at an abandoned school, ate school lunch, and played sports in the gym. The long rope was the most exciting part. Everyone was playing as hard as they could, as if they were children again (laughs).

I was happy to see that some people became close friends because of this event.

Let's Go to School" event

What made you feel that you wanted to see the community become more active?

Shigeto:
Well...to put it into words again, I think it is because I want to "make the most of the charm of the people who have gathered here.

The fact that people with completely different personalities and values are gathered here at the same time is in itself an amazing thing, and the more they mingle, the more new discoveries are sure to be made.

Left: Neighbors Saginuma anniversary event / Right: Shigeto-san's birthday party

I also wanted to create a community with an open atmosphere.
Since we have different lifestyles, there are bound to be some things that bother us about the use of common areas.
However, it is more comfortable for everyone to have a relationship in which they can express their appreciation in a natural way, such as by talking to each other in an open and honest manner.

I think that kind of atmosphere is created through regular communication and "getting to know each other.

Yacchan:
Now that you mention it, at that time, everyone was concerned about "how to communicate.
Even if there was something that bothered them, many people would preface it with "I'm feeling the same way," or use humor to softly convey the message, rather than trying to find the culprit.

Also, maybe the airy community atmosphere was the reason why so many couples were born.

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

Yacchan:
As far as I know, maybe 10 couples. I thought maybe I could no longer leave without a partner (laughs).

Having done everything I wanted to do, I moved on to the next stage of life

What kind of impact did living at Neighbors Saginuma have on you?

Shigeto:
I think the most important thing is that I met friends that I know I will be with for the rest of my life. Perhaps it is because we live in the same place and see each other on a regular basis that it is easy to become close to each other.

I still can't forget the time when I was feeling sad and was feeling weak to my friend in the next room, but when I realized it, I was crying (laughs). Even as an adult, it was an asset to have met friends who could express their feelings so honestly.

Yacchan:
That happened to me, too (laughs). (laughs). I still see the friends I met at Neighbors Saginuma on a regular basis, maybe more than once a month.

You were able to fulfill exactly what you wished for before you moved in.

Shigeto:
I am now married and moving on to a new stage of life, but I can't help but think that those days when we talked every night are the reason I am here now. I am now using my time to the fullest for myself and my family.

Yacchan:
That's right. I also enjoyed myself so much that I was always at the end of my physical strength (laughs). I've already done everything I can do!

Shigeto:
Shigeto: I have enjoyed my life at Social Apartment so much that I sometimes wish I could go back to the early days when it first opened, but even so, I can say, "I have nothing left to accomplish! I can still say, "I have nothing left to do!

I would like to tell myself that I made a good decision to live at Neighbors Saginuma before I moved in. I would like to tell myself "I made a good decision!
If I wanted to, I could have done it when I was a university student.

It is wonderful to have days when you can say, "I have nothing left to do. Thank you, Shigeto-san and Yacchan-san, for your wonderful stories!

Editor's Postscript
In a community, there are "movers and shakers.
Someone who is not asked by anyone, but who can move from the viewpoint of "I want this place to be better" or "I want the people here to enjoy themselves to the fullest. I felt that Shigeto-san was just such a person.

A community does not consist of one specific person, and each person has his or her own role and sense of distance. However, I believe that a community needs people who take the initiative to move things forward. What is often forgotten is that such a person may actually be the lubricant and keystone of the community.

I can naturally imagine that there must have been people who became even closer to each other because of the events organized by Shigeto-san, or people who became more comfortable in the community after being approached.

Yachan and Shigeto both said that they had "nothing left to do" and "made friends for life. Being able to look back and say that you were able to enjoy your limited time to the fullest in your own way may be the proof of a rich experience.

If anyone is interested in meeting new people, I encourage you to take the plunge. You may find an encounter of a lifetime, just like Yacchan-san and Shigeto-san introduced in this article.

(Interview and text by Hayashi / Photos by Uchida)