Report on the Resident-Organized Event “Thank You, Housekeepers!” | Social Apartment Shinkemigawa

Social apartments are community-oriented rental buildings featuring public spaces such as lounges and kitchens. These spacious shared areas allow residents to connect naturally, fostering small moments of interaction in their daily lives.

Whether it’s a simple “Welcome home” when you return from work or an event someone organizes on the weekend, these spaces are characterized by the ability to value your privacy at your own pace while still choosing how to connect with others.

For this feature, we covered an event organized by the residents—the “Thank You, Housekeepers” gathering—which emerged as a natural extension of this everyday life. It came about from one resident’s desire to “properly express our gratitude to the housekeepers who always keep the common areas clean.”

Putting Gratitude into Action

The event was organized by Ms. Shimamoto, who has been a resident for one year.

She wanted to express her gratitude to the housekeepers who clean daily to keep the common areas spotless. But beyond that, she said she always felt uplifted by the housekeepers who would greet her with a “Have a good day!” or “How are you?” whenever they met in the common areas.

(▶ Cleaning Experience Report | Learning Social Apartment Cleaning Techniques from Ms. Uochi, a Housekeeper with 11 Years of Experience)

She had been thinking for some time about finding a way to express her gratitude, and then she learned that a former resident of Social Apartment Shinkemigawa had organized a “Thank You” event for the housekeepers.
That gave her the push she needed to move forward with this project.

“I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels this way,” she thought, so she reached out to other residents—and about 20 people joined in, making this event a reality.

Today’s stars were the “housekeepers.”

On the day of the event, six housekeepers—led by housekeeping team leader Ms. Uochi—and about 25 residents attended.

Of course, the housekeepers were the stars of the event. Participants each brought dishes, sweets, and drinks based on the theme “Something I’d like the housekeepers to eat.”

Many residents served homemade dishes, ranging from risotto and ajillo to tacos made from scratch. Some participants prepared ingredients the day before, while others took great care in crafting their dishes from the very beginning.
Even among the residents who couldn’t attend due to scheduling conflicts, some prepared dishes specifically for the event, while others filleted fresh fish to make sashimi.

Once the dishes were laid out, the cooks briefly introduced each one. The housekeepers listened with a slightly shy air, but wore happy expressions throughout the event.

Midway through the event, we held a “Housekeepers’ Quiz.” Based on the results of a survey of all the housekeepers, participants guessed their hometowns and favorite artists, and were asked questions about “typical housekeeper situations.”

Stories like, “When I stay at a hotel, I end up cleaning the bathroom until it’s so spotless you’d think it had just been cleaned,” which showed how their professional mindset is ingrained in their daily lives, sparked spontaneous laughter.With comments like, “This is probably ◯◯’s answer!” or “Surprisingly, maybe it’s ◯◯?”, it became an opportunity to get to know the personalities of the housekeepers—whom residents usually only exchange greetings with—and everyone seemed to enjoy trying to figure out the answers.

Precisely because their interactions usually consist of little more than greetings, this time to get to know their “true personalities” felt refreshing and seemed to serve as a chance to bring everyone closer together.

Toward the end of the event, a few residents began arriving late. Among them was one resident who had baked treats not only for the housekeepers but for every single participant and handed them out personally.

We ended with a group photo. The housekeepers thanked each participant individually, and everyone went home with their hearts—and stomachs—full.

Ms. Shimamoto, who organized the event, seemed deeply moved, saying, “Of course, I’m glad I was able to express my gratitude, but seeing that so many residents shared the same sentiment and watching the participants grow closer really made me realize once again that it was worth organizing this event.”

As an aside, it was impressive how, once the send-off was over, everyone naturally began cleaning up without anyone having to ask.

Some washed, some wiped down, and some put things back in their places. Seeing everyone naturally find their own roles and get to work felt like a scene truly characteristic of a social apartment. Although it was an event meant to express gratitude, it also highlighted the relationships among the residents and the warm atmosphere that has been nurtured day by day.

[Editor’s Note]
There are people who want to express their gratitude in some way, and there are many around them who share that sentiment. Above all, I found it truly wonderful that the “Thank You to the Housekeeper” event—even though residents moved in at different times—has been passed down as part of the building’s culture and serves as a source of inspiration for others.

While the resident community is constantly changing, it warmed my heart to see that, even as times change, there are still residents who share this spirit of gratitude.

This event, organized by Ms. Shimamoto, may also serve as an opportunity to pass the baton in a new form to someone who will move in in the future.

For me, as a reporter visiting the site, it was a truly fulfilling experience.

(Reporting and Text: Hayashi / Photography: Hayashi, Koyama)