Minnano KITCHEN] 200 takoyaki and a fisherman's experience. Memorable episodes nurtured in the kitchen are introduced.

Social apartments are rental apartments that include a lounge and other "shared spaces" in addition to conventional rental housing. It is a new style of living that "expands your world" and allows you to enjoy community with other residents while ensuring your privacy.

Among the many common areas, the "kitchen" is a must in every property and is often the first thing new residents use.

Because the kitchen is a place that everyone uses, regardless of how long they have lived here or how often they use the lounge, it is actually a space that can easily become a "hub of interaction. It is not just a facility for cooking, but a place where various stories are born every day.
In this issue, we would like to introduce five memorable episodes from our residents' kitchens.

You can make your "I want to try it" dreams come true.

With a spacious sink, a three-burner induction stove, and full-scale cooking appliances, the kitchens at Social Apartment are perfect for those who love cooking and those who want to try their hand at cooking for themselves.
At Social Apartment, you will find friends who are interested in and enjoy cooking with you, even ideas that you might give up on if you were living alone, thinking "it looks too hard to prepare" or "I might not be able to eat all of it.
Even people who just happen to come to the lounge will say, "What are you making? "Looks delicious! and conversations begin, and before you know it, you find yourself having a time that you could not have realized on your own.

Izakaya Mamiko" opened! (Neighbors Miyamaedaira: Mamiko)

This was a project to cook all the dishes I was interested in on Instagram. It started out as a one-person project, but five or six people got together to make a variety of dishes. The lively atmosphere invited us to toast with more than 10 people in the end🍻.

And rounding out the lounge atmosphere? Operation Midsummer Taco Party (Social Apartment Funabashi: Gindako Nakamura)

Social interaction in the lounge has been decreasing recently, so we held a guerrilla-style takoyaki party to welcome the new residents! The crispy and fluffy takoyaki recipe was a big hit, and we have been holding these parties on a regular basis as a strategy to increase the number of people coming down to the lounge.
Buying a whole octopus at Funabashi Market is enough for about 200 takoyaki! Even the atmosphere of the lounge became fluffy and round as we grilled the round takoyaki.

Birthday celebrations for everyone! Hamburger and Hot Sandwich Party (Social Apartment Hino: Yuzu)

The birthday party started with a conversation of "Wouldn't it be exciting to make a hamburger with your favorite ingredients? We decided to have a birthday party to celebrate the four people who share the same birthday month. Someone liked hot sandwiches, so it became a hamburger/hot sandwich party.
Wouldn't it be delicious with this in it? How about this for seasoning? We all prepared the ingredients while making suggestions to each other.
It was also fun to divide up the cooking responsibilities, such as "in charge of shredding," "in charge of grating," "in charge of seasoning," and so on. The birthday parties have continued since then, including a gyoza (dumpling) party and a sushi roll party. Next, we are planning to hold a party to collect rice accompaniments.

Sometimes going on a trip in search of food

The exchange born from the kitchen extends to the residents' hobbies and sphere of activity. Taking a boat ride or going on a trip in search of fresh ingredients... By getting out of the kitchen and experiencing extraordinary things together, the bonds between residents will deepen. I hear that the food, which is carefully prepared from the ingredients, is exceptionally delicious.

Getting up at 2:00 in the morning! Fisherman's experience with everyone (Social Apartment Shinkenmigawa: Ms. Asa)

We woke up at 2 in the morning and drove 2 hours to Tateyama. We started fishing in the dark and dove into a world that is not usually easy to experience.
The moment when the fish are fried on the sea, bathed in the sea breeze, is truly extraordinary. The fish landed on the spot were immediately purchased and were fresh.
After returning home, everyone cooked the fish and enjoyed it as sashimi, grilled, or pasta. Tasting the fish we had caught ourselves was exceptional, and conversation naturally became lively.
Although our bodies were exhausted from working at full capacity from the morning, it was an enjoyable day that left a lasting impression on us.

A journey of friendship that began with seiro steaming (Sado Niki, World Neighbors Kiyosumi-Shirakawa)

A health-conscious friend of mine brought a seiro steaming kit into the kitchen, and we decided to hold a "seiro steaming party. What started out as a small gathering of three people has grown to include more than 10 people and a wide variety of ingredients. The steam from the seiro and the sound of laughter filled the kitchen, and the circle of exchange naturally expanded.

We were talking about how we would like to enjoy fresh local ingredients on the seiro, and we were surprised at the variety of ingredients brought in. and we decided to go on a 3-day/2-night retreat tour to Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture.
Through a walk along the coast and a harvest experience at a farmhouse, everyone's bond with each other grew even deeper.
Since then, the Seiro-Shimashi-Kai has become a regular monthly event.
It has become a hub of exchange, involving not only the friends who traveled together but also new residents. The bonds created by seiro steaming have transcended the kitchen and become a cherished memory of life and a symbol of community.

In this issue, we have presented five episodes related to the kitchen.
They were all exciting to read, but these memories are not a hard sell and can happen to anyone in a social apartment.

When you move into a social apartment, I recommend that you first use the kitchen and eat your meals in the lounge. The kitchen is filled with all kinds of "opportunities" and the interactions and experiences that can be created there are endless.

Meet new residents, enjoy casual conversation over a meal, throw a party to celebrate, or try something you've always wanted to try: .... As these daily routines accumulate, you will make more and more irreplaceable memories. We hope you will experience this process.

(Planning and text: Hashimoto)