Circle Creators] Surfing circle where you "have fun and fail" until you catch a wave.

Social Apartment has a platform called "Circle" that connects tenants beyond the borders of their properties.

This function, available through the "Neighborland" resident-only application, is a tool that allows residents to expand exchanges beyond the borders of their properties, using their hobbies as a common language. Currently, more than 100 different circles have been set up by residents themselves.

The second installment of "Circle Creators," an interview with the leader of one such circle, is with Aiba Kazuki, a member of a surfing circle.

The moment I can ride a wave, I feel the power of nature with my whole body," says Aiva, who started surfing after the Corona Disaster. We asked him about his encounter with surfing, which gradually loosened up his perfectionism, and about the circle he started to share the appeal of surfing with his friends.

Aiba, please begin with a brief self-introduction!

Aiba Kazuki:
I'm Aiba Kazuki. I have lived in Neighbors Musashi Nakahara for 4 years. My work is web marketing and commercial production. My hobbies are surfing, coffee, and dancing.

Once a month, I organize a "morning activity event" with coffee and music as the theme!

I'm interested in "morning activity events!

Ivakazuki:
We serve coffee brewed from fresh beans by three coffee-loving residents to encourage people to relax and enjoy their mornings on their days off. Music is selected by a resident who has a turntable.

Since there are 144 households in the property, we started this event in the hope that it would be a natural opportunity for people to connect with each other, even if they have never talked to each other before.
We are conscious of creating an atmosphere where even first-timers can easily participate, by asking people to join in and introducing them to each other.

A scene from a morning activity event

I heard that you also enjoy dancing.

Aibakazuki:
I started rock dancing when I was a university student, and I continue to dance to this day. There are people who like to dance at Neighbors Musashi Nakahara, and we sometimes dance together.

I once formed a team of three residents and participated in a dance battle!

A dance battle at an event hosted by Global Agents. The three residents of Neighbors Musashi Nakahara formed a group and won the grand prix. The yellow cap is Aiva.

It sounds like a fun way to connect with residents through hobbies. What kind of personality would you say you have?

Aiba Kazuki:
I am serious and a bit of a perfectionist (laughs).
I like to follow deadlines and rules, and when there is a discrepancy in my work, I think about it until I am satisfied.

This personality often works positively, but at the same time I sometimes feel myself constricted.
I used to envy my friends because they were so free-spirited (laughs).

(laughs) - Did you have any change of heart?

Aibakazuki:
In my private life, I have come to think that it is okay to relax and enjoy myself a little more.
I think that moving into Neighbors Musashi Nakahara and starting to surf were also significant.

Here, people from all walks of life are enjoying their respective fields and hobbies to the fullest. Seeing that, I was naturally influenced by them.

The moment I surfed my first wave, I was hooked on surfing!

What made you start surfing?

Ivaka Suzuki:
At the Corona Disaster, a dance friend of mine asked me if I wanted to go surfing with him. I was invited to go surfing with a friend of mine who had a dance connection at the Corona Disaster.
At the time, dance events were being canceled, and I was looking for a new hobby.

To be honest, at first I thought, "I don't want to go because it's hot and I'll get sunburned..." (laughs).
But once I tried it, I found it to be a lot more fun than I had expected. I realized that surfing is much deeper than I had imagined.

I couldn't get up on the board as I wanted to, but I gradually got the hang of it, and the moment I got up for the first time was really moving. I still vividly remember the view I saw when I was able to ride the wave.

What did you feel was the depth of the board?

Aibakazuki:
I think that understanding and judging how nature works is what makes surfing better.
The best beaches for surfing, the characteristics of the waves, the direction of the wind, and so on... Knowledge, experience, and skill are essential to progress.

Actually, the best time to surf is in the fall and winter because of the prevailing westerly winds.

Surprising! I didn't know that.

Ivakazuki:
I didn't know that until I started surfing myself (laughs).

Perhaps it is my seriousness that works in the right direction when I am going through something. On the other hand, if I am too forceful when standing on the board, I can't ride the wave, or if I am too enthusiastic, "Next time! I might be too enthusiastic, but it doesn't go as well as I want it to go. The fact that things don't always go perfectly the way you want them to is what makes surfing so interesting.

I found myself going to the beach almost every week and inviting others to go with me.

From inexperienced surfers to experienced surfers. Surfing Circle is a place to "have fun and make mistakes" until you catch a wave.

When did you start the surfing circle?

Aibakazuki:
February 2025, so it has been almost a year.

In the beginning, I invited people I was close with, but then I realized that surprisingly there were many people who wanted to give it a try.

I wanted many people to know how fun surfing is, and I thought that maybe there were people who were advanced surfers, so I started the circle.

I was wondering how many members there are in total?

Ivaka Suzuki:
Right now we have 26 members. The most members are from Neighbors Musashi Nakahara, but we also have members from Gokokuji, Wako, Saginuma, Shinkenmigawa, Denenchofu, and many other places.

It is a unique feature of Social Apartment that the relationship is not completed only within the property through hobbies.

What is interesting is that sometimes people from the same property get to know each other for the first time because of the circle (laughs).

Tsujido Point, Kanagawa Prefecture

How often are you active?

Aibakazuki:
Including social gatherings, we have held six so far! We have held 5 to 7 gatherings at a time.

We often work at Kujukuri-hama and Kamogawa in Chiba, and Kugenuma Beach, Tsujido, and Chigasaki in Kanagawa.
After arriving at the beach, we surf for about 3 hours, and on the way home, we usually go to eat nearby seafood dishes or stop by a super public bath.

If I have the chance, I would like to make an expedition to Izu or the Kansai area!

It sounds like a fun way to experience a short trip! What is the level of the participants?

Aibakazuki:
More than half of them have no experience! We choose a point where there is a school every time, and we divide the group into two groups: beginners and experienced surfers.

The first-timers fall off their boards or look like a fawn when they stand up on their boards, and we laugh at each other, and everyone enjoys the situations that don't go their way as much as they would like (laughs).

(Laughs) Some of them even started as beginners and became able to ride the waves with experienced surfers.

I see that some of you have improved so much!

Ivakazuki:
Everyone grows up at a different speed, but it was very moving to see how someone who started from zero was able to ride the waves (laughs).

Even though the participants were meeting each other for the first time, I feel that they quickly became closer to each other even though they had never met before, perhaps because they were sharing the same experience all over their bodies.

Katakai Fishing Port, Chiba Prefecture

I think this is one of the best parts of holding circle activities.

Aibakazuki:
I think everyone takes their jobs very seriously, so I want them to enjoy surfing to the fullest.

I think it is important for adults to have fun, make mistakes, and go back to the basics.
The beauty of the circle is that you can do that not alone, but with someone else.

I have learned through surfing that you can't ride a wave well if you put too much effort into it, and I feel that this may be true in life as well.

Lastly, do you have a message for those who are interested in surfing circles?
The fun of surfing can only be experienced by doing it, so if you have no experience and are at least a little bit interested, we are looking forward to your participation! If you are interested in surfing, even if it is just to relax on the beach or read a book, that is OK too! (LOL).

If you are an experienced surfer or have the same surfing hobby, we would love to have you join us. If there are any advanced surfers out there, we would love to have your guidance!

[Editor's Postscript
As a side note, I have a rule that I personally cherish: "When I ask someone what he/she likes, I dare not do any research beforehand.

When I am exposed to someone's words in an unadulterated state, the way they choose their words and the passion with which they express them mysteriously convey the values that they hold dear.

I remember when I first heard about the joys of surfing through Mr. Aiva, having never surfed before and not knowing anyone around me who had done so, I could vividly imagine "the view I saw when I rode the wave for the first time. I felt that Aiva's passion for research must be reflected in her philosophy and approach to surfing.

When you share someone's "love" with others and are inspired by their passion, you can start something new or take a casual ride. I felt again that Social Apartment is a place where such a cycle is naturally born.

Regardless of whether you are good or bad at something, you can enjoy your first steps with someone to the fullest.
The very fact that such a place exists is appealing.
After this interview, I felt like taking up surfing myself.

(Reporting and writing by Hayashi / Photography by Loris)