What is the appeal of being an "opening member"? | Neighbors Esaka [Interview] (in Japanese)

The popular tenant interview series in Kansai for those interested in social apartments!

This time we spoke with Nakagawa-san, a resident of Neighbors Esaka. Before moving into Neighbors Esaka, Nakagawa-san also lived at Terminal's Takatsuki and Terminal's Ibaraki, and has now experienced all of the social apartments in Osaka.

We asked Ms. Nakagawa, who is well versed in social apartments in the Kansai area, about the differences between each property and the appeal of moving in at the opening.

Deciding Factors for Moving into a Social Apartment

Q: What made you decide to move into Social Apartment in the first place?

Ms. Nakagawa: I wanted to become a cabin attendant in the future, so I moved here to study English and interact with people who have experience overseas. In fact, there are people with overseas experience and foreign nationals living at Terminals Takatsuki, and I was able to interact with people from various backgrounds in the lounge. I don't know if it was as a result of that, but I was able to successfully become a CA (laughs)!

ーI am very happy to hear that the social apartment helped you to realize your dream! By the way, I heard that you once lived in a share house. What are the differences between living in a share house and a social apartment?

Ms. Nakagawa: I had experience living in a share house overseas, but the most attractive thing about social apartments is that you can interact with people from a good distance. When going from the entrance to your room, you can go directly to your room without going through the lounge, so it's a great point to be able to switch on and off social interaction according to your mood!

The other difference is the overwhelming sense of cleanliness. In a share house, you have to clean the common areas by yourself, but in a social apartment, the housekeeper does it for you, which is very much appreciated.

ーーHousekeepersare very helpful, aren't they? By the way, were you worried about living in a social apartment at first?

Nakagawa-sanAt first I wasn't sure if I could get along with the residents, but on the day I moved in, there was an event going on in the lounge, so I attended it and quickly became friends with the residents! I'm glad that many of the residents were kind and liked to socialize. Also, at the end of the year, about 50 residents gathered for a party, so we became fast friends.

Living in a Social Apartment

Ms. Nakagawa, you have lived at both Terminals Takatsuki and Terminals Ibaraki, did you notice any difference in the atmosphere of the two apartments?

Mr. Nakagawa: There were a lot of differences ! It's not that one is better or worse than the other, but the atmosphere was totally different!

Q: What are the differences between the two?

Nakagawa-san:At Terminals Takatsuki, the water supply was shared, so I often had to leave my room during my daily life, so the interaction was very active. On the other hand, at Terminal's Ibaraki, the water was in the room, so rather than everyone socializing together, they only interacted when they wanted to and not when they didn't want to. Even so, I got the impression that everyone gets together when they need to, such as at BBQs and farewell parties when someone moves out! Unlike students, many working people are busy with their jobs, so it is more comfortable to socialize only when we want to, rather than all the time.

Q: Do you have any memories while living in this share house?

Nakagawa: When I lived at Terminals Takatsuki, we went on a desert island trip together! One of the residents likes to travel abroad, so we decided to go to Egypt together! I was so excited that I decided to go to Egypt with my friends. If it were just me, going to Egypt would not have even been an option, but at Social Apartment, there are people with various interests, so it was very stimulating.

Q: So you have been actively interacting with a variety of people. I would like to ask you about your daily life. Were there any areas that you were concerned about when actually living at the share house? This is a question that is often asked by people who are considering moving in, such as how crowded the water facilities are.

Ms. Nakagawa: The kitchen, shower room, and laundry can all be used 24 hours a day, so everyone uses them in a relatively dispersed manner, so they were often empty. However, the kitchen can get crowded around 8:00 p.m., depending on the timing of the dinner time, but it was a good opportunity to talk to people and ask, "Can I use this stove for a minute? It was also a good opportunity to talk to them.

On the other hand, there are many people who use the laundry on Saturdays and Sundays, so I stagger the times. I recommend waking up early and running the laundry on Saturday and Sunday mornings since most people are asleep (laughs)! I often hear that in other share houses, you have to pay for each time you use the laundry, like a coin laundry, but I'm glad to hear that at Social Apartment, everything is included in the management fee!

Female residents sometimes ask me questions about their appearance in the lounge.

Ms. Nakagawa: Since it is a lounge in the property, I am not that conscious about it, but as expected, I refrain from leaving my hair shaggy (laughs). (Laughs) I guess it's just the bare minimum of good manners....

Attractiveness of the opening

Do you think there is an attraction to moving in at the opening ofTerminalsTakatsuki?

Mr. Nakagawa: There is a lot of charm ! Since we all started at the same time, it was like we were all in the same room, so we became friends right away. The members who moved in at the opening have a strong connection, and even now, five years after we moved out, there are still about 20 of us who get together. Recently, a member who moved in at the opening held a wedding ceremony, and the members from that time also attended. It was the most moving wedding of my life, as we were a couple in the property and I knew the process of their relationship well.

Why did you decide to move into Neighbors Esaka?

Q: What was the deciding factor for you to move into the newly opened Neighbors Esaka?

Nakagawa-sanThe deciding factor was that I could move in as an opening member. I enjoyed my experience at the opening of Terminals Takatsuki so much that I decided to move in so that I could experience it again. I also decided to move into Neighbors Esaka because the rooms are equipped with bathrooms and toilets, and the kitchen is located in the lounge, which provides a good balance of privacy and sharing space, making it easy to socialize.

Neighbors Esaka is a great place to live with a good balance of private and shared space! Lastly, please give a message to everyone who is considering moving into Neighbors Esaka!

Mr. Nakagawa: I've experienced firsthand that moving in as an opening member allows us to create our own community, so it's an environment where it's easy to get along with others. You won't know if it's a good fit until you live there, so if you are interested, I think it would be good to take a look around and just get a feel for the place. If you are interested, I think it is a good idea to just take a look and see the atmosphere!

Thank you very much for your kind words! Thank you very much for your kind words! Thank you very much for your cooperation in this interview.

Thank you very much for taking the time to talk to us about your experience living at Social Apartment, and we felt the charm of moving in at the opening. As Mr. Nakagawa mentioned, if you are interested, why don't you take the first step and have a look around?

Neighbors Esaka is still looking for opening members!

(Interview, text, and photo by Yamamoto)