I decided to live in the share house because I wanted to have a chance to meet more people and also to live near Kanayama station which is super convenient for commuting to various places. I was really on the fence at first because I wasn’t sure of whether or not I’d like living with a lot of strangers, but everyone was so welcoming and friendly and helped me get used to things very quickly. I felt right at home :)

I spend time in the share house learning and teaching. The great thing about living in a share house is that there are so many people with so many different skills and life experiences that you can learn something from every single person. The people here have taught me various things from cooking to Japanese to politics. Everyday is an adventure and I’m always learning something new. I like to think I also help people learn things too!

I became more motivated after moving into the share house. So many of the people here are motivated and responsible that it made me want to do more too. For example, I cook more often than I did when I lived alone and study Japanese more than I did before so I can talk to the people here more easily (though I still have a long way to go!). Also as a foreigner, I sometimes need help coping with life in Japan. Having so many friendly people around has been a huge improvement in that regard as well, especially compared to living in an apartment by myself before.

Right now I’m searching for my dream. I want to try to pursue different ideas so being around people with many different backgrounds is great. I see myself studying and reading about different things to try to find something that sparks my interest. I’ve also been helped so much by people here that I know that whatever I decided to do in the future, I want to do something that helps people too.

I would highly recommend living in a share house. I think the Kanayama share house is really great because there are so many people with so many different stories and they’re all super friendly and welcoming. It really feels like a second family. In particular if you’re coming to Japan from another country, I think it’s a great way to ease yourself into living in Japan.