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Share life in Japan through English and discover a whole new world |
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A new house has been born in the city of Fukuoka with English its lingua franca. The most important thing for understanding foreign cultures is actually interacting with them. The residents of this house have the same interest - intercultural exchange. Communication is easily created among those with similar interests. Also, because English is the main form of communication there is no mistake that non-Japanese residents coming to Fukuoka will benefit greatly. Fukuoka is definitely a place I’d love to see people from outside of Japan call home. Fukuoka is a city bordered by mountains on one side and the ocean on the other. The area loves its with festivals with events held all year long including the Hakata Dontaku Festival and the Yamakasa fireworks display. A trip to one of the onsens scattering the island of Kyushu once in a while is also a great way to spend your time. There’s no way you’ll grow tired of interaction in this place. Let’s have a look inside the house!! ※ Same Concept Share House will be open July in 2016 → 「Discovery Meinohama South」 |
「Discovery Hakata South」House Details Page
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 A shot from the outside. The wooden doors of the building set it apart from others.  The entrance is back away from the road, which feels much safer than a front door opening straight out onto a busy street. |
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 In the center of the room is a large table created from antique pieces of wood.  The kitchen is of a size unfathomable in a regular house, perfect for those who love to cook. |
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 This piece of furniture, built with personal storage space for each housemate, is a familiar, overwhelming presence in the room.  These comfortable seats by the window transport you to an inner city cafe as you dine. |
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 Full view of the study room. With a room like this one in your own home you might not even feel the need to hang out at a cafe on the weekends.  The sofa area gives off an impressive vibe and could even be used to host a casual business meeting. |
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 The white color-scheme of the showers behind the washstand suggests a clean and spotless environment.  There are 5 showers in total and the shelving inside makes for ease of use. |
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 A High Bed Room-type room uses space economically to advance its storage capabilities.  This is the tatami room. It has a free, unrestricted layout with 3 tatami mats laid out on the floor. |
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 Low Bed Room. Refrigerators have been prepared in every room.  At a reasonable rate of 25,000 yen, the dormitory room is most suitable for those who love to communicate with others. |
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The owner of this sharehouse is Irodori Factory, a company looking after over 10 properties in the city and Yokohama.
This is their first Fukuoka property, creating a new type of house with English as its main theme in the cosmopolitan city brimming with people from all over the world. The interior design of the shared areas -the dining room and study room- overflow with an elegance one would be lucky to have in their own home. To top it off, there is even a theatre room! Oh, the luxury! With much knowledge and experience gained in previous endeavours poured into this house anyone can move right in without a thing to worry about.
We also asked the company about their goals in the future, and were told that they would ideally like to build houses in cities overseas and create a community that knows no bounds. It goes without saying that as barriers between countries are lowered people travel the world more and the opportunity to interact with a person from a different country and culture increase. This might be irrelevant, but I was reminded of something former Apple CEO Steve Jobs said at a lecture he gave at Stanford University. “You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.” Living life in many different cities may just be new way in which we will all be living in the near future.
This sharehouse may not be the place for everyone as it strives to become a home for people interested in the world and intercultural exchange. However, I believe a unique community will go on to be formed as housemates with the same interests, who start off as not family or friend, share their home and lives together.
※ Same Concept Share House will be open July in 2016 → 「Discovery Meinohama South」
/Author: Takahashi
