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Great relationships are formed in Sapporo’s unique climate |
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It has been a year since we last visited Sapporo. We’ve come again during a severely cold winter, however this time our visit coincided with the Sapporo Snow Festival and the town was alive with energy, giving us a slightly different taste of the city. That said, our excitement and enthusiasm for these lively Sapporo streets was almost nothing compared to that of the city’s sharehouse situation. The amount of non-Japanese we passed walking around Sapporo did surprised us, although judging by the all of the party photos decorating the walls of the sharehouses, it seems as though all of the sharemates are having the time of their lives. The staff managing these houses have no trouble communicating in English and treat it as a natural part of their job, and seeing this I could only feel that a broad, global community will come to be cultivated very quickly. The properties we called upon were all alive with fighting spirit, we have high hopes and expectations for each one. One house was created by renovating an entire building, and another house has incorporated share office facilities in the building managed by both the tenants and a company together. There were also houses nestled in places with heavy snow, and the diversity amongst them all are quite fascinating. With that said, let us move on to a short introduction on each of these houses! |
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 Here is the living and dining area where sharemates gather. With its space and playful design you will feel as if you are sitting in a cafe.  The kitchen is great for enjoying a meal, and by placing tall stools at the counter you can recreate a bar environment with the above spotlights helping to set the mood. |
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 手作り感が程よく残っている中で、映画館の雰囲気をぐっと高めているアイテムがこの座席。実際に映画館で使用されていたものを譲り受けて、取り付けたのだそう。  The living room is quite compact in size, however downstairs is not only a theatre room, but also a place where sharemates can come together and mingle. |
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 The wood stove acts not just a heater, but also plays a main role in the interior design.  This Mac computer is quite prominent in an otherwise nostalgic room, and is available for tenants to use as they please. |
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 Colorful wallpaper and artwork hung at every turn stands out in the living room.  Private rooms are of a simple, easy-to-arrange design. |
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Our impressions on this Sapporo visit is that although living in a sharehouse is quite a unique lifestyle, the industry has the potential to grow bigger with the advent of new, diverse concepts.
Small-scale sharehouses have a relaxed, at-home feel, while large-scale properties are filled with fun facilities. In addition to this we have next-generation sharehouses combined in the same building with similar business ventures, from which we are given a peek at the countless possibilities of what is to come and what we can expect from this industry.
Even in the brittle cold of the north, however, there surely comes a time when seeds sprout and new communities are formed, bringing people together and forming new relationships among them.
We look forward to seeing how things are progressing in our next visit to Sapporo.
/Author:Kagawa
