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A place where new connections and relationships will be born. |
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Shinagawa James Saka House is a new share house in Shinagawa, a place somewhat of a hot topic recently as the front door to southern Tokyo, being considered for the starting point of the new Chuo Shinkansen Line as well as its proximity to Haneda airport, connecting Japan to the world. This share house a completely renovated, 3 storey concrete building a 2-minute walk from Shinbanba station on the Keikyu line and is located almost in the middle of Shinagawa station on the Yamanote line, Oimachi station and Tennozu Isle station, so there is bound to be many people living here in order to free themselves from even longer work commutes. Step inside and, as expected of a newly opened share house, you will find it full of new fixtures and furnishings just waiting for you to begin your new life here. The living and dining area is equipped with everything you could possibly need for cooking including electrical appliances and dinnerware, and the rooms are furnished with a bed, desk, chair and closet so that you can move and settle in immediately even if bringing only your most personal belongings. It’s a most convenient house for those moving to the city from the country, working in the area or those who just want to enjoy the city lifestyle. Alright then, on to the house! |
「Shinagawa James Saka House」House Details Page
 Main Lounge The main lounge can be seen as soon as you open the front door with its simple design giving a refreshing feel. To get to the rooms you need to first pass through the lounge, and although I am sure people would be divided on whether or not this is a good thing, this is a lounge to bring out the smiles and laughter of the tenants.  Private Rooms All rooms in the house are private, and are places where you can maintain your own personal space. Almost all of the rooms get great sunlight, even the corner rooms, so you can wake up to a refreshing morning every day. |
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 The exterior. The building previously housed some kind of store in the past, and there was also a delicious Soba restaurant next door.  The bicycles in front of the building are free for the tenants to use.  The things you can share may increase after moving in. |
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 The lounge is made up of the living and dining rooms complete with general appliances such as a microwave, television and refrigerator.  It would be a blast to hang out and make dinner with your new housemate buddies.  Those who love cooking will like this induction stove top and you can just imagine chatting to everyone while preparing dinner in here. |
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 There are personal storage boxes in the lounge -one for each tenant- so you can store your small cooking items such as spices and condiments.  There is also a Japanese-style toilet with a washlet on every floor.  A nice and clean basin. |
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 There are two washing machines and dryers on the 4F, free to use.  The toilet  The dryer is a gas-type appliance, quite rare in share houses. |
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 (Room 102) Let’s move onto the rooms, shall we? Let’s start with the 1F. There are two rooms located at the back of the lounge.  (Room 201) The rooms are fully furnished with closet, desk, chair, bed and curtains so there is no need to bring any large furniture with you when you move in.  The hallway |
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 (Room 202) There are 4 rooms each on the 2F and 3F, a total of 8 rooms.  (Room 301) As expected these corner rooms get great sunlight and make the room seem spacious and cheerful.  (Room 204) I’m sure there are many people wanting to move in who are at a loss as to which room to choose as they take into consideration the layout and rent of each room. |
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 (Room 304) On the top floor there are hidden rooms located past the laundry area. Rooms 304 and 305 are spacious rooms with balcony access from which you can take in the view around you. It is also possible for two people to live in these rooms together.  (Room 401) For those of you considering moving into a share house with a friend or as a couple, how about this room? (Fees are calculated per each individual)  There are also shoe boxes you can use to store your shoes, which should give those with big shoe collections peace of mind. |
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I’m sure there are many people who want to live in share houses but get discouraged and give up when considering the costs of rent and living.
While it’s often impossible to fulfill demands such as cheaper rent for smaller rooms, Shinagawa James Saka House has a room to fit every budget.
This house has already had a lot of interest from prospective tenants, so if it appeals to you and you are interested in living in Shinagawa, please get in contact as soon as possible.
Incidentally, when I first heard the name of this house I assumed that the meaning was that the property was located on or at the top of a hill (‘saka’ means ‘hill’), however when I asked the staff about it they told me that the area around the house was pretty much all gently sloping inclines.
I wondered, then, why the word for ‘hill’ was used and found out the gentle slopes of today had once been very steep and was known as Sengen-saka (or Sengen Hills), and during the Meiji period an Englishman living at the bottom named John M. James used his own funds to flatten the hills, thereafter known as James-saka (James’s Slope).
This John M. James was associated with Ryoma Sakamoto and contributed to the creation of the Japanese Navy, also teaching navigation skills in 1872.
Personally, I hope that living in a share house will be a chance for others to meet new people and experience new things, and Shinagawa James Saka House may even lead to cultural exchange and set the scene for a new story to tell.
/Author: Kagawa
