Hi everyone! I've spent the past few years living in various co-living homes around the world, including a few years in a sharehouse in Tokyo. Through these experiences, I'm quite sure that shared living is something I want to continue to do — nothing makes me happier than being able to stumble upon friends in the living room, have a spontaneous conversation, or plan an outing at the drop of a hat.
My partner and I are now settling back in Tokyo and are thinking about starting a family, which I used to think meant "go buy a house, live only with your nuclear family and maybe parents, and rarely ever see your friends." However, I was intrigued by the community Radish in Oakland, CA and their post on expanding to include families. The way they describe their community (separate units with privacy, but a shared backyard, common spaces, and a strong community vibe) resonated with me as something I'd love for our family. ちっちゃい辻堂 in Kanagawa is somewhat similar and does have families, so it isn't without precedent in Japan.
Lately, I've been dreaming about buying a plot of land and constructing ~three 2-bed units with a big shared kitchen, backyard, and common spaces (the "Backyard Oasis" model) — ideally in Shimokitazawa, Yoyogi-Koen, or Kichijoji, though I recognize those are expensive and would be open to other neighborhoods with good transit access. I started speaking to realtors and architects recently and it does seem possible. As a bonus of the multi-family model, there could be some pretty sweet common spaces — giant kitchen, guest room, perhaps a coworking room or small yoga room — and shared resources, like a car or even childcare.
My hunch is that we'd be able to find 1-2 other families who'd want to do this in Tokyo and who we'd get along with (we'd love to live with other nerds, creatives, entrepreneurs, or anyone else with lots of intellectual curiosity), but where better to ask for crazy ideas than Reddit?
So, my questions are — are there other folks here, especially current or potential parents, who would be excited about this type of setup in Tokyo? Would you prefer to rent or buy, and what would your budget be? What locations would you consider? Any other concerns I'm not thinking about? I'm all ears!
by KabochaLatte
