DK HOUSE

What’s up! I’m Aaron from New York in the United States of America! I arrived at DK House Shinkoiwa in late March and will be staying till August. I’m a History Major at my home university, but here in Japan, I’m enrolled in the School of Global Japanese Studies at Meiji University. I previously vacationed in Japan and loved it so much, that I decided to come back to the magnificent metropolis of Tokyo for a whole semester and really experience Japan! Though I have never lived alone before, I have quickly adapted to living here in Japan and I feel confident navigating the area by myself. The residents at the dorm come from nations spanning the globe, which allows me to learn about some many wonderful cultures. The dorm is really great with a large lounge area including a fully stocked kitchen. My room is pretty spacious and I have plenty of room for my stuff. There is so much to see, do and eat here in Shinkoiwa and I love just walking around the area and feeling like a part of it. Though I am not fluent in Japanese, I still am able to communicate with the locals and feel that I can understand them as well. Everyday is an adventure with something new to learn and I look forward to whatever that day will bring.

I've really enjoyed my time at DK house so far. I've lived here for almost a year now, and I'm loving it. I attend a Japanese language school just down the street. Moving to a foreign country can be tough, even in Japan where everyone is so nice, so making the decision to live at DK was a really good one. The shared common area made it easy to make friends from all over the world, and we usually get together and make a big dinner about once a week, go on trips or just grab a drink after work. Skiing, hot springs, really cool restaurants, festivals inside the city and out of town. Because of DK I've been able to practice my Japanese a lot, too, which is the whole reason I came to Japan in the first place. Having the opportunity to communicate everyday and have normal conversations has done wonders for my studies; my teachers back home immediately noticed all the progress I'd made when I went back to visit! The Japanese friends I've made here have also been great about being my guides -- taking me all over Sapporo, so I've been able to do so much more than just the normal tourist stuff. The manager has also been really great. Together we started an English club, so I've been able to help everyone else out with their studies they way they've helped me out with mine. Moving so far away from home can be really tough, even for someone like me, who spent the last 10 years in New York, but the sense of community and all the support I've received at DK has made the transition more fun than I could have imagined.

Because my university in Japan could not offer me an apartment for my one-year long stay here in Japan , I decided to move to DK House (which, by the way, was really uncomplicated) where I met a lot of amazing people from all over the world. When I came to Japan, I was really self-concious about my lacking Japanese skills, so I tried to communicate mostly in English the first months. But for most of the foreign people living here were enrolled in the nearby Japanese language school, I also got motivated to study and improve my Japanese, despite that not being the main purpose of my stay. So after a while, also my interaction with the Japanese residents in DK improved after the shyness of the first month(s). But even without speaking Japanese, I had the feeling, the interaction between the non-English speakers, who spoke Japanese instead and the non-Japanese speakers was really warm and based on the goal of mutual understanding. The monthly DK Parties were always fun with lots of food, and they were also a good opportunity to introduce oneself and to get to know the other residents . The fact that a lot of former residents still keep on visiting DK House and its parties speaks for itself. I was really lucky to have found so many good friends here in Japan and I think this is almost entirely thanks to DK House and its people. Thank you!

Hello! My name is Michelle and I’m from the Netherlands. From April to August 2016 I’m staying at DK House Shinkoiwa. I study one semester Political Science and Economics and Japanese at Meiji University. It’s not my first time in Japan, but it is my first time living on my own. The residence is near Shinkoiwa station which takes only 20 minutes to the Meiji campus Surugadai and 15 minutes to Akihabara. There are many shops, restaurants, supermarkets, karaoke bars and even an onsen (hot spring) near the station. The residents come from all over the world and Japan, some are students some work in Japan. It is a great opportunity to make friends, learn about cultures and practice your Japanese. We share a big kitchen and living room so you can communicate with each other and have parties as well. The manager Akiba-san is a very friendly man who speaks English and Japanese very well. Living in a share house in Japan is a lot of fun and an unforgettable great experience!

Hi! My name is Douglas, and I’m from the United States. I’m a recent graduate of the University of Iowa and am currently doing music history research at Kobe University. One thing I like about Japan is that I’m so close to the mountains and ocean. There’s nothing like that in the middle of the US, and it’s nice being able to see it every day! When I go back to the US, I hope to continue my studies and help expand people’s knowledge of Japanese composers in classical music.

日本的甜點一直在國際間是非常知名的。很開心可以來日本藍帶學西點。
真的覺得當學生學習是一件非常奢侈的事情。
也幸好住在DK，因為?天要拿一個大 蛋?回來，一個人住真的吃不完，?掉很可惜。住在這裡不用煩惱蛋?會吃不完。這 裡的人非常熱情，假日都會很多活動，如果課業忙的過來，真的可以好好跟著各國 的人體會一下日本文化。
這裡?天要去上課之前，就會看到有人在打掃，所以這裡也一直維持得非常乾淨，順道一提，這裡離學校很近，走路加坐車的時間約二十分鐘，附近也非常多超商，最近的更是24小時營業。
記得剛來的時候，雖然英文日文都很破，但管理者也非常熱心的跟我們介紹，也印了學校的地圖給我。
現在剩下不到一個月的時間就要回國了，以後應該會非常想念這裡的一切。

Japanese dessert is very popular around the world, I am so glad I could study cooking dessert in Japan. It is not easy going back to school as a student. Thanks to DK House, I can share dessert everyday with friends from all over the world. Everyone is so friendly. There are a lot of activities in the holidays. If you have time, it’s fun to join in the activities and experience Japanese culture. Here it is very tidy. I see someone cleaning the house every morning before I go to school. It’s also convenient. It only takes me 20 minutes to get to school every day. And there are lots of supermarkets and shops nearby. The closest shop is open 24hours a day. When I came here, I wasn’t good at English and Japanese. I felt confused about life, but the manager was so kind telling me a lot of things and even printing a map of my school. I will go back soon, but I will miss everything here.

日本のデザートは世界中にとても有名です。日本のフランス料理学校で学んでいてすごく嬉しいです。
学生として勉強することが贅沢なことだと思っています。
毎日、学校から持って帰る色々なデザートは自分一人では食べられません。でも、捨てるのはもったいないと思います。
DKハウスのおかげで、様々な国からの人と知り合って一緒にデザートをシェアしています。
みんなはとっても優しいです。祝日にいろんな活動を行い、都合があえば、みんなと一緒に活動を参加して日本の文化を体験できます。
ここ、ＤＫハウス神戸はきれいです。毎朝、学校に行く前に誰かが掃除していることを見ることができます。
また、ここは便利です。 学校まで歩いて電車に乗って全部で20分くらいです。近くにスーパーと店がたくさんあります。
一番近いコンビニが毎日24時間営業しています。 最初、ここに来たとき、英語も日本語も苦手なので、とても困りました。 でも、マネージャーが優しくて、いろいろ紹介してくれました。そして、わざわざ学校の地図をプリントしてくれました。
ありがとうございます。 もうすぐで帰国します。
ここの生活全てが本当に懐かしく思われます。