異文化共生住宅 co-lifestyle

Why is J&F House so popular?

"I saw this article on the newspaper saying your company is working on a
dream conversion. Is it true?"
"What kind of people actually live in your GUESTHOUSES?"

I used to receive tons of inquiries like that shortly after I had a
newspaper interview on my very first guesthouse.

The guesthouse in Japan, known as "Gaikokujin (foreigner's) house",
gradually gained its popularity in the early '80s (It was then when great
number of foreign people started to draw their interests upon their new life
in Japan).
However, Gaikokujin house actually increased its numbers as the counter
measure for unpopular student dorms. Rather than leaving those
accommodations vacant, why not accept foreigners and make new style
apartments? That's how it began. Mean while, foreigners had been suffering
from burdensome rent system such as unrefundable key-money and guarantor
requirement. Gaikokujin houses asked none of them which must have been so
attractive.

J&F Plaza's very first guesthouse in Tokyo used to be a very old dormitory
(40 years old) which the building owner had no other choice but to end its
management. But we brought it back to life! The rent conditions that the
tenants share kitchen, living room, showers and rest rooms remained. And the
building's antiquity reamained as well such as the creaky floors, small room
size(8 square meters). However, the guests were happy to live there because
what they were looking for was a familiy-like bond, rather than just living
in furnished, private rooms. Each room was not FULLY furnished but TV,
fridge, microwave, computers, cooking utensils, sofas and many others were
provided in the lounge.

A guesthouse is not providing perfect service like a hotel but still,
majority of people around the world love to stay there. Isn't it
interesting?