Nihongo Notes

Jason from JapanLinked.com contacted me recently to let me know about his new site - GaijinHouseJapan.com.

Gaijin House Japan is, at its heart, a guide to guest houses - shared houses or apartment buildings where travelers and locals live together, sharing the facilities. Living in a guest house is a great way to start out in Japan as it is a wonderful opportunity for networking.

Renting an apartment in Japan for the first time can cost as much as 6 times the first month’s rent! By comparison, guest houses are a much better deal. With only a small deposit and no extra fees, they provide safe, clean, affordable accommodation while searching for an apartment or on a short term stay. They come equipped with kitchen facilities, Internet access and laundry facilities, and each room is usually furnished with a small fridge, TV and a futon or bed. Since the actual features and overall quality of each guest house can vary enormously, however, a resource like Gaijin House Japan can make the difference between a successful and a miserable stay in Japan.

Gaijin House Japan’s main feature is a continually updated series of articles on every guest house across the length and breadth of Japan. We allow travelers to comment on the guest houses they have stayed in, thus providing an “in person” view of Japanese guest houses - the good, the bad, and the dirty!

What Gaijin House Japan also does is give the smaller guest houses a chance for exposure. It seems when you search for a guest house, you always see the same ones showing up, usually big corporate ones with high advertising budgets. Gaijin House Japan was created to show what is really out there, giving equal time to large corporate guest houses as well as small family-owned “hidden gems”.

Features of Gaijin House Japan include:

• Guest House FAQ - All the common questions asked about Guest Houses.
• Guest House Articles - Detailed articles on every guest house across Japan, including photos, videos and travelers comments.
• Gaijin House Lounge - A friendly forum where members can talk about travel in Japan and share helpful tips.
• 100% FREE Classifieds – Look for share-mates, roommates, rooms, and even “sayonara sales” for selling your stuff when you leave Japan or buying stuff when you arrive.
• Useful Links - Learn even more at other recommended websites about Japan.

For so-called “Gaijin”, Japan can be an intimidating place to visit, let alone live. Cultural norms, rules & regulations, even the common functions of everyday life can be confusing at least to visitors who seek to make a good impression in their jobs, at school and in society. By providing a guide to guest houses across Japan, Gaijin House offers newcomers a way to quickly establish a comfortable home base from which they may learn about Japan from others in similar situations.

I like the fact it helps to give exposure to the smaller guest houses. I stayed in a couple of houses during my trip in May and everyone there was really friendly and helpful. The site looks good and I think I will find it useful when I eventually make the leap and move to Japan.