Hello. I’m Misaki, and I’ve just been on a property tour of the share house “Penguin-so,” which stands right in front of Miura Kaigan and lets you enjoy an ocean view every single day. I love resort destinations, and every year I travel either to Okinawa or overseas to places with beautiful beaches. Here, the sea is truly right in front of you, and there’s a kind of happy time where you can gaze at the ocean every day. As an aside, when you book a room at a resort hotel, there are several “grades” even among rooms with an ocean view: oceanfront (the ocean is right in front of you), ocean view (you can see the ocean from a moderate distance), and partial ocean view (you can see only part of the ocean). Since the ocean is directly in front of the living room here, it really feels like an oceanfront room.
Just an hour ago, I had toured another property run by the same operator, “Kamimachi Baian,” but the vibe is completely different. If I had to compare it to travel, it’s like the difference between Kyoto and Okinawa. “Kamimachi Baian” had an interior that made you feel its 100 years of history, while this place has an exposed-concrete, cool, modern atmosphere. It feels like you could choose based on your personal taste, but since both are wonderful, I can’t help but feel a bit torn.
As for the location, it’s a 10-minute walk from Miura Kaigan Station on the Keikyu Kurihama Line. Walking home along the seaside every day sounds so refreshing. Today is Saturday, and I often found myself noticing local residents walking their dogs—such a small, quiet happiness. Now then, let’s get started with my report on “Penguin-so.”
Misaki “Thank you again for earlier. And thank you in advance for showing me around here as well. The sea is so beautiful. I’ve been to Kamakura and Hayama a few times, but it’s my first time at Miura Kaigan. Could you tell me what makes Miura Kaigan so special?”
Nakajima “Misaki-san, thank you for coming all the way to Penguin-so as well. I love how the ocean and the mountains are both close by—it has such a calm, gentle atmosphere. Here in Miura Kaigan, time flows completely differently. Also, this is something I’ve heard from residents: in Kamakura, there are so many tourists that it can be hard to relax, and some people feel they don’t quite fit in with the surfers’ vibe. Here, though, there are tourists but not too many, and people say they can live more peacefully. And, quite simply, it seems like rents in Kamakura are high.”
Misaki “So some people even move here from Kamakura. Where else do people come from?”
Nakajima “Some people come from Tokyo, like I did. We also have people from Yokohama. And some move up to the area from other regions.”
Misaki “That’s surprising.”
Misaki “Given where it is, this feels less like ‘moving’ and more like ‘relocating’—almost like a migration. I feel like the hurdle is a bit high, but is it actually not so difficult?”
Nakajima “I think it’s completely understandable to feel that way. But it’s only a little over an hour from Miura Kaigan Station to Shinagawa Station, so commuting into central Tokyo is just barely within a doable range. In that sense, compared with Nagano—which is a popular destination for relocating—the hurdle is quite a bit lower, I think.”
Misaki “If it’s a bit over an hour, it’s far, but still within commuting range. When I used to live at my parents’ home, I spent about an hour and a half getting to my workplace in Harajuku.”
Nakajima “And Miura Kaigan isn’t exclusionary—if anything, it has a very newcomer-friendly vibe. It’s like, ‘A friend of a friend is a friend!’ (laughs). I’ve actually blended into Miura pretty well myself. Plus, there are a few spots where newcomers can connect with the community, so I think even first-timers can feel at ease.”
Misaki “What kind of spots, specifically?”
Nakajima “There’s a coworking café, and it’s become a hub spot for Miura Kaigan. I actually met the owner of the share house ‘Penguin-so’ there, and now we work together. Also, cafés and izakaya run by people who moved here—those are great, too. Even just dropping in casually, I think you can end up making connections.”
Misaki “So it can even lead from meeting people to work.”
Nakajima “Yes. Both in terms of the physical distance to central Tokyo and how easy it is to settle into the community, Miura Kaigan feels like a very low hurdle. And above all, rent is affordable—both for housing and for commercial spaces. For anyone who wants to start a restaurant, I think it’s really appealing. I can also introduce you to real estate agencies that handle retail/commercial properties, so if you’re interested, please do reach out. Actually, besides operating share houses, I also run a muffin specialty shop called HIBA near Miura Kaigan Station.”
Misaki “This really is a VIP seat. Listening to you, Nakajima-san, I feel like relocating to Miura Kaigan isn’t as unrealistic as it might sound.”
Nakajima “I mean, I actually relocated here myself. Since I have a family, I didn’t live in a share house when I moved, but if I were living alone, I’m sure I would have chosen a share house.”
Misaki “Why is that?”
Nakajima “When you’re in a new place and you don’t know anyone, it can be a bit unsettling. But in a share house, there are people in similar situations, so I thought it would feel reassuring.”
Misaki “That’s true. If it’s your first time, you wouldn’t even know where the hub spots are.”
Nakajima “Exactly. Since I got involved in operating share houses, I’ve really felt how your connections with people expand. Going forward, I’d like to hold events and the like so that Penguin-so can become a hub spot connecting Miura Kaigan locals and new arrivals.”
Misaki “The kitchen at Kamimachi Baian earlier was wonderful too, but this island-style kitchen is wonderful as well. And above all, being able to cook while looking out at the ocean is the ultimate luxury.”
Nakajima “This used to be a room, but we carried out a major renovation because we wanted all residents to be able to feel the ocean—so we placed the kitchen here.”
Misaki “That was the right call.”
Nakajima “Thank you. The previous residents lined up their favorite drinks here and shared them. Also, just like at Kamimachi Baian, we ran resident surveys about what kinds of items would be nice to have in the kitchen, and we’ve been adding them over time.”
Misaki “What have you added recently?”
Nakajima “We added a sous-vide cooker.”
Misaki “It feels completely different from the living room—this room has a folk-house-like atmosphere. In a way, it feels closer to Kamimachi Baian.”
Nakajima “Yes. I’d be happy if people can enjoy this contrast. This is Room 201.”
Misaki “How much is the rent here? And by the way, is this room unfurnished?”
Nakajima “It’s 45,000 yen. Yes, it’s unfurnished, but if you have requests for furniture, we can discuss it.”
Misaki “If it’s unfurnished, I guess it’s intended for someone moving from living alone. If you have a lot of belongings, you’d have to declutter.”
Nakajima “We can discuss this too, but our company has storage facilities, so it’s possible for us to store some furniture.”
Nakajima “This is Room 205. Previously, two residents who lived here became a couple and moved out, so right now we have two rooms available.”
Misaki “So romance can happen in a share house too. Does that mean this isn’t women-only?”
Nakajima “That’s right. Kamimachi Baian earlier was a women-only property, but this one is co-ed.”
Misaki “This feels a bit more spacious—can two people live in this room?”
Nakajima “Yes. In the past, someone rented it as a second home for a two-base lifestyle, and that person shared it with a friend—two people renting together.”
Misaki “That’s smart. With a two-base lifestyle, you only use your second base on weekends, yet the cost can be quite high. But if you share it with a friend, you can create a weekend base at half the cost.”
Misaki “This wash area really makes you feel the era it comes from.”
Nakajima “This building was originally an inn. We’ve reused some things from that time.”
Misaki “I see—you can feel traces of its time as an inn, in the lighting, shoji screens, and so on.”
Nakajima “The toilets and bathrooms couldn’t remain as they were in the inn days, so we renovated them anew.”
Misaki “The plastered walls and the floor tiles really bring out that old folk-house feel.”
Nakajima “Also, as I mentioned when we toured Kamimachi Baian, separately from the share house we’re planning to launch a sauna and a private-lodging business in the future. We’re considering setting discounted pricing, so I hope you’ll try the sauna experience together with other residents.”
Misaki “I’m looking forward to that.”
Misaki “What is this space on the first floor? Is it like a second living room?”
Nakajima “This used to be a café, but it became so popular that they moved to a larger location.”
Misaki “So will it become a café again?”
Nakajima “We haven’t decided what’s next yet, but I’d love it if a new resident could use it as a shop. In fact, the person who used to run the café here was also a resident.”
Misaki “After having Nakajima-san show me around, what I felt was that everything you need to relocate to Miura Kaigan is right here at ‘Penguin-so.’ That’s because Nakajima-san himself has experienced relocating first-hand, and because there are already people within the share house who are in the same situation. As I said earlier, relocating does feel like a high hurdle, and I think there are many things that can make you anxious. For those who can’t take that first step because of those worries, ‘Penguin-so’ seems like it would support you as a companion.
If you want to try living near the sea, want a new base for a two-base lifestyle, or want to completely change your current environment, I recommend visiting at least once. Since it’s a share house, the initial costs are low, and you could always go back to Tokyo quickly if you needed to. First, give it a try.”
・*.ﾟMisaki’s “Penguin-so” Checkpointsﾟ.*・
| ★Access | 10 minutes on foot from “Miura Kaigan Station” on the Keikyu Kurihama Line. 69 minutes to Shinagawa Station with no transfers. |
| ★Storage | Storage is available (varies by room), such as built-in closets and oshiire (traditional storage compartments). |
| ★Style | A modern, exposed-concrete living room and folk-house-style rooms. The contrast really stands out. |
| ★Rent | ¥45,000–¥53,000 (utilities/maintenance fee: ¥15,000). Life with an ocean view starts in the ¥40,000 range. |
| ★Rules | Overnight guests are allowed with advance notice Non-smoking on the premises Cleaning is done once a month. |
| ★Bathrooms | 1 bathroom, 1 shower room, 2 toilets. 2 washing machines. 2 dryers. |
| ★Security | There is an auto-lock entrance. |
SHARE PARADE（シェアパレード） の運営責任者です。「EDIT YOUR LIFE ― 今の暮らしをちょっと変えてみる」を合言葉に、**コミュニティのある暮らし（Community Living）**を中心としたシェアハウスを紹介しています。2011年の立ち上げ以来、東京全域で800件以上を現地取材。私自身も一人暮らし／シェアハウス／ルームシェア／ソーシャルマンションを一通り経験しており、一次情報と体験の両方を基準にサイトを運営しています。「住む場所が変われば、ライフスタイルも変わる」。コミュニティがある暮らしの楽しさと安心を、もっと当たり前の選択肢に――それがSHARE PARADEの役割であり、私のミッションです。 I am the administrator of the website 'SHARE PARADE.' Under the motto “EDIT YOUR LIFE—make a small change to your everyday,” we feature share houses centered on community living. Since our launch in 2011, I have visited and reviewed more than 800 properties across Tokyo. I’ve personally experienced living alone, in share houses, in room shares, and in social apartments, and I run the site based on both first-hand information and lived experience. I believe that when your home changes, your lifestyle changes too. My mission—and SHARE PARADE’s role—is to make the joy and peace of mind of community living a more everyday choice.
