Today we came to 'Otsuka Taku-an' in Otsuka! It is a share house located in a quiet residential neighborhood, just 3 minutes from the station. This place has facilities and a story that make it a little different from the share houses we have seen so far.

Originally, the wife from the management company came up with the idea for this share house based on the concept of opening one’s home to others, which she had experienced while living overseas. They say that 'Otsuka Taku-an' was created by renovating a building that had originally been built by her father. The method used was self-build. Just as the name suggests, they built it themselves. Many people were involved in creating Otsuka Taku-an, including the wife’s son and many others who came here by word of mouth. This share house is full of natural materials and packed with the history and sentiments of three generations ♪

Also, a rental kitchen space was set up as a place where all kinds of people could gather. Nowadays, it seems that people open cafés there and hold workshops as well.
Now then, let’s take a look inside the house!

Mari “We’ve arrived at Taku-an in Otsuka~♪ Let’s go do our report~♪ Kumi-chan, let’s go!!”
Kumiko “Mari-chan, let’s go! Otsuka Taku-an, which was created by renovating a building, is such a warm home filled with stories spanning three generations of the management company’s family.”

Mari “There’s a bench at the entrance, so you could say, ‘Wait here a sec~,’ or maybe even have little neighborhood chats here ♪”
Kumiko “It feels like you could become friendly with neighbors passing by too. The weather is nice today, so it feels great!”

Kumiko “This is the rental kitchen. You can have parties here, hold workshops, and the host can use it however they like!”
Mari “Amazing! Girls’ parties, class reunions, and all kinds of events can be made totally original! Now then, welcome to the rental kitchen~♪ Please come on in~♪”

Mari “Whether you eat and drink at the table or at the counter, it’s fun either way ♪(^_^)”
Kumiko “The counter has a great atmosphere, and if you want to relax with friends at the table, you can do that too—it works depending on the situation! And also! The tables are designed so the layout can be changed into several different patterns!”

Mari “In the rental kitchen, you can even be a chef for a day ♪ It could be fun to hold a party with close friends ♪”
Kumiko “You could even say, ‘Today I’m holding a cooking class~♪’ Or you could have a birthday party too!”

Mari “Chef, one more please~♪ In a warm, cozy place like this, the drinks just keep going~.”
Kumiko “You might end up staying for ages, but since it’s reserved privately, that’s OK! Come on, Mari-chan, let’s keep drinking.”

Mari “Shall we have one more, Kumi-chan ♪? The warmth of the wood feels so cozy ♪”
Kumiko “Then one more (lol). The management company parent and child handmade the tables, and only natural wood materials are used, so somehow it really warms your heart too.”

Mari “Here’s a neighborhood map of Taku-an and an introduction flyer ♪ It’s full of information about interesting shops, hospitals, and more!”
Kumiko “The handmade map is super cute! Local information like this is really nice. Mari-chan, let’s go to the bakery nearby!”

Mari “On the blackboard, you can write all sorts of things, like the menu or messages you want to tell visiting guests ♪ Kumi-chan, it’s time to open the tavern.”
Kumiko “A one-day tavern~! I want to be the proprietress~! You could also turn it into a café, and it’s fun writing on the blackboard.”

Mari “As expected of a rental kitchen! There are so many dishes here ♪ Please handle them with care ♪”
Kumiko “There are even ten or more of the same kind, and the tableware selection is really extensive! It’s great that you can choose plates to match the food ♪”

Mari “It’s also equipped with a commercial refrigerator ♪ So even if lots of guests come, it’ll be fine ♪ I guess this is where the beer goes.”
Kumiko “This refrigerator just suits bottled beer!! This is kind of my dream fridge. I’d want to put mini bottles of cola in here too! It really adds to the atmosphere.”

Kumiko “Look, look! I’ve never seen a stove this big! The heat output looks amazing!”
Mari “The gas stove has three burners ♪ Kumi-chan, this stove is commercial too, so the heat is really strong~! Make lots of delicious food ♪”

Mari “In the kitchen, if you connect an iPhone or something, you can play whatever music you like too~♪ I wonder what we should listen to ♪”
Kumiko “Background music is important!! It really gets you excited. Since you can connect an iPhone, YouTube is fine too! Mari-chan, please put on something that gets us pumped.”

Mari “Look, look! The doorknob is a horse, like something that would appear on a merry-go-round—it’s super lovely~♪”
Kumiko “So cute~! It matches the texture of the wood too. This door leads from the kitchen space to the rooms, so it’s fitted with a fingerprint recognition lock too, which means security is good!”

Kumiko “Mari-chan, look! The light is coming in, and it’s so cute!!”
Mari “Kumi-chan, this is actually the toilet ♪ The light from behind is natural light, so the gentle glow spills in beautifully ♪”

Mari “If you face each other, you can get this close too lol. The kitchen in the back has a lovely white base ♪”
Kumiko “The space in the back is the kitchen for residents, so even if there are people in the rental kitchen, you can use it without worrying!”

Mari “Even while washing dishes, you can still face each other and chat ♪ Kumi-chan, shall I help you (lol)?”
Kumiko “Please dry these ♪ When the kitchens face each other, both conversation and helping out go smoothly.”

Mari “Hot, hot! Kumi-chan, be careful not to burn yourself on the delicious food ♪”
Kumiko “Cooking really is hard after all (sweat). The residents’ kitchen also has a three-burner stove, which is convenient.”

Kumiko “And would you believe it—there’s a round table at the back of the kitchen! They say the lamp is made of camel leather. The pattern is so cute!”
Mari “Good work ♪ A round table makes you want to pour some tea and relax! The color of the lamp is calming too.”

Mari “This round table is really comfortable ♪ It might be fun to sit here and chat all the way until morning ♪”
Kumiko “You might end up dozing off while talking. There’s a TV too, so once you make a meal, it looks like you could sit down and enjoy it slowly.”

Mari “The shelves are also made with a real focus on natural materials, so they feel gentle and warm ♪”
Kumiko “The wood really is nice. You can store each person’s belongings on the shelves! Opening the window and hanging strainers or dishcloths out to dry creates such an indescribably warm atmosphere~.”

Mari “Can you believe it?! They’re making miso here ♪ When the time comes, I want us all to have a miso party lol.”
Kumiko “I’ve never seen homemade miso before!! Just looking at it makes it seem delicious! It’ll be fun to make miso soup with it, or put it on cucumbers!”

Mari “Here are the shower and the bath ♪ Kumi-chan, which one would you like to use (^_^)?”
Kumiko “On busy days, I’d use the shower, and when I want to relax and ease my tiredness, I’d like to soak in the bathtub.”

Kumiko “A wooden shoe shelf. I like that handmade feeling.”
Mari “There are no dividers, so be careful not to take someone else’s shoes by mistake ♪(^_^)”

Mari “The bed is so soft ♪ There’s a window right beside the bed, so it looks like you could wake up feeling really good ♪”
Kumiko “The window is big, so lots of sunlight will probably come in in the morning~. When furniture is provided, moving in is so easy.”

Mari “There’s this much open space beside the desk, so it looks like you could personalize it however you like—hang clothes, add shelves, and make it your own ♪”
Kumiko “You could put in storage items and make it look neat and tidy. I really do love the feel of the wood~.”

Mari “The balcony~♪ The balcony also has a wood deck, so it feels really nice~(^_^)”
Kumiko “It’s not especially large, but with the wood deck and the plants, it has this indescribably pleasant comfort, doesn’t it?”

Mari “The door handle is actually made from tools that were used during construction ♪ It’s so detailed and cute ♪ Using it makes you remember the warmth of the people who built this place ♪”
Kumiko “Who would have thought it would turn out like this!! It seems they also considered how not to create waste when renovating the building. It’s such a lovely idea to reuse things in such a stylish way.”

Mari “Even with two adults in here, it still feels this spacious ♪ It’s an open and comfortable room ♪”
Kumiko “Because the bed and the storage area are set a little apart, the room looks neat and open ♪”

Mari “The washstands on the 2nd and 3rd floors are a little different ♪ I really like this smaller type too because it’s so cute ♪”
Kumiko “I wonder what the one on the 2nd floor is like~♪ The light coming in through the window makes it so bright!”

Mari “Even just having a few little plants like this feels soothing ♪”
Kumiko “Yes, yes—plants really are soothing ♪ And the heart-shaped pick is cute too.”

Mari “The light coming in through the stairway window is warm and gentle ♪ The ceiling is high too!”
Kumiko “There’s even a skylight, so it kind of feels like a lodge! It’s so warm, I feel like we could end up chatting on the stairs. And the mirror in the hallway is stylish too.”

Kumiko “Mari-chan, is now a good time~?? You can go see your next-door neighbor right away.”
Mari “What is it, Kumi-chan (^_^)? Once you become friendly with your share mates, you might even be able to casually pop into each other’s rooms and have fun ♪”

Mari “These are the tools that were used to create this house ♪ It’s full of love~♪”
Kumiko “You can really tell they were used! It’s a piece that truly conveys affection~”

Mari “The room numbers ♪ I’m kind of swooning over the carefully designed shape lol.”
Kumiko “It matches the wooden door really nicely, doesn’t it~!”

Mari “Even the floors are all handmade wooden floors ♪ The smell and warmth of the wood are so soothing ♪”
Kumiko “They say some people were so fascinated by the house-building process that they stayed here while helping build it! That kind of warmth is soothing too.”

Mari “This washstand has yet another different atmosphere ♪ Even brushing your teeth feels fun here ♪”
Kumiko “Gargle gargle gargle~. They say this mirror used to be in an old office. It doesn’t feel old at all, does it?”

Mari “The washing machine comes with a dryer too ♪ It’s so convenient when there’s a dryer ♪”
Kumiko “A latest-model drum-type washer~! It’s the kind of dream washing machine that’s hard to have when you live alone. If it comes with a dryer, even rainy days are no problem.”

Mari “This share house, created by three generations, is truly warm and full of heart—it really feels like home ♪ Even though we were only here a short time, it was such a comfortable share house that it already made me want to come back again ♪”
Kumiko “The people from the management company are warm too! Now I understand why people gather here. Let’s come back to this three-generation share house again! Next time, let’s rent the kitchen space~!”

What did you think?
As soon as I stepped into the building, I noticed that just being there made me feel completely relaxed. Of course, there is the warmth of the wood, but the people from the management company are also so kind that it gives you the feeling of wanting to come back again. That is exactly why so many people gathered here, and why this share house was able to be created through a self-build renovation.
Welcome to this soothing share house!

・*.ﾟKumiko’s 'Otsuka Taku-an' Check Pointsﾟ.*・

★Access	3 minutes on foot from Otsuka Station. Conveniently close to the station with access to the Yamanote Line! The area around the house is a calm residential neighborhood.
★Storage	Storage differs from room to room. Pole hangers are installed, which helps increase storage capacity even more.
★Style	The overall warmth of the wood, together with the combination of old and new furniture, creates a calm and stylish atmosphere.
★Rent	48,000 to 69,000 yen (common service fee: 13,000 yen). Larger rooms can be occupied by two people.
★Rules	The manager cleans once a week. As for taking out the garbage, the manager handles everything except trash from residents’ own rooms, though residents also cooperate. With prior application, friends can stay overnight for 800 yen per night. No smoking inside the building.
★Water Facilities	1 bathroom, 1 shower room, and 3 toilets.
★Security	There is a security key separating the residential area from the rental kitchen space, so strangers cannot simply enter the living quarters.