End of Year Reflections: Another Year Older, Another Year Wiser (Maybe)

And just like that, another year is wrapping up.

Somehow, the calendar insists that twelve full months have passed again. The phones are still ringing, the coffee is still never strong enough, and Japan is still very good at making four seasons feel like twelve. But before we all disappear into the chaos of year-end parties and holidays, it feels like a good moment to pause and look back.

This year, we had the privilege of welcoming people from over two hundred different countries and regions to Japan.

Two hundred!

That’s two hundred different accents, time zones, food preferences, cultural habits, and very different ideas of what “quiet hours” means.

Some came for a few weeks. Some stayed for months. Some left and came back again, because Japan seems to have that effect on people (which we are very grateful for). We met first-time visitors nervously clutching Google Maps, long-term residents who now know Japan better than most locals, students, working professionals, artists, engineers, travelers, and people who arrived with one suitcase and a vague life plan (honestly, respect).

Since the middle of this year, we also started hosting monthly welcome parties.

At first, they were small, friendly gatherings where people cautiously introduced themselves, hovered near the snacks, and slowly warmed up. But month by month, something changed. Familiar faces returned, new arrivals showed up already knowing they’d see people they recognised.

And somewhere along the way, the question quietly shifted from “Are you going?” to “Of course you’re going, right?”

Which brings us to the 19th of December, this year.

For our final party of the year, we prepared for a crowd. And then, somehow, a total of around almost hundred people actually showed up. The room filled with conversations in multiple languages, laughter, introductions, reunions, and that particular energy that only appears when a space starts to feel like a community rather than just a building.

It was loud, warm, a little chaotic, in other words, exactly what we were hoping for.

Of course, it wasn’t all smooth sailing this year. There were missed trains, misunderstood rules, lost keys, confused trash-sorting attempts (you tried, and that’s what matters), and the occasional “Is this normal in Japan?” moment. But through all of it, connections and new friends were made between housemates, neighbors, staff, and people who may have arrived as strangers but didn’t leave that way.

For us, that’s the part that never gets old.

No matter how busy things get, it’s hard not to feel grateful when you realize that your daily work is tied to someone’s first experience living in Japan. For many of our residents and guests, this wasn’t just accommodation, it was their starting point. Their first address. Their first home here.

So to everyone who stayed with us this year:
Thank you for choosing us.
Thank you for trusting us.
And thank you for bringing your languages, cultures, stories, and personalities into our spaces.

As the year comes to an end, we’re tired (in the good way), grateful, and quietly proud of what we’ve been able to build together. And yes, we’ll be continuing the welcome party tradition into the new year, so consider this your official warning.

Here’s to another year of welcoming the world to Japan.

And yes, we’ll see you again after New Year.

P.S. Our operating hours are continuing as normal throughout the New Year’s break (December 30th to January 4th)!

We are open 365 days a year, come rain or shine, ready to welcome people to stay with us from the day you arrive in Japan.

If you are looking for accommodation from New Year’s Eve, or even from New Year’s Day, we are still here for you!