Over dinner with Meenoo, Jean-Francois and Akira last night, we did a bit of reminiscing and went back through the former occupants of my apartment, and oh dear, it really does seem to have been a hotel. I was quite surprised once we strung it all together!

In the beginning, MJ and I (formerly of the same gang in high school) left our respective gaijinhouses and went to a real estate agency (now defunct) that specialized in helping foreigners find apartments. Basically, that didn't mean much more than a) He spoke English, and b) He was willing to ask all the landlords whether foreigners were ok. He suggested this place to us because he had placed some other foreigners here previously. It was just a wee bit more than we wanted to pay but it was so much nicer than anything else we saw: we took it. We lived together for about 4 years. We partied hard, worked hard and shopped hard together on weekday afternoons. We took in lots of strays, and hosted a few parties, and even at the time we referred to our place as a hotel. And then one day came the boy who changed everything.

Yoshi and MJ met at the Rolling Stone back in the days when you could talk about something or other being "as easy as picking up a long-haired J-boy on a Friday night in Rolling Stone". But Yoshi was different: Yoshi stayed. And stayed. We eventually realized he had actually moved in. He didn't take up much space (he wanted always to be in the same space as MJ), so we didn't mind. I did mind when he stole MJ away from me though. They moved out and got married, and so I was looking for a roomie.

And along came Dazza! We all used to work together at Interac back when it still had a good name, and by some stroke of luck he was in need of a room, I had one, and so he moved in. Dazza and I shared an interest in boys, so that was about the time that I started hanging out in Shinjuku Ni-chome where few boys play for my team, but there's a lot of fun to be had nonetheless. Dazza had been dying to meet this one boy for ages, and when he finally did, they got together quite quickly. But (as always, it seems) there was a catch: this boy, Akira, was leaving the country soon.

Akira moved in with us for his last 3 weeks in Japan. He had quit his job, given up his apartment, and was on his way off to the sunshine but he made a stopover at our place for a short but very emotional stay. He left for Sydney promising to stay in touch. Dazza and I went back to being two again, but he couldn't forget Akira, nor could Akira forget him. Eventually Akira came back to Japan and they moved into an apartment of their own. This kind of thing had been happening to me in Oz too -I started to feel like I was going to be good luck for everyone who lived with me; they would find a partner and move on.

Keith was a photographer from New York. Yeah, looks good on paper. I advertised in the gaijinpot accommodation forum for a housemate and he was the only one to apply. He told me soon after he arrived that he was only planning to stay a month with me, he wanted his own place as soon as possible. Since he only had a tourist visa I figured this was unlikely, and he got kinda annoyed when i told him so, and even more annoyed when it turned out that I was right, and it kinda went downhill from there. I could be really negative about his 5 month stay, but the truth is he was a door-shut, strict boundaries, stressed-out kinda guy, while I am the opposite, and we just didn't get along. He left. I was glad.

Meanwhile, Akira and Dazza had encountered a few insurmountable problems and broken up, and Akira was looking for somewhere to stay. This dovetailed nicely with Keith leaving, so he moved in and all was, well, heartbroken but relatively stable for a while.

Liz moved to Japan in pursuit of a boy who turned out to be not worth the effort. She had intended to stay with him but ended up in his (and my friend's) gaijinhouse's livingroom floor. Not a good situation for anyone involved, so while she decided whether to stay in Japan or not, she came to stay with us. Akira felt a bit squashed with two girls in the house, I think, and got a bit scratchy with the situation by the end of it, but he held up pretty well. Liz was a great well of unusual experiences, alternative viewpoints and good listening skills, and I was so glad to live with a girl again, we had a ball until she finally went back to Oz again.

Akira was glad to have some space back again but somehow that space got filled not too much later by Jean-Francois. They met in Nichome on Jean-Francois's second night in Japan, and he only went back once to the hotel after that to pick up his clothes and bring them over to our place. His one-week stay in Japan became two, and then three, and then after a brief stint in Oz he cancelled the rest of his trip and just stayed. After some to-ing and fro-ing, eventually Akira was stolen away by Jean-Francois, tho they still live nearby, which is good.

So there I was, back looking for a roomie yet again. I was getting kinda sick of it by this stage. With great trepidation, I again advertised on gaijinpot and was lucky this time to find Ms. Pixie to move in a month later. I thought I would have a whole month alone, but then Sarah, in the midst of heartbreak and stress came to stay for 3 weeks. I'm not sure if that counts as having lived in the apartment, but what the hell, I'll give her residency status. We kept each other company until...

Ms. Pixie arrived (a year ago already, wow, that went so quickly!)! She demonstrated her wonderfulness immediately by accepting my lil bro, Ash (who had come to Tokyo to visit for 3 months) and taking him out and showing him some fun. Im too old for fun these days, it all kinda ended when MJ left, so I was very grateful. Ash stayed for 3 months, kinda. When I told him he wouldn't have any trouble meeting girls here I was not expecting him to fall for one of my friends and almost moving in with her; but thats another story. It was a lot of fun living together again after such a long time apart, and I was sad when he left, but so glad to get the space back again. Living and learning with Ms. Pixie since then has been wonderful, and I'm glad she hasn't decided to leave the country yet. She's another amazing well of experiences, insights and inspiration.

Recently, Ms. Meenoo crash-landed at the apartment after escaping from France, bringing with her a milk tea habit that has endured despite the heat of this summer, and yet another new pair of eyes through which I can relive this whole beginning-a-new-life-in-Japan experience.

So there you go! I think ive been pretty lucky so far, only one bad NY apple in amongst, wow, 12 occupants, that's a pretty good run I think. I kinda wonder if it's always going to be like this, and you know what, I hope it is. Whew, I'm tired now.

• misssin said on 05/08/05 at 01:43 AM.....

  wow!

  
  12 wonderful people (and not so) to cross your threshold?

  
  that doesn’t count all the other passersthrough, interlopers and just plain partiers…

  
  you truly have had a lovely & safe little place for a lot more than 12 people, m’dear.

  and i would like to classify myself as a very very sporadic interloper - but thank you.

  
  it’s been great to enter a different world than my own.

  
  h.

   

• T said on 05/08/05 at 03:16 PM.....

  As an occassional interloper myself, I can testify to your warm hospitality and open door policy.  One does feel at home and not an intrusion.  Plus you have yummy tea.

• j-ster said on 05/08/05 at 05:06 PM.....

  And great books to read… now and then…

• meenoo said on 05/08/05 at 05:25 PM.....

  I am truly in awe of your capacity to cope with my incoherent babble. Worry not, soon I will have no time to think and will spend spare time sleeping.

  
  Anyway, this is my First Home in Japan (I capitalized it with Japan newbie emotion, hope you’re not wretching too much right now) and you will be fondly remembered as the provider of it.

  
  Just wish I could find that air-con remote as I am DYING right now. lol

• MJ said on 05/08/14 at 05:25 PM.....

  I’m still amazed that the toilet decorations have never changed!

  
  All that stealing from train stations was worth it hey?

• Fiona said on 05/08/14 at 07:52 PM.....

  I’ve been thinking of past roomies too, wonderful Jo. How nice to live with someone who has a similar tidiness quotient, loves (loved) to party, welcomes all, cooks so well, and provides the best, most honest and questing company. Yes you!! Just had my birthday, thinking of all old friends, and there you are.

• megliemoo said on 05/08/18 at 10:09 PM.....

  I saw your blog at work today and decided to check it out. I love the layout and it was fun reading about your gateway apartment. Gateway to Japan, love, and all kinds of adventures it seems. But I better get back to packin’ for Sado….