Accomodation

1. Introduction

　　When you arrive in the UK you will need to find accommodation. What you will find is that there are many cultural differences between the UK and Japan regarding traditions in the house and the bathroom. Some traditions may shock the Japanese. In this essay, we are going to write about accommodation in the UK. It is a very interesting topic and we would like you to know the differences in accommodation between the UK and Japan.

2. Main Body

＜Deferent custom between Japan and Briten＞
　　We will give two examples of different customs between the Japanese and the British. First, in my country people take a bath every day. But in Britain, there is no bathing; they only take showers. In Japan, we have a custom to take a bath with your family members. This time is needed to set the relationship on the right foot especially with the parents. We have talks about friend, girlfriends, problems, dreams for the future, etc. I think this custom is rare and wonderful. Secondly, we take off our shoes before entering the house. This is because we prefer sitting cross- legged on the floor to sitting on the chair. Furthermore, we sleep on the“futon” (thin mattress), which forces us to keep the floors clean at all times.

＜How to find UK accommodation＞

　Before coming to the UK, you need to find accommodation. You can negotiate with a real estate agent in UK, but it　is tough to do that. So we will introduce useful websites to you. Please see the below. These websites include property and other information about the UK life written in Japanese. I think the website, “Mix B”, is the most useful. The website has not only property information but also a communication signboard. On the signboard, people who will be going back to Japan can put up advertisements to sell household items that he/she does not want. You can buy them at low costs! There are many items on the board. 

  By the way, you do not need to worry about your accommodation. The ICC office will help you arrange your accommodation. The below graph is the ratio of ICC members’ house style. About 75% members chose the share house (University dormitory). So I am going to write about a share house on the next paragraph.

＜Share house＞

　　There is a unique model of households in the UK called a share house. In a share house, you can have private time in your own room. You share the kitchen, the bathroom, and so on. The style is very popular in the UK, but it is not common in Japan. This is because Japan is not a culture that usually lives with strangers. It is true that the share house style is becoming popular, but university students choose to live alone even though it costs more.
　 We will show you the benefits of the share house. First, you can save money. The rent is cheap and by sharing e.g. dishes and TV, you do not need to buy those items. Second, you are free from care when you are in trouble. The neighbors, called flat mates, are like a family. The third reason is important for students to learn English. You have to communicate with flat mates and negotiate how to use the common instruments. So you are always speaking English in a share house. The situation improves your English skills automatically. I live in the share house and am suffering from my poor English, but enjoy this hard circumstance.

３. Conclusion

　In conclusion, after much research, we prefer the UK accommodation system more than the Japanese accommodation system. Although we like living in a share house, it is difficult to change from the Japanese lifestyle to the UK lifestyle. We still feel the need to take off our shoes before entering the house and taking a bath before sleeping. LOL! There are many more advantages to the UK accommodation system than in Japan. In a share house, you learn many things from other people. For example, all the flat mates can learn about each other’s culture, customs, and lifestyle, which will give you new perspectives and life views. There will be times of disagreement and conflict, but the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

Written by Hayato&Konosuke