A calm 13-room share house
for grown-ups with lives of their own.
Jiyugaoka is a stylish, upscale neighborhood in southwest Tokyo — about 8 minutes from Shibuya by express train. It’s known for its European-style streets, patisseries and cafés, and boutique shopping. Commons is in Okusawa, the quiet residential area right next door: Jiyugaoka’s shops and cafés are a short walk away, and peaceful streets are waiting when you come home.
Jiyugaoka is one of Tokyo’s best-known dessert destinations, with famous patisseries, bakeries and cafés on almost every corner.
Stone-paved lanes, the tree-lined Green Street, and La Vita — a small Venice-style shopping corner with a canal and a gondola.
Okusawa is a calm, upscale residential area on high ground. It feels safe even walking home late at night.
Approximate train times from Jiyugaoka Station (a 6-minute walk from the house)
Times are approximate and vary by time of day and train type. Sources: GO TOKYO (Tokyo’s official travel guide) and the Jiyugaoka shopping district association.
A casual word in the living room can bring a perspective you’d never have found alone.
A neighborhood spot a housemate recommends can become a door to a whole new world.
Office workers, freelancers, students — people from different backgrounds live here, each getting on with their own life, sometimes struggling, but always looking on the bright side. That’s the kind of share house this is.
The location is free and convenient, but what really makes Commons special is the atmosphere.
Here are a few of the “good moments” our residents mention in passing.
You come down to the kitchen and someone’s already up, making coffee. A quick “good morning,” and everyone starts their own day. Talk if you feel like it; stay quiet if you don’t. Either is fine.
You get home from work and pass through the living room. Someone’s reading on the sofa. Some days you hear “welcome back,” some days you don’t. But just sensing that someone is there is somehow reassuring — a feeling you never had living alone.
“Do you know that little shop in Jiyugaoka?” A housemate mentions a place, and that weekend you wander over. A shop you’d never have found on your own becomes a new favorite — and a new conversation starter with another housemate.
Head up to the rooftop terrace and the Jiyugaoka sky opens up above you. On tiring days, you sometimes just look at the sky without thinking about anything. Sometimes you stand next to a housemate, quietly watching it together. No words needed.
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What I realized living at Commons is that living with people doesn’t mean you always have to be talking. It’s those moments when you sense “someone was just here” that really enrich your life. I love that kind of distance.
— Resident, woman in her 30s
Office workers, freelancers, students — housemates from all kinds of backgrounds. Conversations in the living room bring new perspectives and ideas.
Many residents love a tidy home, so the kitchen and other shared areas are always kept clean. You’ll feel comfortable even if it’s your first share house.
4 minutes’ walk to Okusawa Station and 6 minutes to Jiyugaoka Station, with easy access to central Tokyo. Relax under the open sky on the rooftop terrace. 4 stations and 3 train lines within walking distance.
Plenty of cafés, boutiques and izakaya pubs — plus quiet parks perfect for a stroll and the banks of the Tama River. There are shrines too, where you can feel the four seasons.
Built on high ground, the house is well protected from heavy rain, and its reinforced-concrete structure stands up to earthquakes. It’s an upscale residential area with low crime — safe even for women walking alone at night.
“I can’t reach the management company.” “They’re slow to reply.” — common complaints with share houses and apartments. At Commons you can message the manager directly on WhatsApp or LINE, any time, 24/7. Replies are quick, so help is always close at hand.
Available & upcoming rooms
Resident voices
Resident interview | J, graduate student from Germany (1)
Resident interview | J, graduate student from Germany (2)
Resident interview (3)
No more coming home to a dark, cold room
When I lived alone, work was so busy I’d get home on the last train… Coming back to a cold, pitch-dark room was hard. Now, walking through the living room, I feel the warmth of knowing someone was just there — and that alone makes a big difference.
My world got bigger
I went to a few shops my housemates recommended, and I loved every one of them. I’d never have found them on my own. Discovering places this way felt really fresh.
The shared spaces are clean
Clean shared areas are a huge help. The share house I lived in before was always dirty, so that was my biggest worry before moving in. Everyone follows the rules we agreed on together, and people naturally look out for each other. It’s great.
Simply the best location
The location is simply the best. Okusawa and Jiyugaoka are right there, Jiyugaoka always has some event going on, and there are even TV shoots — it’s lively and fun. Just strolling through the big park or the shrine calms me down. Getting into central Tokyo is easy, too.
Everyone is kind
It’s at the higher end of the price range for a share house, and it isn’t flashy. So I figured there wouldn’t be any odd people here (laughs). Everyone is cheerful, kind, tidy and honest. I’d love for more people like that to join us.
High ground — no worries about heavy rain or earthquakes.
I’m from outside Tokyo, so the city felt scary, and my parents worried about me living alone. This place is on high ground, so when summer downpours flooded the area around Jiyugaoka Station, we had no problems at all. And the building is reinforced concrete, so it’s safe in earthquakes too.
People I’d never have met anywhere else
There are so many stylish beauty and fashion shops that I’ve made friends with the staff and practically live there. I feel like I’m really part of this town, and new worlds keep opening up. I’ve met people I never would have met if I hadn’t come here.
* 13 rooms in total. Some are already occupied.
Here are the real numbers, side by side with a comparable apartment in the same area.
Renting an apartment in Japan usually means paying a deposit (shikikin), key money (reikin — a non-refundable payment to the landlord) and agency fees up front, and buying all your own furniture. At Commons, you skip all of that.
* Based on a room with ¥82,000 rent. Estimates based on typical rents for newer studio apartments near stations in the same area, including utilities and furniture.
* We compare over 2 years because apartment leases in Japan usually run for 2 years.
Daily life, shared spaces and the neighborhood — follow along!
There are things a website can’t tell you. Feel free to get in touch.
On WhatsApp or LINE. Please tell us: the room you’re interested in, your move-in date, how long you’d like to stay, and your visa status.
We’ll arrange a time to show you around the house.
After a simple screening, we sign the contract and you can move in.
Messages in English are welcome.
Your contact: Murai
Or email us: jiyu13co@gmail.com
Address: 5-6-9 Okusawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
Phone: +81 80-3023-1373
Email: jiyu13co@gmail.com
LINE: lin.ee/P0MsG3w
WhatsApp: +81 80-3023-1373
Instagram: @jiyu_commons
Operated by: 株式会社大航流時代
Office: Residence S 101, 8-15 Kitaminemachi, Ota-ku, Tokyo
Phone: +81 80-3023-1373 (contact: Murai)
