3-My Apartment Became a Portal to the World
Most people would think it’s completely crazy—inviting total strangers from the internet to sleep in your home.
But for me, it didn’t feel dangerous. It felt necessary.
At the time, I was stuck in a corporate job where every day drained me. I had no passion for what I was doing.
The only thing I still cared about—desperately, even—was improving my English. I believed that if I couldn’t communicate with the world, I’d never find a way out of the life I was living.
So I made a decision: to welcome the world into my tiny Tokyo apartment.
That’s how I began hosting through Couchsurfing.
And soon enough, the world came to me.
But not just anyone. I had a soft spot for the creative types—people who saw the world differently.
I’ve always enjoyed visiting galleries in Tokyo, especially hidden ones tucked away in back alleys. So naturally, I found myself gravitating toward guests who lived and breathed art.
Filmmakers, designers, photographers, fashion models, editors, actresses…
Many of them came from Europe or California, places where creativity is a way of life. Some were traveling for inspiration. Some were escaping. Some just needed a cheap place to stay.
But they brought their worlds with them.
