To supplement my
gaijin house post I wrote three weeks ago, I'd like to tell you something about Japanese dorms. I have never stayed in one but some of my friends have, and I heard their horror stories...
- 11 o'clock curfew. As far as I know, all college dormitories in Japan have curfews. They require the occupants to drag their asses back to their cubicles by 11 p.m. (the exact limit may vary from dorm to dorm). Unless you submit a slip to the owner beforehand stating that you will spend the night out, you will most likely get into trouble for not returning to the dorm. The manager sounds the alarm every night at 11 p.m., and if someone is missing in action, the dorm police will investigate what's going on in the idle room.
- You have no freedom over when to have breakfast and supper. Even on weekends and national holidays, you must abide by the dorm rules that require you to receive meals at the scheduled times. This means that you have to be ready every morning at 8 a.m., and be back for supper.
- Now, if you want to be exluded from getting served breakfast or supper, you have to tell the dorm manager in advance. If not, the kitchen staff will get furious and do all sorts of nasty things to your drying underwear...
To supplement my gaijin house post I wrote three weeks ago, I'd like to tell you something about Japanese dorms. I have never stayed in one but some of my friends have, and I heard their horror stories...
1 comment:
I lived in a dorm in Tokyo for six months once. However it was for foreign exchange students, and while there was a curfew (midnight) "the main door is never locked" is what they said at the induction meeting. Not that they had much choice in the matter, 300 non-Japanese residents would not have taken such shenanigans lightly, and I even had no problems sneaking my girlfriend into the place on occasion.
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