ABC House Takezono: Get in touch with nature at this hidden gem in Osaka, right beside a bamboo grove.

The view of the bamboo grove though the window is a living picture created by nature itself. An apartment building built in the same year as the 1970 Osaka World Expo restored as a sharehouse. The ABC House Takezono interior is completely new due to a full reformation. Its main feature is the bamboo grove beside the building, which can be viewed from the north-facing windows and creates a pleasant atmosphere within the house. The grove is a very valuable piece of land in the city, so much so it has been chosen as one of the top 100 natural areas to be preserved in Japan. There is also the large Hattori Ryokuchi Park a 10-minute walk from the house, said to be the size of 33 Koshien stadiums. This property is not in the Osakan countryside, however. It's actually a sharehouse that has not one, but two local train stations. ABC House Takezono is located in an exclusive residential district in one of the best areas in the Hokusetsu area. The residential area near local train station Hankyu Senriyama station was modeled after Letchfield, England's garden city. From another nearby station, Ryokuchi Koen station, commuters can catch a train on the Midosuji line, also known as the main artery of Osaka's public transport system. It takes 13 minutes to reach Motomachi (home of Osaka City Hall), Yodoyabashi, and business district Umeda, and 20 minutes to reach Shinsaibashi. Let's have a look inside the house.

The house is situated atop a hill and gives residents a magnificent view of the town below. Escape the common area every once in a while to have dinner or a picnic with your housemates up on the rooftop.

The entrance. A full-length mirror to the right is perfect for one last touch up before leaving the house.

There is a staircase to the left past the entryway. The door in the back is the 1F toilet.

Behind the full-length mirror is a large cupboard to store shoes.

The house blackboard. This is a message board as well as a reminder about which days are trash days. There's something so warm and friendly about chalk, don't you think?

Safety first! This is the biggest security camera I've ever seen in a sharehouse, and I've been to a lot of sharehouses.

The exterior has also been beautifully renovated. This house is quite a long property from front to back.

The view of the bamboo grove from above is very impressive.

The sliding door past the entrance leads to the living room. Let's have a look around.

The dining room consists of three expandable tables that can be easily modified to seat up to 24. The sofas are in the back. Unseen in this photo is the kitchen area on the right.

A beautiful and luxurious dining atmosphere bathed in natural sunlight by day. By night the room lights up the bamboo grove out the window.

A shot of the dining area from the living room. The oblong shape of the room works well with the flow of everyday traffic in the house.

The living area is 13.2m2 and has very comfortable sofas.

This table seats 4. There is an extra refrigerator as well as storage boxes for residents.

The 60-inch large screen TV. It was too big to take a photo head on so here's a shot from the side.

The kitchen in front of the dining area. An environment in which one can be aware of their surroundings makes life easier. An efficient house is a good house.

There is even a big pot for those Japanese 'nabe'

Foodies and weekend chefs will love this sharehouse for its Hosizaki commercial refrigerator.

There is a 3-burner induction cooktop and a portable one, also.

All of the tableware. Cookware is also provided. There is no need to buy anything when you move in.

There refrigerator and storage boxes. Residents can store personal items in the common area here.

The bathroom, laundry and toilet facilities are together in the same area, which I personally find a very functional and efficient arrangement. With all the shared areas on the first floor residents gain both an understanding and respect of each other's living habits.

The brand new bathroom. The tub is also nice and spacious.

There are three stand alone showers. Two are on the 1F, with the 2F shower being female only.

The washstands are also new. There is one on the 1F and one on the 2F, and both are nice and clean. The hair dryer and faucet both have lovely designs.

The laundry room. You'll be glad to know that there are two washing machines, both with drying capabilities.

The 1F toilet. There are two toilets on the 1F, and one each on the 2F and 3F.

There are 5 rooms on the 2F and 4 on the 3F. All rooms have more than 10m2 of space and a closet. Store all of your items in the closet and use the all of that space the room has to offer.

Room 205 is a bright corner room with light coming in from two windows. This is a single room.

Room 201 is the only Japanese-style room. Having your own room like this is a nice change of pace from the rest of the western-style house.

Each floor has running water of some kind. The door to the left is the toilet.

The sink on the 2F.

The 2F female-only shower also has a female-only washing machine.

Ryokuchi Koen is a 9-minute walk from the house. Along the way you'll find a supermarket, convenience store and other shops and facilities necessary for everyday life. Hankyu Senriyama station is also a 9-minute walk.

Inside Ryokuchi Koen station is a Hankyu OASIS store.

Nearby the station is a Starbucks. This is also good news.

IInside the station. There is a Family Mart convenience store up the stairs to the left.

The brown building to the left is the Ryokuchi Koen station building.

There is another Hankyu OASIS store on the way to the house from the station, as well as a 100 Yen shop, drug store and electronics shop.

Situated in the Hokusetsu area of Osaka, ABC House Takezono is a high quality sharehouse that will make you want to live there. SIL, the company behind the house, wanted to create something that they themselves would want to live in, and so ABC House Takezono with its top notch facilities and its friendly hospitality was born. The best thing about the house, though, is its safe and secure environment surrounded by greenery. The Hokusetsu area is also a popular place to live in Kansai, and while rent prices may generally be a touch high, living in a sharehouse will ease the burden on your pursestrings. This sharehouse is also great for people who are thinking about living in a sharehouse for the first time. The famous Kansai University is just 2.5km away, accessible by a 10 or 15 minute bike ride. It's also most suitable for working men and women, with commuters being able to ride the Midosuji line from nearby Ryokuchi Koen station. If you're bored with your life living alone in a studio apartment, consider embarking on a new shared lifestyle at ABC House Takezono. A sharehouse with a rooftop, surrounded by the lush green hues of nature all the while living in the city. ABC House Takezono is a new property with a lot to offer, and I hope the current residents, as well as those who are yet to move in, help to nurture the house into becoming a new community within the Hokusetsu area.