"Do you Limbo?"

It's really hard posting updates when you're in Real Estate Limbo. You want to talk about SOULS SAVED rather than square feet, and LIVES TOUCHED rather than whether the bathroom's going to end up right next to the pulpit. Nevertheless, in keeping with the name and nature of this blog, we will continue to pass along the unglamorous day-to-day ploddings of pioneering in a foreign country.

Here's a brief summary/recap of some of our near misses:

"Where, oh where, are you tonight?"

Oh how I loved this building! It was right on the street, first floor, big windows, plenty of neighbors (there was even a street festival going on when we looked at the property). And to top it off, it was only 15 minutes or so from Shibuya Crossing ("Cue stock footage of Shibuya!") -

What's not to like, eh? Sure it could be a little bigger, sure it could use another room for a nursery, but click on that video again - How can you argue with THAT?

Long story short - we were told: "If you can promise to keep the noise to a minimum and try not to have many people going in and out, we'll rent you the building". 

<GONG!> Ain't gonna happen! We're PENTECOSTAL - we LIVE for people and noise! So we left the ball in his court. Naturally, he then picked up his ball and went home. (Sigh)

That brings us to Rebound Girlfriend Building #2. This property is in Komazawa:

Mount Olympus

Nice, large room. In fact it's the whole 9th floor of the building. The elevator opens up right into the room (both cool and creepy at the same time). Large windows at both ends. Great view of a large school at one end, and of an overpass at the other... For some reason it reminded me of the Bottle City of Kandor - you look out the window, and instead of seeing the ground you see a freeway about 6 stories down. So at that angle, a sign in your window is not going to do that much good. Hmmm... How about something flashy down at the entrance? They said we were welcome to put all that we want on a small sandwich board, as long as it didn't block the other sandwich boards (note the first frame).

We could have the world's classiest high-tech sanctuary, but so what! If it's located in NARNIA, no one will ever find it! Even if they do, the wardrobe-like elevator only holds 4 people at a time, so you do the math - how many trips will it take (and how long) to get a congregation up to the 9th floor?

Then we went to look at a building in Nishi Shinjuku. The property is on the second floor, next to the elevator and the stairs. It is very well set-up, church-wise.

The Big Tease

It’s nearly twice as big as the Shibuya property. There’s a large, open carpeted room for a sanctuary, with doors at the very back, one leading directly to the foyer (a real foyer), the other to another room (office, nursery, prayer room). There are separate bathrooms for men and women. There is a kitchen area for fellowships (or Sunday School or a nursery). It’s 3 minutes from the Nishi Shinjuku train station.

The property is great, but the location itself is incredible. Wikipedia says:

"Shinjuku is a special ward located in Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative centre, housing the busiest train station in the world (Shinjuku Station) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration centre for the government of Tokyo. Nishi-Shinjuku is a notable area of Shinjuku that is home to Tokyo’s largest concentration of skyscrapers. Several of the tallest buildings in Tokyo are located in this area, including the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, KDDI Building and Park Tower. It is located west of Shinjuku Station." 

We’d be 3 minutes from the Nishi Shinjuku train station, and only a 15 minute walk from the busiest train station in the world. After our appointment, Lisa and I walked around the area for a few hours. In the evening, it is a sea of people, flowing from every direction – businessmen and students mostly, all getting off work around 7 pm, stopping to eat out or to get drunk before they take the last train home.

So, we make an offer, phone calls are made, emails are volleyed back and forth, we wait...... and the owner doesn't want to rent to a church!