When her mother passed away, a 59-year-old single woman was struck with a sense of absolute loneliness.
"There were times when I didn't speak to anyone on weekends, and I felt a sense of crisis, thinking I shouldn't live on like this," said the woman, a Japanese language teacher who asked not to be named.
She moved in to what is known as a collective house, a concept similar to a shared house but one that offers a little more privacy. Collective houses typically have a common living and dining space but private bathrooms and kitchens.