Houses in NZ

Houses are very important for us, because we live in our house and we go back home everyday, so they ought to be comfortable for us. This paper researched houses of Auckland and Kumamoto. There are some differences between houses in Auckland and houses in Kumamoto. Those differences are due to climate, customs and so on.

In Auckland houses, are there many rooms? Are the houses cold in winter? What should people do when they take a shower in Auckland? There are many things that we should know about Auckland’s houses. To answer these, questionnaire was taken of 24 students about their host family’s homes.

Section 2 of this paper will show about houses in Kumamoto, concentrating on new things about Japanese-style houses. What do people usually have in Japanese-style houses? What do people usually do in Japanese-style houses? Section 3 will talk about homes in New Zealand. Finally, this paper will discuss differences and similarities of houses in Auckland and Kumamoto.


First, most Japanese-style houses have tatamis. They are Japanese-style mat which are made of straw. Because of tatami, we don’t feel cold in winter, and we don’t feel hot in summer. People feel comfortable by tatamis. Tatamis can also be a measure of area in a room. We can know how large a room is easily. These are good points of tatami. One bad point of tatami though, is that straw can get on people’s clothes when they sit down on the old tatami.

Some Japanese houses have a kotatsu (a low, covered table with a heat source underneath) in winter. It makes us warm, so many people like it even cats in Kumamoto. But some people don’t like it, because it is too warm and comfortable, so they feel sleepy, then they sleep in the kotatsu. If you have to do some things, you should not enter it.

All people sleep in beds in Auckland, but some people sleep in futon in Kumamoto. They have to put futon down on a floor every night, and they have to put away it every morning. Futons are healthier than beds, because beds are too soft for people, so it is bad for their back. Futons are also cleaner than beds, because we tend to neglect cleaning of beds, but we can clean a futon and a sheet easily.

Most Japanese houses have a lock on the door of the toilet and bathroom. We sometimes knock on the door when we want to enter the room. If someone is in the room, it is locked. It is normal in Kumamoto. We usually close doors of all rooms in Kumamoto.


There are some differences between Kumamoto’s houses and Auckland’s houses. However one similarity is that in New Zealand, we have to remove our shoes before entering my host family’s house. Surprisingly, it is the same in Japan, even though we may think that New Zealanders enter their house with their shoes on, but according to my questionnaire, many Auckland people don’t remove their shoes, so my host family’s house was special in Auckland.

Also according to my questionnaire, most Auckland houses have carpets in all the rooms, so people were not cold without shoes in winter in Auckland. My room doesn’t have a heater in Auckland, but there is a heater outside of my room open. The next room is a study room. Almost always we keep the door of our room. My room also has a thick carpet. Those things make us warmer.

Second, my host family’s house has many bedrooms, because there are many people; father, mother, 2 brothers, 1 daughter, 4 students and me when I stayed in the house. According to my questionnaire, many houses have many rooms in Auckland, but in most houses, there are only one or two televisions there, so if we want to watch television, we stay together in one room. In Auckland, 40% of the houses from my questionnaire don’t watch television in dinner time. We enjoy our conversation at dinner. Also, if people are in their room, they don’t close the door of their room in many Auckland houses. They always open their room door except when they sleep, so they can talk whenever they want to talk someone.

Third, my host family’s house has 3 bathrooms. According to my host mother, she needs them, because she has 3 children and some students to study in New Zealand. We usually have one bathroom in Japan. Also, there is no bathtub in my host family’s house. Japanese people usually take a bath, but they can only take a shower. However, according to my questionnaire, most houses have a bathtub in the bathroom. Besides; water is very valuable in New Zealand, so we have to take a shower a little time. According to my questionnaire, many bathrooms don’t have a key in Auckland houses. If the bathroom’s door is closed, no one comes in there.

Finally, according to the questionnaire, most New Zealand husbands cook dinner at home. It is very good thing, because many Japanese husband don’t housework. Also, most houses have a dishwasher in New Zealand. It is useful for us, because we don’t have to wash dishes. Surprisingly, most New Zealander don’t rinse after wash pans or dishes with washing-up liquid when they don’t use a dishwasher in New Zealand.


This paper found some interesting differences between houses in Auckland and houses in Kumamoto. People have tatami and kotatsu in houses of Kumamoto, but people have carpets in houses of Auckland. People have futon in houses of Kumamoto, but people have beds in houses of Auckland. People close doors of rooms in houses of Kumamoto, but Auckland’s people don’t close doors except when they sleep in their house. People have a lock on the bathroom in houses of Kumamoto, but people don’t have a key for any rooms in houses of Auckland. In fact, some houses don’t even have bathrooms. The way of washing dishes or pans is also quite different.

This paper has found some amazing things about Auckland houses. There are many differences between houses in Auckland and houses in Kumamoto, but both of them have good points.

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Marriage

Marriage is a dream of girls. I want to marry to good man someday. Good man is...kind, handsome, rich, not angry and kind person. I want to meet the man. I want to hold a wedding ceremony in Disney Land! I really like there, and wedding ceremony is very important, so I want to hold it with Mickey and Minnie. :-) If I will have held it there, I must be memorizing it!

(73 words)

Typing-13: Summer vacation plans

I like summer!!!! I like beach, summer festival, fireworks and watermelons. I want to go beach and summer festival many times, but I can’t. Because I will go to New Zealand for study from August to September. New Zealand is winter now. So I can’t go beach. But I’m looking forward to see my host family. My host family has a cat. I like cats, so I want to see the cat. I will study English in there. I will try to speak English as much as I can. I want to go shopping in there. I will enjoy in there. I will go summer festival and beach in July!! I want to finish exams early!!!

(116 words)

Typing-12: What I think about blogging

I think to write blog in English is good for me. I could have chance to use English. Blogging is interesting, because I can show some pictures and my life. I often forget what to do the day, so blogging is important for me. I can remember what to do every day by my blogs. But sometimes I don’t like blogging, because I’m lazy. I am not a diligent, so I felt bother to write blogs. I am not good at writing English long words. It is difficult that I write 10,000 words in this semester. I will try to hard it.

(102 words)

Typing-11: All about my keitai

My cellular phone is DOCOMO SH905i. It is pink. I like pink, so I bought this cellular phone. It has many functions. I can watch TV in this cellular phone. I can listen to music. My cellular phone’s picture writing (Emoji) is very cute! So I can decorate my e-mail. I can enjoy exchanging e-mail with my friends. There are many pictures and important mails in my cellular phone, so it is my treasure. I bring it when I go everywhere. I always have it. It is connection with my friends. I can’t live without my cellular phone!

(98 words)

Typing-10: Using the computer, good points and bad points

I am using computer almost every day, because I have to write blogs or any reports. Computer has good points and bad points. Computer is very convenient to collect information in the internet. It has many web sites, so we can find many things what we want to know in web sites. However, I think there are some bad points for us to use computers. we are tired when we use computer for a long time. We may have a stiff neck. I think those are bad points. We should take care when we use the computer, because our eyes are tired too.

(103 words)

Typing-8: Foreign countries

I went to Perth in Australia when I was high school student. Perth was summer at that time. I don’t like hot weather, because summer is very muggy in Kumamoto. But Perth was very comfortable to live. Australian foods were very disgusting, I think. But host mother cooked me dinner. It was delicious. There were many kangaroos in Australia. They were so cute! I looked Koalas. Koalas smell bad. I like Australia! I want to go to America next, because I want to eat American chocolates!

(86 words)

typing-7: My other classes

I will introduce my other class. I take PE class, so I play soccer every week. I don’t like to play soccer and watching soccer, but I have to take this class. Then, there are no girls! This class has only boys. I disappointed. BUT I take the class every week, because I want to get a credit. I don’t like soccer, but the class’ teacher is very kind. He is Kumamoto University’s teacher. He plays soccer very well. He teaches me how to play soccer.

(86 words)

Typing-6: How I study English

I like English, because I like to speak someone. Usually, I study English to memorize English words. I am not good at memorizing, but I try to it. I took a test of TOEFL, so I studied for it too. Sometimes I watch TV program which is English conversation. It is useful to study English and it is interesting. I have best way to study English! It is taking to my friends in English. Sometimes we talk to in English. It is funny, but it is very nice to study English for me.

(93 words)

Typing-5: Food and eating habits

I love to eat especially sweets. Sweets make me happy. I like cakes, parfaits, custard puddings, chocolates and so on. I went cakes Viking with my friend. Viking means that you can eat anything as much as you can. I ate many cakes, probably about 10 cakes. I was so full. I didn't move a little time. I often go to eat some Viking. I like it, because I can eat only favorite foods. I like eating!!

(78 words)

Typing HW#4

Golden Week plan

I want to go to Tokyo Disney Land in my free days. I have a part-time job, so I can't go there. And I also don't have enough money to go to there. My Golden Week plan is to watch movie that is "Detective CONAN". I really like CONAN!! Now, we can watch CONAN's new movie. I will go to Hikari-no-Mori's cinema place. I want to eat charamel popcorn when I watch the movie.

(81words)

Typing HW #2

Music I like

I like listening to and siging music. I always listen to music in my car. I often listen to Kato Miriya's songs. I especially like "19 memories". This song is sad and painful song. I also go to karaoke a lot. I usually sing Otsuka Ai. She is pretty. Her songs make me happy. I like foreign music. I listen to R&B and Hip-Hop in foreign music. I like Sean Kingston, Chris Brown, T-Pain and so on. No music, NoLife!!!

(87words)

Typing HW #1

First Classes

I have many classes in 2nd grade. I cannot to get up early, so I don't like 1st period! Wednesday and Thursday are from 2nd period. I like those days. I like Chinese class too. It is interesting for me, because I can image to go to Auckland! I want to go to NZ soon. I have to study English and Japanese culture more.

(65words)

Typing HW #0

Spring Vacation

I went to Oita with my boyfriend, Makoto in my spring vacation. First, we went to African Safari. It is animals' amusement park in Oita. We saw many big animals, lions, elephants, giraffes, bears. I felt be in Africa!! Second, we took a hot spring bath. Beppu’s hot spring is very famous in Japan. Oita was very nice and animal place.

(62words)