Instant Alert: Lonely Japanese millennials are setting their sights on a new type of living space: the social apartment

MANAGE SUBSCRIPTIONS   |   UNSUBSCRIBE   |   VIEW ONLINE   Lonely Japanese millennials are setting their sights on a new type of living space: the social apartment by Maiko Takigawa and Shigeru Sato on Dec 22, 2017, 12:39 PM Advertisement Communal living spaces known as social apartments are gaining popularity among Japanese millennials. They seek out shared living arrangements for affordable housing, as well as for company — some residents even meet their significant others living in this type of arrangement. Business Insider Japan visited one of these social apartments, located in central Tokyo. In central Tokyo, you’ll find “World Neighbors Gokokuji.” The “social apartment” is a multicultural, communal living environment that attracts those in their 20s and 30s. It used to be a college dormitory for female students. Global Agents, the operator of the social apartment, enjoyed revenue growth over the past year. In the year that ended March 31, 2017, its revenues increased by 40%. “Our target is those in the millennial generation because they want a rational and economic way of living, like sharing a larger space in a large shared apartment,” said Yukie Yoshida, from the communication design department at Global Agents. We visited World Neighbors Gokokuji to see the way millennials want to live: SEE ALSO: A café opened in Singapore that accepts bitcoin instead of cash and has a cryptocurrency ATM for people running low The social apartment houses about 170 residents, including a New York-born businessman and local Japanese university students. Social apartments are gaining popularity in Tokyo and other major cities in Japan largely thanks to Japanese millennials who seek racial and cultural diversity among their neighbors. At World Neighbors Gokokuji, up to 30% of the residents are non-Japanese. Since the earthquake in March 2011 that jolted northeastern Japan, crippled a nuclear power plant, and killed more than 15,000 people, younger people have seemed to want to live closely with others in a community to avoid feeling lonesome, Yoshida said. See the rest of the story at Business Insider   Share the latest business news with your network:    Email sent to: nguyenvu1187.love5@blogger.com   |   Manage your email preferences   |   Unsubscribe Terms of Service   |   Privacy Policy Business Insider. 150 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011