I started my own business with freelance and social apartment members who have been working alone all their lives.

Social apartments are attractive because they allow people to enjoy interacting with others at their own pace while cherishing their private time. With about 50 buildings mainly in the Tokyo metropolitan area, these exchange-style rental apartments are gaining popularity among people in their 20s and 30s.

This time, we interviewed Takuya Hirato, who has been living in "Social Apartment Komae," a 15-minute walk from Komae Station on the Odakyu Odawara Line and based on the concept of Northern Europe, for four years.

He recently launched a new business with his friends at Social Apartment Komae (!). We asked him about his daily life and what he is currently working on.

People I met at Social Apartment who have their own axis.

Please tell us why you decided to live in a social apartment.

Mr. Hirato:

To be frank, it was because I ended my cohabitation with the person I was in a relationship with at the time. I was not motivated to live alone and had been living in a large house for about six months. Then I heard from a childhood friend that he had moved into a social apartment, so I went to visit to see what it was like.

I had never been to Komae Station before, but when I visited Social Apartment Komae for the first time, I felt the warmth of the people living there, like a family.

It didn't take me long to decide to move in. Before moving in together, I had been traveling around the country guiding tourists from overseas, and I had a vague idea that I wanted to meet new people.

Since your childhood friend was living there, I guess it was easy for you to imagine what it would be like to live there. How do you feel now that you actually live here?

Mr. Hirato:

Until then, I was living a life where I was out drinking every night. Of course I was having fun, but I always had the feeling that nothing had been updated. Even when I tried to reach out to new people, the relationships were thin and didn't seem to last long.

But since coming to Social Apartment, I have been able to spend quality time with people I truly consider my friends. There are many people here who have a clear idea of their own axis. They can speak clearly about their visions for the future and the reasons why they moved to Social Apartment. They can consciously make decisions that are positive for themselves without being influenced by their surroundings. Because we are a group of such people, it is interesting to talk with them.

Each of us has a variety of values, so it is also fun to learn everyone's story. When I look at a person again after learning his or her background, sometimes it becomes clear to me, "That's why he or she acts in this way! I sometimes find myself thinking, "That's why they do what they do!

The people who live in Social Apartment Komae are really nice people. There are 44 households in total, which is about the same number of people as in one class, so there is a sense of family here compared to other properties. We call on the whole group to eat together at one table, and we all go out to play together. I am not good at remembering people's names, but I feel the number of people is just right.

Working with residents on new projects. What is the reason?

I heard that you are working on a business with your friends at Social Apartment. What kind of service is it?

Mr. Hirato:

What I am working on now is an inbound travel service based on the concept of "making your spare time entertaining. I spent my college years abroad and worked as a guide for a travel agency after entering the workforce, so I have a desire to let people overseas know more about Japan.

There are various problems nowadays, such as the overconcentration of people in popular tourist spots, which causes overtourism, and the lack of guides for tourists visiting from abroad.

In addition, I think that people overseas have too much time on their hands when traveling. Especially for people in Europe, where travel time is far from home, even five minutes is too short. It would be a waste of time to waste it on books that can be read anywhere, chatting with the same people, or watching YouTube.

That is why we envision a service where English speakers or those who are studying English can learn about geography, history, and culture, and spend time with travelers during their travel time.

In the end, I believe that the experience is only as good as who you share it with. So spending time with someone who knows more about Japan will make the experience even more wonderful. We also have Talk Cards that allow you to chat about specific topics during the trip, and Event Cards that suggest "Let's take a picture at this place! I would like to create a mechanism that allows people to fully enjoy their trip to Japan.

This is a very innovative service. What made you decide to do this with the members of Social Apartment?

Mr. Hirato:

I have always worked alone. I quit the company I joined after graduating within 3 days, and I had been allowed to work freely as a travel guide, so I had a strong feeling that I could do anything by myself, and that I was the only one I could trust.

This is how I came to realize the goodness of my fellow workers through Social Apartment. By being deeply involved with others, I began to think, "This person can do something I can't do! I began to think, "This person can do something I can't do!

Now, starting with Social Apartment Komae, I am building a business by utilizing the skills that each person at the other properties has. We have people here who can do so many different things, such as video editing, designing, and creating documents.

We have also asked people who work for railroad companies, people who work at hotels, travel influencers, and people from overseas who have immigrated to Japan for their opinions, and we have mobilized all kinds of people to create our service. We also recently registered a corporation.

I understand that there are members not only from Komae but also from other social apartments.

Mr. Hirato:

That's right. This is my fourth year living here, and I originally planned to leave after one or two years. But after two years, I started visiting other apartments, and the community started to expand even more. I didn't expect to meet so many different people. I like this environment so much that I plan to stay here for a while.

It's a lot of fun to work together with everyone on a project. The time we spend gathering in the common area and exchanging ideas about what we should do is something that can only be done in a social apartment.

I think it is difficult to convey the social apartment lifestyle to people who have not experienced it. So, I hope to convey the goodness of Social Apartment to the outside world by communicating that I am working on a project with everyone.

Make the experiences that make your heart dance into memories that you want to share.

Lastly, do you have a message for those who are thinking about moving into a social apartment?

Mr. Hirato:

If you have a hobby or something outstanding, I would like you to get involved in it. Whether it is sports, chess, or cooking, it should lead to enjoying it with your friends, teaching each other, or working together like I do.

Also, the business we are working on is also looking for people to join us. I am always looking for people who share my concept of "making the experiences that dance in your heart into memories that you want to share". I am always in Komae (laugh), so I would be happy to talk with you.

If you are interested, please come and take a look around! It may seem like a hurdle to open the door of the lounge at first, but I am sure you will feel the warmth.

Interview and writing by Yuki Ishikawa

Photo by Muneaki Yokota