Social Apartment Celebrates Its 20th Anniversary. A Special Winter Event to Say “Thank You” | SOCIAL NIGHT OUT

Lately, I can’t help but feel like the years are flying by faster and faster! There’s only a little time left in 2026. To wrap up the year, we’re hosting our major winter event, “SOCIAL NIGHT OUT,” at two venues in Tokyo and Osaka!

At Social Apartment, we host large-scale social events for residents every “summer” and “winter.” Residents from nearly 50 Social Apartment buildings come together to enjoy interactions that transcend the boundaries of their individual properties!

Last year, to celebrate Social Apartment’s “20th Anniversary,” we expressed our heartfelt “THANK YOU” to all our residents by offering delicious meals, social games, and a wealth of other activities.

Here’s a look back at last year’s hugely successful event, complete with plenty of photos!

Find the “other half” of your card and meet new friends

At large resident social events hosted by our company, such as SOCIAL NIGHT OUT, there are often many people attending for the first time or coming alone. It can take quite a bit of courage to say, “Nice to meet you!”…

So this time, we challenged all participants to a mission! The playing cards handed out to each person at registration were standard playing cards cut exactly in half—and each one was the “other half” of a card held by someone else in the venue. The mission was to find the person holding the other half of your card—the one with the same suit and number!

At first, the residents were hesitant to approach one another, but as their nerves gradually eased, we saw them actively striking up conversations and chatting animatedly.

Complete the stamp rally and spin the capsule toy machine!

This time, we set up four different stations at the venue.Participants who stopped by any of the four stations—" Time Slip," which traces the history of social apartments; " Message Board," which collects residents’ ideas and memories of their ideal social apartment; " Tsuna-gubon," which connects used books; and " Tiny Selfie," where you can take photos with a camera—received a stamp.Once you’ve completed the stamp rally, you can try your luck at the one-day-only “SOCIAL NIGHT OUT Gachagacha”!

Prizes included limited-edition T-shirts featuring a logo designed to commemorate our 20th anniversary, as well as special gifts from our hotels and restaurants nationwide…! From collaboration T-shirts and tote bags to aroma diffusers and sake cups, Global Agents presented these gifts to everyone as a heartfelt “Thank you!”

—Seeing the residents having a blast as they spun the gachagacha, excitedly asking, “What will I get?” made us feel just as excited and happy!

Take a trip back in time through our 20-year history! Race from the Heisei era to the Reiwa era~

It was 20 years ago that our first “Social Apartment,” Social Apartment Kamata, opened its doors. At that time, Facebook had just launched in Japan, and the popularity of social media platforms like mixi was expanding online connections.Fascinated by these “connections,” our CEO conceived the “Social Apartment”—a new residential format featuring a communal lounge as a “space” for social networking through housing—as an extension of “real-life living spaces.”

Alongside the 20-year history of Social Apartments, we’ve taken a look back at the trends and events that defined each year! It’s turned into a section where you can’t help but get a little “nostalgic”—one where you can almost hear people saying, “That brings back memories!” or “I remember that! I remember that!”

What is the next “ideal Social Apartment” that residents are hoping for?

The common areas of Social Apartments are well-equipped to match each property’s theme—featuring facilities like spaces for “BBQs,” “soundproof rooms” for music practice, “mirrored studios” for dance practice, and even “movie theaters.” I’m sure many of you have the impression that “a new one opens somewhere every year.”

So, we asked residents who actually live in social apartments, “In which ‘neighborhood’ would you like to see a social apartment? ” and “What kind of social apartment would you like? What’s your ideal SA? ” to help us capture their ideas for the next generation of social apartments!We also asked about their memories and personal changes, such as, “What comes to mind when you think of your ‘memories at Social Apartments’? ” and “ How have you changed since moving into a Social Apartment? ”

A One-Night-Only Used Bookstore Opens

As a special edition of the “Tsuna-gubon” series regularly held by the Social Good Neighbors Project, a one-night-only used bookstore opened its doors.Normally, participants bring one book to “exchange,” but this time, they were able to “gift” books—picking up any that caught their eye and taking them home. We also prepared some books with the titles concealed, and it seems participants discovered books that intrigued them or found words that resonated deeply, as many books found their way to new owners.

—What is Tsunagubon?
“Do you have any books gathering dust at home that you just can’t bring yourself to throw away?” Tsunagubon is an event where people bring those books together to exchange them—while enjoying tea, snacks, and conversation—and pass them on to their next owners.Because these are books you discover through others, you might catch a glimpse of worlds you would never have explored on your own—we look forward to your continued participation in “Tsuna-gubon,” an event that connects both books and people.

Let’s take a group photo!

We set up a special photo booth featuring a limited-edition “SOCIAL NIGHT OUT / 20th Anniversary” photo printer! It was a hugely popular spot that drew a large crowd—from people taking commemorative photos with friends from the building, to teammates who’d played games together, to those snapping spontaneous shots with people they’d just met at the venue!

We hope these photos serve as a lasting memento of the day we spent together.

—Believe it or not, when I visited a resident’s apartment later, I found the photos displayed on their refrigerator and walls! I was so, so happy! Let’s keep making lots of memories together!

We’re handing out another unofficial award! Who took home the “Best Dressed Award”?

The dress code this time was “BLACK / GOLD / SILVER” with a dressy twist! Since this was the big year-end party to wrap up the year, we wanted everyone to dress up and make it a glamorous occasion—that was our hope in organizing it.

Amidst all that, we decided to give our “unofficial awards” to two people who stood out the most!

The two winners of the Best Dressed Award received a “free stay” at one of our hotels nationwide! From hotels stretching from Hokkaido in the north to Okinawa in the south, the pair chose a “trip to Hokkaido.” We hope they’re enjoying a wonderful trip! ◎



▲ On a side note: We spotted last year’s Best Dressed Award winners too! They changed up their look from last year and joined us once again in stylish outfits~

It’s back! Get everyone in your building to join and aim for the “Most Participants by Building” Award!

Driven by our desire for everyone in your building to “join in together,” the “Most Participants per Building Award” is back! Since Social Apartment buildings vary in size, we calculated the “participation rate” based on the number of residents in each building who attended the event, and awarded prizes to the buildings with the highest participation rates in order.

Residents of the property that took first place in participation rate received a gift set featuring 20th-anniversary limited-edition rice and specially selected Japanese Black beef! We received wonderful feedback like, “We’ll all enjoy this together!” and “We’re planning a dinner party with the meat and rice!”

▲In the Kanto region, “Neighbors Ukima Park” took the prize

▲In the Kansai region, “Terminals Shin-Osaka,” which opened in 2025, took the prize

As we mark our 20th anniversary, and looking ahead,

Social Apartment was able to celebrate its “20th Anniversary” because our residents resonate with the Social Apartment lifestyle and have chosen to live here. We also feel this is thanks to the fact that, through this “lifestyle,” each resident connects with others and continues to fully enjoy the possibilities for interaction.

In 2026, we were able to open new properties, including “Neighbors Haneda,” as well as a hotel. Having expanded to 49 buildings and a community of approximately 3,000 people, Social Apartment looks forward to welcoming many more residents and offering new values and lifestyles through diverse interactions!

—Thank you so much for everything so far! And we look forward to your continued support!


▲ (Left) A former resident of Social Apartment Kamata (who now lives in another Social Apartment property) and (right) our CEO. The CEO seemed genuinely surprised to be able to speak with a resident who knew our first building—which no longer exists—and they enjoyed a lively conversation.

[ Editor’s Note ]

It has been 20 years since “Social Apartment Kamata,” our very first building, opened in 2006.In the Reiwa era, social media has become an integral part of daily life, but it was precisely in 2006 that Facebook first launched in Japan. Social connections, which were once limited to our immediate surroundings, have undergone a major transformation into a “new normal” where people can connect across countries and regions in the blink of an eye.

As a member of the “Zillennials” generation—who live straddling the line between analog and digital—I, too, have seen my previously limited social circle expand through my hobbies and interests, allowing me to diversify my connections into worlds with which I previously had no contact whatsoever.

If we have access to the systems and environments that foster connections, our relationships with others can expand endlessly, giving rise to new stories. With my heart racing at the “serendipity” of “this very moment”—a feeling unique to life in a social apartment—I look forward to meeting many more residents in the future.

—Well then, let’s meet again this year at our major winter event, “SOCIAL NIGHT OUT.”

(Planning: Kida, Ito / Text: Ito / Photos: Uchida, Hayashi)