
In these cash-strapped times, wouldn’t it be great to move into a brand-new house and not have to pay security fees or rent for two years? Wouldn’t be even better if it were a house built entirely to your specification and tastes?
Home building agency SuMiKa and employment website Wantedly are working to make that a reality for three lucky people with a unique promotional event. Anyone who enters could win a chance to design a house and live in it rent-free for two years.
To enter you must go through the Wantedly website using your Facebook account. From there SuMiKa will select three people and send “offer letters.” These people can meet with the agency to discuss their share house desires. If all goes well, the building will proceed.
When it’s complete you can move in and live there without paying any rent whatsoever for two years. On top of that you also don’t have to pay any deposits or the landlord gratuity known as key money, which anyone who rents in Japan can tell you can add up to a fair chunk of change.
SuMiKa provided three examples of the “ideal share house” to give people an idea of what they can do.
■ Nature Share House
Live off the grid in this green share house with vegetation growing all inside and out of it. Powered by solar lighting and conveniently located in Tokyo, you can even grow your own food at home.
■ Cat Share House
This house is designed with a cat’s comfort in mind. Perches and litter boxes conveniently located throughout guarantee that a furry feline friend will always be in reach of cat-loving residents.
■ Nudist Share House
Don’t hide anything with this wall-free design where tenants can let it all hang out and live free of shame. Once the heavy burden of clothes is lifted, your mind can truly be free to pursue other interests.
Although these are only example ideas, SuMiKa attached Facebook likes and Twitter links to each one. The Nudist Share House was a clear winner with 525 likes while the Cat and Nature Share Houses trailed with 124 and 156 likes respectively.
The Nudist Share House does seem intriguing. Considering it’s a share house, this could be a good way to repel potential roommates and keep the whole place to yourself. However, it also has the potential to backfire terribly. Perhaps these ideas could better achieve a free house to yourself with less risk.
■ Gangnam Style Share House
Live life in true Gangnam Style with this home which plays Psy’s smash hit 24 hours a day in every room on an endless loop. Perfect for those studying the Korean language, or at least the few dozen words in Gangnam Style. Dun dun dun nuhnuhnuh♪
■ Lucky Lock Share House
Great for puzzle fans, each tenant is given a janitorial caliber key ring with 100 different keys and every door is fitted with locks that change randomly. Learn to slow your life down and smell the roses while you finger through your jingly treasure.
Of course, these would have negative consequences for you too, but it’s a small price to pay for a free use of a free house. Go ahead, make a cool one and have to share it with a bunch of schlubs.









Japanese interior micro-houses and study spaces: Great for work-at-home professionals, kids too
The pros and cons of living in a share house in Tokyo instead of an apartment
Anybody want to live rent-free in a house in a Japanese beach town for two years?
Have Japan’s “share houses” become a target for women seeking gaijin baby daddies?
12-year-old British girl who went missing in Tokyo found safe after visiting anime sites around Yokohama
Stay at a hotel with a bed for your plushie in Japan
Japan’s Rabbit Island in danger of becoming Boar Island, tourists asked to follow feeding rules
Japanese gacha machine in Shibuya now sells tiny capsule terrariums
Visiting Japan’s muscular mascot character dog at his free museum near Kansai International Airport
Best burger in Tokyo? JB’s serves up a cheap craft burger that not a lot of people know about
Study finds hundreds of people in Indonesia legally named after Naruto, Inuyasha, other anime stars
12-year-old foreign tourist missing in Japan, police asking for help finding her [Video]
Time-lapse footage shows just how fast rebuilding in Kumamoto can go
Body of missing foreign tourist in Japan found floating off coast of town he was last seen in
Studio Ghibli adds new Jiji’s baby plush toy to its anime merchandise range in Japan
The Japanese city where ordering grilled chicken doesn’t guarantee you’ll actually get chicken
Japan’s new beer glass is designed to force you to drink…water [Video]
Japanese airlines set to cut fuel surcharges for international flights in September and October
Beautiful off-the-beaten-path spot near samurai castle in rural Japan looks like a Monet painting
New Japanese vending machine at Shinkansen station sells cups of ice on platform
This beautiful rural Japan river is a great alternative to touristy summer retreats [Photos]
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japan now has human refrigerators inspired by Japanese vending machines
New Shinkansen luggage drop-off system begins in Japan, making train travel even easier
Hatsune Miku collaborates with Hokusai’s art in new Vocaloid ukiyo-e illustration series [Pics]
Studio Ghibli releases anime T-shirts that pay homage to one of Hayao Miyazaki’s most personal films
Air-conditioned dress shirts arrive in Japan to save working professionals from sweltering heat
Japanese Shinkansen becomes an overnight hotel for three nights this summer
Pokémon Center Online designates first Pokémon items that will require Japanese ID card to buy
Japanese toilet aims to attract foreign tourists but not everybody is happy about it
99-year-old woman rescued while attempting to climb Mt. Fuji
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】