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The rising “timed rental” economy in Japan: a new trend in otaku culture to celebrate characters’ birthdays
In recent years, there has been a wave of “timed rental” in Japan. Unlike traditional monthly or annual rentals, this form of rental is rented out by the hour, allowing tenants to use other people’s homes for a short period of time.
This trend has rapidly developed in the past three years, particularly popular among otaku culture enthusiasts who use these spaces to host birthday parties for their favorite characters or showcase their collections.
Timed Renting: A New Place to Celebrate Character’s Birthday
Many Japanese otaku (otaku culture enthusiasts) will hold carefully arranged birthday parties for their favorite anime characters. The living room is beautifully decorated, with models, dolls, and other peripheral products neatly arranged, showing love and intention.
However, due to limited personal living space, more and more people are choosing to rent “timed rental rooms” to decorate such activity venues.
These rented rooms are usually occupied by people, but the landlord rents them out to others on an hourly basis during periods when they are not at home.
This type of rental demand is said to have increased 18 times in the past three years.
How to rent a house on a timed basis?
Some homeowners, such as a gentleman who lives in a two bedroom apartment with his wife, choose to rent out the living room, kitchen, or part of the bedroom to others for use when they are out.
The homeowner stated that they started experimenting with this rental model two and a half years after purchasing the property, mainly because they worked away from home during the day and decided to rent out their unused space to earn extra income.
We started renting out this house 2 and a half years after we bought it
Because we all have to work and are often not at home, we decided to give it a try
Sometimes I have to go on a long trip or meet someone at a certain time
It’s also possible that when going to a coffee shop or gym, you lend your living room to someone else
The homeowner charges approximately 4000 yen per hour and can earn over 100000 yen in additional income within a month.
Sometimes it can be slightly over 100000 yuan per month
The Challenge of Timed Renting
Although this model provides an additional source of income, homeowners also need to regulate the entry of strangers into their living spaces. In order to make tenants feel comfortable and ensure that the items in the house are not damaged, landlords usually inform tenants in advance of rules such as which rooms can be used and the requirements for returning items after use.
However, for some homeowners, allowing strangers to step into their private spaces still requires some psychological adjustment.
The combination of otaku culture and timed rental housing
The rise of time-based rental housing provides a flexible and economical option, meeting the needs of Japanese otaku to hold birthday events for their characters and providing additional income opportunities for homeowners. This emerging economic model not only showcases the diversity of modern lifestyles, but also reflects the profound influence of otaku culture in Japanese society.