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Ikea Japan offering fully furnished apartment to rent for less than a dollar a month

Katie Pask Nov 24, 2021
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The apartment, which comes complete with Ikea furniture, is being leased by a giant shark.

Swedish homewares chain Ikea may be best known for its low-priced furniture, but now it seems they may be venturing into other areas, namely real estate. In a recent social media post, Ikea announced that they’ve designed a new apartment that will be available to rent. Of course, the apartment comes decked with Ikea furniture, and the monthly rent is just 99 yen (US$0.86).

To put that into context, renting an apartment from Ikea will cost you less than ordering a single smile from McDonald’s.

▼ The floor plan for the Ikea apartment

皆さん、間取り図って見てるだけでワクワクしませんか？ぼくはそうです🦈特にこの狭い部屋…ずっと眺めていられる…アイデア膨らむ…というわけで、このお部屋、月々99円で入居者を募集します！11/24（水）から📅#イケア家具付き物件 https://t.co/ki0gXJpw1h pic.twitter.com/MU9iSExNoy

— IKEA Japan（イケア・ジャパン） (@IKEA_Campaign) November 22, 2021

Of course, if you were expecting a luxurious, spacious pad, think again as the apartment is just 10 square meters (107 square feet) wide, but with two levels, it’s technically double the size of the tiny huts released by Japanese chain Muji back in 2017.

The two levels are connected by a stepladder — the first floor is where you find the entrance, kitchen area (with space for a washing machine), bathroom and toilet, whereas the upper loft space is the sleeping/living area.

The apartment is part of a project called ‘Tiny Homes’, in which Ikea promotes the idea that even if you live in a tiny apartment, there are still ways to make it a comfortable and happy place to live.

▼ Ikea posted a teaser trailer for their apartment

The campaign is fronted by Ikea’s ‘Tiny Homes’ spokesperson Blåhaj, who, on top of his new real estate duties, is also a wildly popular stuffed shark toy that you can buy at Ikea stores worldwide. He has been appearing in a number of promotional videos for the Tiny Homes campaign, which explain the design process behind the Ikea apartment.

▼ Blåhaj hard at work promoting the new apartment

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by IKEA Japan（イケア・ジャパン） (@ikeajapan)

There is a small catch, however — the apartment will only be available to rent for a limited time, namely until January 15, 2023, so this would have to be a short-term plan for any potential tenants. The apartment is also only available in Tokyo’s Shinjuku area, although the specific location has not been disclosed.

Japan is a country that’s no stranger to small, narrow living spaces, but even some commenters were surprised at the size of Ikea’s offering.

“It’s more like a rabbit hutch, not a home.”
“I think these kinds of small apartments will become more popular in the future.”
“I’d use this as a second home or a space for storage.”
“If this was used as a hotel or something, I could understand. But for living in? There’s no room for storage, so it’s impossible.”

Those wishing to try out Ikea’s tiny apartment can apply via Ikea’s website, and you will need to be an Ikea Family member to be able to apply. Be sure to apply soon, though, as the deadline is December 3!

We wish Ikea had thought of this sooner though, before we spent all our money on the SoraHouse.

Source: Ikea Japan
Images: PR Times
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