Vacant Room Turned "Manga Lounge" Helps Fill Empty Apartment Building in About 4 Months

Hide Management Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Aichi Prefecture, CEO: Hideki Endo) provides a 'Manga Lounge-style Vacancy Solution,' which utilizes common areas and vacant rooms in properties like apartments and student dorms to create comic lounges equipped with thousands of manga.

Our company doesn't just lend out manga. As a licensed real estate agency, we engage in the real estate business, providing integrated support from improving property value to recruiting tenants, taking into account the perspectives of property owners, management companies, brokerage firms, and prospective tenants. The service includes planning, book selection, and installation, as well as monthly delivery of new titles, replacement of works every three months, handling user requests, and compensation for loss or damage. Furthermore, we list properties that have introduced our service on the internet for free as 'properties with a comic corner,' matching them with prospective tenants seeking a living environment with manga. We have a track record of managing approximately 2.5 million books in over 1,000 commercial facilities nationwide, including spa and lodging facilities.

Thinking Beyond Installation, Because We're a Real Estate Company

When considered as a vacancy solution, simply installing books is not enough. The important perspectives are: - Does it appeal to visitors during property viewings? - Is it easy for real estate agents to introduce? - Will it continue to be used after moving in, leading to increased tenant satisfaction? - Can it enhance the property's appeal for tenant recruitment?

As a licensed real estate agency, we design the comic lounge not just as a common facility, but as a comprehensive vacancy solution that connects to property viewings, tenant services, property differentiation, and tenant recruitment. We propose the optimal number of books, selection, and installation method based on the property's location, age, number of units, resident demographics, and surrounding environment.

Case Study 1: A Property with 9 out of 14 Rooms Vacant Became Fully Occupied in About 4 Months

At 'Floral Court Mihama,' a 14-unit rental property in Aichi Prefecture, 9 units were vacant. In November 2023, one of the vacant rooms was converted into a resident-exclusive comic lounge where about 4,000 manga can be read freely. This reduced the number of rentable units to 13, but by March 2024, about four months after implementation, all 13 units were occupied. During this period, there were no major changes to the rent, leasing conditions, or management company. This is a case where turning a room that should generate rent into a shared space led to an increase in the overall value and occupancy rate of the property.

Case Study 2: JR West Properties Co., Ltd.'s 'Seishin Kōjidai Mio'

On July 1, 2025, we delivered a comic lounge with approximately 6,000 manga for residents to 'Seishin Kōjidai Mio,' a rental property in Kobe City, Hyogo, operated by JR West Properties Co., Ltd. The purpose of the installation is to improve tenant services. It has now become a relaxing place where residents of all ages, from children to adults, gather on weekends. Mr. Kenta Takaishi of JR West Properties commented, 'I felt it would be content that could compete with new buildings in the neighborhood,' and 'It became a space where I would want to live.' Interest from tenants was high immediately after opening, and it was so well-received that the management company even suggested it could generate revenue if it were a paid service. There are also plans for participatory projects, such as soliciting a name for the library space from residents, aiming to create a shared space that residents nurture together.