Converting Rental Apartments to Hotel Specifications: Launch of New Brand 'KYŌ RESIDENCE' Turning the 'Supply Shortage' in the Era of 42.68M Inbound Tourists into Profit Opportunities

Key facts

  • Converting Rental Apartments to Hotel Specifications: Launch of New Brand 'KYŌ RESIDENCE' Turning the 'Supply Shortage' in the Era of 42.68M Inbound Tourists into Profit Opportunities
  • JA Mitsui Leasing Buildings and Concept K will pre-open 'KYŌ RESIDENCE Shinjuku Yoyogi' in July 2026, the first of a new serviced apartment brand targeting inbound tourists and overseas business professionals. By fully renovating existing residential apartments and maximizing living space, the project presents a new real estate investment model that achieves profitability roughly double the market rent.
  • Source: PR Times
  • Date: May 25, 2026

Direct answer

JA Mitsui Leasing Buildings and Concept K will pre-open 'KYŌ RESIDENCE Shinjuku Yoyogi' in July 2026, the first of a new serviced apartment brand targeting inbound tourists and overseas business professionals. By fully renovating existing residential apartments and maximizing living space, the project presents a new real estate investment model that achieves profitability roughly double the market rent.

Citation
Converting Rental Apartments to Hotel Specifications: Launch of New Brand 'KYŌ RESIDENCE' Turning the 'Supply Shortage' in the Era of 42.68M Inbound Tourists into Profit Opportunities (May 25, 2026), PR Times
Source
PR Times
Date
May 25, 2026
JA Mitsui Leasing Buildings and Concept K will pre-open 'KYŌ RESIDENCE Shinjuku Yoyogi' in July 2026, the first of a new serviced apartment brand targeting inbound tourists and overseas business professionals. By fully renovating existing residential apartments and maximizing living space, the project presents a new real estate investment model that achieves profitability roughly double the market rent.
新製品NQ 85/100出典:PR Times

📋 Article Processing Timeline

  • 📰 Published: May 25, 2026 at 19:00
  • 🔍 Collected: May 25, 2026 at 10:31
  • 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 25, 2026 at 10:50 (19 min after Collected)
JA Mitsui Leasing Buildings Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President: Masaki Kudo; hereinafter 'JA Mitsui Leasing Buildings') and Concept K Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President: Kohei Taki; hereinafter 'Concept K') will pre-open 'KYŌ RESIDENCE Shinjuku Yoyogi' in July 2026. This is the first property under 'KYŌ RESIDENCE,' a high-quality serviced apartment brand planned and developed by Concept K for inbound tourists and overseas business professionals.

This project presents a new investment model that fully renovates existing rental apartments to address the structural supply shortage in the '1 to 3 months mid-to-long term stay' market in central Tokyo. This release introduces the rationale behind the investment design and its market potential.

This project is the first release leading up to a grand opening in September 2026, with plans to unveil additional premium units in the future.

▼ KYŌ RESIDENCE Official Website
WEB: https://kyo-residence.jp/

KYŌ RESIDENCE Shinjuku Yoyogi

■ Focus | Structural Supply Shortage in Central Tokyo's 'Long-Term Stay Market'
The number of inbound foreign visitors recorded an all-time high of over 42.68 million in 2025. The upward trend continues, reaching an estimated 3.62 million in a single month in March 2026 (JNTO estimate), and the shift in stay formats from 'goods consumption' to 'experience consumption (experience/stay type)' is evident. Driven primarily by Westerners staying for weeks or months, and 'bleisure' (business + leisure) travelers combining business trips with vacations, the demand for serviced apartments offering greater privacy and living freedom than standard hotels is rapidly increasing.

According to data from the foreigner-oriented platform operated by E-HOUSING, a shareholder of Concept K, reservation inquiries for serviced apartments listed over one year reached approximately 8,200. Of these, about 72% are for 'within 90 days' and 87% for 'within 180 days,' indicating short-to-mid term stay needs. By country of demand, the US and Canada are the most common, followed by France, Germany, and other Western countries. However, roughly one-third of inquiries are lost to hotels due to a lack of vacancy information and complex screening processes, creating significant lost opportunities due to a shortage of high-quality mid-term stay products.

■ Features of the Investment Design | High-Yield Model via 'Maximization of Disposable Space'
The core of this project is to reconstruct traditional rental apartment designs (which emphasize storage and plumbing) to match the 'behavioral patterns of short-to-mid term stayers.' By eliminating dead space (excessive storage, hallways, tatami rooms) and consolidating it into the main living space (LDK), an 'overwhelming sense of spaciousness' is created within a limited area. Through redefining space, changing the target demographic, and altering the rental method, a value-add model has been constructed that achieves profitability with a rent per tsubo roughly twice the conventional market rate.

Furthermore, by sequentially advancing construction and conversion to serviced apartments (SA) while existing tenants remain, yields can be gradually improved while securing rental income. In the future, flexible exit strategies can be drawn, such as rebuilding after full SA (fixed-term lease) conversion or converting to a hotel depending on zoning regulations.

■ Concept K's Strength | In-House Integrated System by '4 Companies as ONE TEAM'
Behind the high investment performance is an in-house structure vertically integrated by the four shareholder companies, ensuring investment planning, finance, design, and leasing functions are not outsourced. By eliminating information asymmetry, middle-man cost margins, and speed loss caused by relying on third parties, the team realizes consistent decision-making from an investor's perspective and strict product quality control.

[Functions / Company in Charge / Strengths & Track Record]
- Investment Planning/Produce: Marketing Realty LLC. Track record in value-add for multiple assets targeting institutional investors. Development of next-generation assets fusing unique marketing and real estate investment logic.
- Finance/AM: W & Company LLC. Possesses strong industry networks and project finance capabilities, with extensive experience with institutional investors.
- Branding, Design/Construction Management/Operations: BARE NOTE STUDIO Inc. Operates 25 locations of 'illi Stays,' boutique hotels optimized for group stays. Has the know-how to maximize spatial value, achieve ADR/OCC far exceeding industry standards, and gain high satisfaction despite unmanned operations.
- Marketing Strategy/Leasing: E-HOUSING Inc. Operates a powerful rental platform for foreigners. Utilizing a unique algorithm, it has acquired over 10,000 cumulative inquiries through SNS content without advertising costs (over 200 million content views). Direct customer acquisition power generating about 1,500 SA inquiries monthly.

FAQ

What is the 'KYŌ RESIDENCE' brand?

It is a high-quality service apartment brand developed by Concept K, targeting visiting foreigners and international business professionals. The first project, 'KYŌ RESIDENCE Shinjuku Yoyogi,' is scheduled to open in July 2026.

Who is the target audience for 'KYŌ RESIDENCE'?

The target audience is primarily Westerners staying for weeks to months, and blenders (business + leisure) who combine business trips with vacations, focusing on those who desire '1-3 month mid-term stays'.

Why did you develop service apartments for mid-term stays?

Due to the increasing number of visiting foreigners, data from E-HOUSING shows that about one-third of inquiries for service apartments are lost to hotels due to a lack of availability. This shortage of high-quality mid-term stay options results in significant missed opportunities.

What is the reason for the high profitability in the investment model of 'KYŌ RESIDENCE'?

By maximizing disposable space through the reduction of excessive storage and unused areas in existing rental apartments, and concentrating on the main living space (LDK), 'KYŌ RESIDENCE' achieves rental yields approximately double the traditional market rate.

What is the strength of Concept K's organizational structure?

The strength lies in the in-house integrated system established by four shareholder companies: Marketing Realty, W & Company, BARE NOTE STUDIO, and E-HOUSING. This system vertically integrates investment planning, finance, design, and leasing, eliminating intermediate margins and information asymmetry.