Founder Interview Part 6｜From Share Houses to “Community Share Houses”

Good evening! I’m Yasuko Nagase, founder and CEO of Come on UP, one of the early pioneers of international share houses in Japan. Back in 2006, when the idea of a “share house” was still unfamiliar to many people in Japan, I started this journey. This is Part 6, the final chapter of my story.

Building Connections Through DIY Renovation

In 2012, the year after the Great East Japan Earthquake, we opened our first share house in the Kansai region by carrying out a large-scale renovation of an old house in Midoribashi, Osaka.

From there, we continued opening houses in Osaka and Kyoto. At the time of this interview, Come on UP operated nine houses in Osaka and three in Kyoto, each with its own friendly atmosphere.

More recently, we renovated a former small factory in Awaji, Osaka, turning it into a share house. Many parts of the renovation were done through DIY by our staff and residents, and one of the best things about it was how naturally people connected while working together.

Running share houses in different regions has also shown me that the atmosphere can vary between Kanto and Kansai. In Kanto, residents often tend to respect each other’s independence and focus more on their own lifestyles. In Kansai, there seems to be more interaction between residents, local communities, and even different share houses.

I find that difference fascinating.

Rethinking the Company After Becoming a Parent

On a personal note, I recently had my first child with my husband, five years after we got married.

Since becoming a parent, I have realized very strongly that:

“I can’t keep running Come on UP the same way I used to.”

In the past, I believed that if I worked hard enough and led from the front, somehow everything would work out. But with a child to care for, that is no longer possible.

I had always relied on energy and action to overcome challenges, but for the first time I experienced the frustration of realizing:

“There are things I want to do, but simply cannot.”

That made me think we needed to fundamentally change the way the company operates.

Instead of building a company that depends entirely on one founder and ends when that person steps away, I want to create a system where each staff member can use their own strengths, work in their own way, and help the company continue for many years—even without the president being involved in everything.

That is something we are now thinking about together as a team.

The Possibility of Living in a Share House as a Family

Based on my own experience, I would also like to explore the possibility of share houses designed for families.

My husband, our child, and I currently live in a share house in Kichijoji. Our family uses the first floor, while the housemates live on the second floor, giving both sides a certain level of privacy.

At first, my husband said:

“I want us to live just as a family.”

But I strongly disagreed.

I believed that instead of raising a child in a closed environment with only the three of us, it would be better for the child to grow up surrounded by other people who are not part of the immediate family.

Of course, it is not always easy. A baby crying at night, for example, could disturb other residents, and there are many possible challenges that you only understand after actually living together.

That is why we have also considered introducing a trial period. A family could live in the share house for a few months, share feedback with the residents, and then decide whether it feels right to officially move in.

Do Concept-Based Share Houses Really Work?

Share houses are gradually becoming a more established way of living in Japan.

In the ten years after Come on UP was founded, the number of share houses increased dramatically. Today, if you simply search for “share house,” you will find countless properties with different prices, styles, and concepts.

For a while, concept-based share houses became especially popular—such as houses specifically for artists or people interested in trains.

Come on UP was also interested in this idea, and we tried exploring concept-based houses ourselves.

But in reality, our feeling was:

“It doesn’t work as well as we expected.”

Why?

I think that for most people, the most important thing about home is first of all being able to relax and feel comfortable. Hobbies and outside activities come after that.

After many years of living in share houses myself and observing many different communities, one thing I have learned is:

“The people living in the house at that moment are what create its character.”

Rather than deciding the concept ourselves in advance, I often find it more interesting when the atmosphere develops naturally from the people who happen to live there.

From “Share House” to “Community Share House”

There seem to be two main reasons why people choose to live in a share house.

The first is practical: sharing can reduce housing costs and make daily life more efficient and sustainable. The second is social: having people around to talk to can make life more enjoyable and reassuring.

Going forward, I believe another important idea will be connection with the local area and community.

That is why we want to develop the concept of the “Community Share House.”

Looking further ahead, one of our goals is to create a franchise model for share house management. Ideally, passionate individuals would become the center of each local community, creating welcoming places in different regions.

If those communities could connect with one another and form a nationwide network, I would love to see that contribute to revitalizing local communities across Japan.

I also often tell our staff:

“Use Come on UP as a stepping stone and go out into the world.”

In many Japanese companies, the goal is to keep employees for as long as possible. At Come on UP, we think almost the opposite way.

For us, the goal is for people to eventually leave the nest.

I hope the staff who work hard with us can use what they learn here, start something of their own, and turn their own perspectives and ideas about society into something real.

From the Interviewer

Yasuko, thank you very much for taking the time to answer such a long interview so sincerely.

It was fascinating to hear the many dramatic turns in your journey and how each experience shaped Come on UP. We look forward to seeing how share houses—and the communities around them—continue to evolve alongside changes in society.