lifestyle

Anybody want to live rent-free in a house in a Japanese beach town for two years?

22 Comments
By Casey Baseel, RocketNews24

It’s hard to find a much classier town in Japan than Kamakura. Located on the coast of Kanagawa Prefecture, the city is most famous for its Great Buddha statue, seen in countless travel and cultural guidebooks, but that’s only the most well-known of the many historically significant sites in temple– and shrine-studded Kamakura. The close proximity of the mountains and the sea make the town a great place for nature lovers, yet it’s still less than a half-hour by train from cosmopolitan Yokohama, and even Tokyo is under 45 minutes away.

But perhaps the greatest thing about Kamakura is that, if you’re lucky enough to be chosen by interior goods company Mujirushi Ryohin (also known as Muji), you could live there for free.

Mujirushi already sells a wide variety of houseware and appliances, and in recent years it’s dabbled in housing, with its Mado no Ie, or “Window House,” residences that make the use of natural light a major design theme. The company will soon be building a new Window House (similar to the one shown in the video below) in Kamakura, and is looking for someone to live in it.

You’ll notice we didn’t say “someone to buy” or “someone to rent” it. That’s because the selected applicant will be living in the home for free for two years. You’ll still have to pay for your own utilities and groceries, but you won’t need to give Mujirushi a single yen for use of the house itself.

While the exact floorplan is yet to be finalized, many of the other details are already set. The wood-frame detached home will be two stories tall and have at least 80 square meters (861 square feet) of total floor space. It will be located roughly 15 minutes on foot from Kamakura Station, and include a garden and parking space. Oh, and of course it comes fully furnished with understatedly stylish Mujirushi-brand furniture and appliances.

In exchange for living rent-free, the home’s occupants will be asked to participate in photo shoots, presentations, and feedback programs regarding the project. Mujirushi offers its assurances, however, that the residents’ privacy will be respected, and that no hidden cameras or other monitoring devices of that ilk will be placed in the home.

Mujirushi is also being extremely inclusive regarding who can apply for the home. Families or singles are welcome to throw their hats in the ring, as are groups of friends wanting to live together and pet owners. The company has also stated that non-Japanese applicants are also welcome, although they will need to be proficient in the Japanese language.

Applications can be made here between now and August 31, with the successful candidates moving into their Kamakura home next March.

Source: Mujirushi Ryohin via Ovo via Jin

Read more stories from RocketNews24. -- Five amazing Japanese Starbucks locations that let you keep sightseeing as you take a break -- Japanese interior micro-houses and study spaces: Great for work-at-home professionals, kids too -- Japanese tourism board hires American expat as professional ninja

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22 Comments
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In exchange for living rent-free, the home’s occupants will be asked to participate in photo shoots, presentations, and feedback programs regarding the project.

Well, that takes me and my gaijin looking self and fat-arsed family outta the picture. Gone be some "beautiful Japan" type to win this chance.....nice idea though.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Somewhere had a similar search for somebody that was going to live in a lighthouse on an island in the middle of nowhere for a year.

I'd prefer the lighthouse to being an appliance spokesperson.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

It's nice challenge for MUJIRUSHI and monitors as well. We may be able to live here without preparing any housewares and appliances in advance.. But of course monitors are required to answer so many questionnair and try to use their all products everyday. If you can be enjoy them as your life, it would be definitely valuable.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

WwBut whee are the windows? I consider them holes. So that's the catch?

2 ( +4 / -2 )

There are thousands of homes all around Japan right on the coast that can be picked up for 5 million yen or less!

11 ( +12 / -1 )

WwBut whee are the windows?

Ironically or not, they call this the "window house" equipped with fine Mujirushi products (無印良品の家「窓の家」).

It's a nice house, but I agree, more and larger windows would give it a warmer and more relaxing feel, particularly for a house in an ocean-side resort community.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

15 minute walk to Kamakura station. Then those trains run every 20 minutes, so timing is important. You can go to Ofuna and from there on to Tokyo. But, if you think it is only 45 minutes, that is a joke.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

The No-brand that brands and advertising dressed as news: what a world of contradictions.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

I like the theory behind Muji design, but the final products always strike me as dull and lifeless. Like they were made by someone who once read about joy and spontaneity in books but had never personally experienced the concept. I'm afraid of what living in that kind of environment would do to my psyche. If I'm going to live rent-free in a tiny box surrounded by glossy white cube gadgets and dull grey fabrics, I might as well volunteer to work on the International Space Station. In the long run, it would be healthier, I think.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

This is hilarious. The whole concept behind it is 'windows', yet the video seems to show a fairly regular looking house, with regular looking windows. I was expecting to see huge spaces of glass, French windows, skylights galore. The first shot of the kitchen and not a window in sight! It looks light because everything is white. My house has better windows than this.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

No thanks the inside of that is utterly horrible, sterile, bland & too damned WHITE!!!

And yeah crappy windows, BUT they are triple paned..........yawn.

They would have to PAY me to live in that!!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

In exchange for living rent-free, the home’s occupants will be asked to participate in photo shoots, presentations, and feedback programs regarding the project.

so it's not free, it's to get free employees!

1 ( +2 / -1 )

There are thousands of homes all around Japan right on the coast that can be picked up for 5 million yen or less!

Not in Kamakura there isn't!

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Um, do the windows open, or is like corporate head quarters withe the air permanently set at 28C?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I'd prefer the lighthouse to being an appliance spokesperson.

I'd need at least 1 conbini nearby :

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I'd love to live rent free for two years but I believe I'd have to quit my semi-lucrative employment. I don't know if I'd like to be shill for Muji at the same time, however. What if I didn't like their products or the house? Would they let me stay after the first interview?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

ANother f-attempt at moderation here.....dont want comments telling the truth, they dont want gaijin, they want camera ready "perfect" people. That's it. Oh and JT is getting a kickback, as usual, for posting this advert.

Moderator: Sorry to disappoint you but we didn't get a kickback. You've been cautioned before about insulting the moderators. You can have 24 hours off from posting.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It's a shame that a company that prides itself on design and does mainly Scandanavian style furniture with clean lines and natural materials can't design a house with any semblance of thought given to window placement. Blank exterior walls with randomly sized and randomly placed openings, none of which are framed, is poor design. You see it all over in Japan, but lots of wrongs don't make a right.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Ok. Let me get this straight. They offer to put you up cost free in the middle of nowhere. Call me a cynic, but this smacks of commercial opportunism. I need to be at least 1km. from the nearest semblance of civilization. I never liked Muji anyway. Too bland for my tastes.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Me thinks some people would complain about anything. A company is offering free rent for two years in exchange for a few promotional appearances and people are complaining about the style? Lol! I'm sure they didn't have you in mind anyway. Get over yourself.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@badman. Those who would take up an offer from a company for ''free'' probably have nothing to lose. Beggars can't be choosers......

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

"Anybody want to live rent-free in a house in a Japanese beach town for two years?"

Sure!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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