Tokyo flats available to rent for $1, but there’s a catch
Iconic Swedish furniture brand Ikea has begun renting small duplex apartments in the overpopulated Japanese capital Tokyo for less than a dollar per month.
Home to some 14 million people, Tokyo has a very high demand for real estate, which Ikea decided to use to its own advantage.
A company with expertise in ‘functional minimalism’, Ikea fitted a number of 10-square-meter flats with its space-saving furniture to promote the idea that even the smallest apartment can offer comfort if furnished wisely.
Ikea's Tokyo flats all have a work area, a sofa which can be turned into a single bed, a floor hanger, convertible dining table, storage space, washing machine, bathroom, and even a bedroom on the second tier.
The tiny apartments for rent are located in Tokyo’s central Shinjuku district, according to Ikea’s website.
The monthly rent is only 99 yen, which is about 86 US cents.
The offer is only available to members of the Ikea Family club, but anyone can join it for free by registering on the website.
The ad campaign includes a series of YouTube video commercials in which the tiny apartments are advertised by Ikea’s pop-icon Blahaj shark dressed as a real estate agent.
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