Tulip’s Specialty
The security deposit, key money, renewal fee and broker’s commission that will not be returned….
Why do I have to pay so much?
It’s a waste of time and effort just to live in Tokyo.
Tulip Real Estate advocates a safe, comfortable and convenient life in Tokyo
And I can’t afford to invest in myself to achieve my dreams.”
It’s a waste to work in the city, but just make ends meet. Even with a woman’s salary, she should be able to live safely, comfortably, and conveniently in Tokyo and still be able to afford to invest in herself to achieve her dreams.
Another important thing that Tulip Real Estate values is the ability for independent adult women to live comfortably. It is a place where independent adult women can live comfortably. Tulip Real Estate wants to take care of women who are making efforts for their future selves.
What kind of woman is the director of Tulip Real Estate?
- 19??
- Born in Aichi Prefecture. She grew up as the only child to her parents.
- At 18 years old
- Entered University of London, College of Art
- At 24 years old
- Graduated from college with the support of many people. Traveled in Africa and Asia as a backpacker.
- At 25 years old
- Returned to Japan during an employment “ice age.” She managed to get a job at a design company.
- At 27 years old
- Gave up on becoming a full-fledged designer and left the company. She got married and led the life of a full-time housewife. Acquired a real estate license.
- At 29 to 32 years old
- Worked in a major real estate company in charge of selling mortgage financing and management of high class rental properties. Enjoyed a typical life of a company woman.
- At 32 years old
- Got pregnant. Left the job since the company did not have maternity leave system. Wanting to have multiple children, she decided not to return to the life of a company worker.
After the birth of her eldest daughter, she started Tulip Real Estate in search of an environment where she could continue to work at her own pace. - At 35 years old
- She had her first son.
Ms. Mizutani’s beloved vehicle.
This bicycle shows up in many places.
Staff members also basically travel by bicycle.
handmade real estate
- “If it doesn’t work, I’ll think about another way. It’s a steady work of searching for niche parts that big companies can’t do. It’s not a glamorous job.”
Tulip Real Estate manages and operates a women-only share house. Not only Japanese but also people from Asia, Europe, and many other countries live here. The company is about to move in a new direction. We are looking for people who will build the company together as our second founding members. 
- Get off at Nerima station in Tokyo.
After a five-minute walk through the residential area, I saw a house with a signboard of Tulip Real Estate.
The office is located in the home of the representative, Ms. Mizutani, and has a friendly atmosphere with the sound of children’s voices coming from the upper floor. The female staff, both employees and part-timers, work in one space. We first talk to Ms. Mizutani. Her family’s home in Nagoya was a real estate management company, and she worked for a major real estate company after working for a graphic company. She resigned when she had a baby and then started her own company. 
- “At first, I was a broker, but I have a strong interest in stock business, so I wanted to get a property under management as soon as possible. I started a share house arranged for
At the time, the term “share house” had not yet become widespread. There were no portal sites like there are today, and the market had not yet been formed.
It is hard to imagine from the cute Tulip Real Estate website and properties, but it seems there was a steady effort.
There was no precedent. I didn’t have any money, so I sewed curtains and picked up tables by myself (laughs). (Laughs.) I’m good at putting up wallpaper. I made everything by hand.
That is how she started her women-only share house.
The concept is “for girls in Tokyo to be able to live in peace and have enough time to invest in themselves to achieve their dreams.
Although the share house was originally targeted at Japanese residents, the number of foreign residents gradually increased, and now women of all nationalities live in the share house. 
- We operate 18 properties, including share houses with professional kitchens and share houses where you can learn English.
Eleven years have passed since the start of the company, and the share house industry, which had not yet been explored, is already a red ocean.
I decided to revamp the concept and try new things as the industry became more generalized,” she said. Right now, the company is in a stage of major and dramatic change.”
The specific project we are planning is a property in Kagurazaka. I’m thinking of using our own network to gather tenants instead of using an existing portal site, and making it a house with a strong sense of our own color.”
What is our color?
The key word is diversity. Up until now, we have been conscious of supporting Japanese girls, but we are now seeing an increase in the number of foreign residents. We are also exchanging information with LGBT groups in order to make this a share house that welcomes everyone. 
- Different nationalities have different cultures.
For example, many of the Japanese residents are disciplined and faithful to the rules, but many foreigners think that they feel like prisoners and don’t want to be there.
For example, many Japanese residents adhere to a strict set of rules, but many foreigners feel uncomfortable because they feel like prisoners. I think we can create something interesting and unprecedented.”
The company is hiring foreign staff to accommodate both Japanese and non-Japanese residents. We are reviewing our operations and exploring new ways to operate.
What kind of real estate agency is Ms. Mizutani aiming for?
I don’t know how things are going to change. I may not end up being a real estate agent. It’s just that real estate is easier to use as a tool.”
We originally pioneered the share house industry ourselves.
They may continue to develop their business ahead of or beyond the industry.
We are not anxious about unprecedented things, but are going straight ahead. Sometimes we have to work alone. I want each and every one of our staff to find their own theme and use the tools of the company to bring it to life.”
I want you to work not just as a place to get paid, but as if you are using the company to generate money, which you then share with the company. You are half the president of the company. It’s not run by a one-man president, so the employees are quite bossy (laughs).”
Upon hearing this, Kagamiya-san tilted his head and laughed, saying, “Hmmm, I wonder if that’s true.
Originally from Toyama, he came to Tokyo six years ago to live in a Tulip Real Estate share house and work as a staff member. 
- Before coming here, she worked in Tottori as an administrative staff member of a free school for children with various problems.
After quitting there, I realized that there was no work for me in the countryside, so I came to Tokyo. When I was looking for a place to live, I happened to see a “staff wanted” posting on the Tulip Real Estate website. They were already hiring, but I decided to apply.
Mr. Mizutani said he was attracted by Kagamiya’s willingness to take a chance on him, even when things were not going well.
I thought the corporate culture would have been a good fit, too. I thought it would be a bad idea if it was a company with glamorous girls, but it was the exact opposite.”
I’m sorry to say this, but I’m an old man on the inside (laughs). They were all very savvy, and there was nothing mousy about them. The people at the share house I happened to be living in were also very savage. I got along well with the staff and my roommates, which was great.” 
- The first job Ms. Kagamimiya was in charge of was cleaning the property he managed.
When they tried it, he found that it was often quite difficult.
Just because you are a girl doesn’t mean you have to live in a clean house,” she said. In some places they always keep the water supply clean, but in other places it’s really messy. If there are bugs, you have to get rid of them.”
In addition to these duties, he is now also in charge of guiding house visitors and completing move-in procedures.
It’s a job that can be done in a day-to-day basis, but she says it’s important to talk to the residents whenever she visits the share house.
Even if it’s just small talk, I just talk. I try to see how the atmosphere in the share house is. Sometimes there is a divide between Japanese and non-Japanese residents. There are many people who have lost their mental and physical balance. We have to deal with those things and the residents.”
I’m not sure what to do about it, but there are a lot of things. If we can laugh together after the case is over and say, ‘That happened, didn’t it, ha ha ha,’ that would be good.”
Kagamiya-san seems to be able to gauge the distance between her tenants and herself. In that sense, someone who is savvy may be a good fit for this job. 
- I want you to make new proposals in addition to your daily work.
In this company, the person who makes a proposal, no matter what position he or she holds, can take the lead in the project.
Kagamiya-san is planning an event facility through “agriculture.
I would like to create a place where our residents can come for a night or two, work in the fields and harvest vegetables together, and return home refreshed. Eventually, I hope to create a place where not only residents but also various people can visit and interact with each other, like green tourism.”
He began by researching in books and visiting organizations that hosted agricultural events. He started everything by hand and shared his inputs with other staff members.
Each staff member then thinks from his or her own point of view, ‘What can we do? While everyone is thinking together, they also go and visit somewhere else. The project progresses over a number of years.”
We think, create, and think again. It’s the same process as making things. Every job is like a craft.
Ms Jan, who has been working there part-time since September of this year, is also making one new proposal after another. 
- Ms. Jan lives in a shared house at Tulip Real Estate, where he works two days a week while attending graduate school.
Her main task now is to revise and plan the English version of the website. She proposes the design and information structure that foreigners are looking for, and participates in meetings with web designers.
She is an indispensable person for Tulip Real Estate, which is trying to accommodate a more diverse range of people.
Even though I have only just joined the company, Mr. Mizutani accepts my suggestions and thinks about them with me. It’s a company where people are very warm.”
Recently, she has been hosting cooking classes and other activities at the share house where she lives. In the future, Ms Jan hopes to hold activities at other share houses as well.
I want to connect foreigners with Japanese people. People are happy to see me, and I enjoy talking to all kinds of people. 
- Now is the company’s turning point. On top of the foundation that has been built up so far, we will build from scratch.
Maybe she will go in a completely different direction.
In addition to daily operations, I believe that each staff member’s new suggestions will lead us in a better direction.
Finally, I asked Mr. Mizutani, the representative of the company. What kind of people would you like to have?
I would like someone who has a different point of view from ours. It would be nice to have diversity in the company. We are going to develop further, and then develop further. I would like to work together with them to create something interesting, while engaging in never-ending craftsmanship.
