A MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO

Culture Creator With a portfolio specializing in community living and common spaces, Global Agents is a rising name among Japanese property developers. Our commitment is to develop the platform leading to the new culture of tomorrow’s Global society.

Entering its thirteenth year of operations, our company expanded to an impressive portfolio of residential, cafe, restaurant and hotel operations, with plans to expand even further into all these markets in the coming years.

In terms of concept development, our company has been active in the shared-apartment industry from the get-go, ever since our founding in 2005. But really, everything started when I, before founding the company, went to live in London for six months when I was 19, and shared a flat with other people. I found that this residential style was exceptionally fun, especially since it’s not common in Japan; or at least it wasn’t at the time.

After that I started to think about business ideas and how this concept could work in Japan. I heard that social networking sites were expanding such as Mixi or Gree. They were popular SNS platforms in Japan at the time. I realized there was a growing demand for socializing or connecting with people through the Internet. I thought there should be the same thing in real life so that people can socialize where they live, and the concept of a Social Apartment was born.

With more than 3,000 rooms in 50 different locations across Japan, the Social Apartment brand has now gained a cult popularity through its focus on clean, stylishly designed common spaces that encourage resident interaction.

Recently, we’ve translated a lot of our success in creating shared spaces over to expansion into the hotel marketplace with a variety of boutique, designer hotels that focus on a balance between shared lounge and lobby spaces, and well-designed individual rooms. Even more than Social Apartment, there’s a lot of room for creativity in the design of our hotels, and it’s an area I’ve been really enjoying throwing my effort into.

With a running design philosophy of creating “gathering places,” the company looks to continue its expansion by focusing on spaces that facilitate dialogue, exchange, and the creation of microcosm communities within bustling urban environments.

We don’t make properties...
We make culture.

GLOBAL AGENTS CO., LTD
CEO - Takeshi Yamasaki

ABOUT OUR CEO

Takeshi Yamasaki founded Global Agents in May 2005, right after graduating from the Tokyo Institute of Technology.
In April 2006, he decided to leave the company to join Goldman Sachs in Singapore as he realized the importance of obtaining more experience in finance. It was one of the toughest decisions he made in his life.

After three years, despite having climbed to a good position there, he decided to give up his position at Goldman Sachs and come back to Japan to take back the lead of his original company. A very difficult and risky move.

But it actually didn’t take that long to get everything back on track as he strongly believed in the potential of the Social Apartment business and never gave up on his vision. Now, Global Agents is one of the new leading companies in Japan, soon to extend his global vision overseas!

OUTLINE

AWARDS

2007
Received the GOOD DESIGN AWARD for our Social Apartment’s Concept

Comment from the judging committee:
Unique properties offering timeless design that transcends generations.

2010
Certified “Best Innovative Company” by the City of Tokyo

Comment from the judging committee:
A company that seek to revolutionize the way to connect people in modern cities, and create a bridge between locals and new generations.

2011
Received the GREEN AWARD from Tamashin Credit Union

Comment from the judging committee:
Among 59 other companies, Social Apartment was able to distinguish itself with true & innovative ideas, and is an inspiring business model for future companies.

ACCESS

Headquarter Office

HISTORY

• May 2005
  Establishment of Global Agents Co., LTD
• March 2006
  Headquarters moved to Dogenzaka, Shibuya
• March 2006
  Opening of the first property 「Social Apartment Kamata」
• March 2007
  「Social Apartment Higashi-Totsuka」Opening
• April 2007
  「Social Apartment Yomiuri-Land」Opening
• August 2007
  Headquarters moved to Villa Moderna, Shibuya
• October 2007
  Received the GOOD DESIGN AWARD for our Social Apartment’s Concept
• March 2008
  「J-Ams Court Asakusa」Opening
• April 2008
  「J-Ams Court Shin-Kawasaki」Opening
• February 2009
  Original Founder Takeshi Yamasaki retires from Goldman Sachs and returns as Global Agents'S CEO
• April 2009
  「Social Apartment Ebisu」Opening
• July 2009
  「Social Apartment Eda」Opening
• February 2010
  「Casa Gran Kaminoge」Renewal Opening
• February 2010
  「Social Apartment Matsubara」Opening
• March 2010
  Certified “Best Innovative Company” by the City of Tokyo
• March 2010
  「La Residence Omotesando」Opening
• August 2010
  「Club Copora Ikebukuro」Operation Management
• October 2010
  Headquarters moved to FIK Aoyama Bldg.
• February 2011
  「Social Apartment Kikuna」Opening
• April 2011
  Headquarters moved to Cross Office Shibuya
• August 2011
  「Azabu-Juban Grand」Opening
• October 2011
  「Social Apartment Aobadai」Opening
• November 2011
  Received the GREEN AWARD from Tamashin Credit Union
• December 2011
  「Social Apartment Hanakoganei」Opening
• January 2012
  「Social Apartment Sapporo Nakanoshima」Opening
• March 2012
  「Social Apartment Wako」Opening
• April 2012
  「Social Apartment Miyamaedaira」Opening
• June 2012
  「Social Apartment Shin-Kemigawa」Opening
• June 2012
  「Social Apartment Azabu-Juban」Opening
• August 2012
  「Social Apartment Nakagawara」Opening
• February 2013
  「TENTMENT Takanawa」Operation Management
• February 2013
  「Social Apartment Nishi-Ogikubo」Opening
• February 2013
  Headquarters moved to Shibuya Sumitomo Trust Bldg. Shibuya
• March 2013
  「HOTEL GRAPHY」Opening. Start of the Hotel Operation.
• April 2013
  「Social Apartment Omori」Opening
• May 2013
  「Social Apartment Denenchofu」Opening
• June 2013
  「Social Apartment Komae」Opening
• June 2013
  「Social Apartment Urayasu」Opening
• September 2013
  「World Neighbors Gokokuji」Opening
• September 2013
  「World Neighbors Cafe」Opening. Start of Café & Restaurant Operation
• March 2014
  「Social Apartment Harajuku」Opening
• March 2014
  「GRAPHY CAFE & LOUNGE」Opening (@Hotel Graphy 1st floor)
• March 2014
  「Social Apartment Funabashi」Opening
• March 2014
  「Social Apartment Hino」Opening
• April 2014
  「Social Apartment Oizumigakuen」Opening
• April 2014
  「Social Apartment Mitaka」Opening
• June 2014
  Buying FLAT Co., LTD as a subsidiary company
• September 2014
  「Neighbors Tachikawa」Opening
• October 2014
  「Neighbors Brunch」Opening, in collaboration with 「BREAD,ESPRESSO &」
• January 2015
  Headquarters moved to the 25th of the Shibuya CrossTower
• January 2015
  New Corporate Logo Announcement
• January 2015
  「Social Apartment Hoya」Opening
• March 2015
  「Neighbors Miyamaedaira」Opening
• July 2015
  「GUNKAN Higashi-Shinjuku」Operation Management
• August 2015
  「ESTINATE HOTEL」Opening in Naha (Okinawa)
• October 2015
  「OTOWA KOBE MOTOMACHI」Opening
• October 2015
  「Neighbors Motoyawata」Opening
• May 2016
  「Neighbors Futakotamagawa」Opening
• February 2017
  「UNWIND HOTEL & BAR」Opening in Sapporo (Hokkaido)
• March 2017
  「World Neighbors Kiyosumi-Shirakawa」Opening
• April 2017
  「World Neighbors Cafe Kiyosumi-Shirakawa」Opening
• April 2017
  「Sooo Liquid」Opening. Start of Coin Laundry Management
• July 2017
  「andwork」Opening. Start of Co-Working Space Management
• July 2017
  「The Millennials」Opening. The first lifestyle hotel targeted to Millennials
• March 2018
  「The Millennials」2nd branch Opening in Shibuya
• March 2018
  「andwork」2nd branch Opening in Shibuya
• June 2018
  「Neighbors Ukima-koen」Opening
• October 2018
  「TERMINALS Takatsuki」Opening
  
• October 2018
  「FILMS Wako」Opening
• January 2019
  「NEIGHBORS Meguro」Opening
• March 2019
  「WAVES Nihonbashi Hamacho」Opening
• April 2019
  「UNWIND HOTEL& BAR Otaru」Opening
• April 2019
  「NEIGHBORS Kikuna」Opening
• May 2019
  「NEIGHBORS Inokashira-Koen」Opening
• June 2019
  「TERMINALS Ibaraki」Opening
• July 2019
  Headquarters moved to Nampeidaicho, Shibuya
• July 2019
  「THE LIVELY」 Opening in Hakata (Fukuoka) as a Flagship model of Lifestyle Hotel
• July 2019
  「The Millennials」 3rd branch Opening in Fukuoka as a Hotel-in-Hotel at THE LIVELY FUKUOKA
• August 2019
  「THE LIVELY」 2nd branch Opening in Honmachi (Osaka)
• September 2019
  「NEIGHBORS Musashi-Nakahara」 Opening
• November 2019
  「The Lively」3rd branch opening in Azabu-Juban, Tokyo
• November 2019
  「slash」Opening in Kawasaki as the next-generation of digital hotel
• March 2020
  「Neighbors Higashi-Jujo」Opening
• March 2020
  「World Neighbors Ebisu」Opening
• March 2021
  「Neighbors Shibuya-Kamiyama-cho」Opening
• May 2021
  「Neighbors Saginuma」Opening
• June 2021
  「Neighbors Kyoto-Nijo-jo」Opening
• October 2021
  「Neighbors Kamikitazawa」Opening
• December 2021
  「Neighbors Higashi-Nakano」Opening
• August 2022
  「Neighbors Gotanda」Opening
• July 2023
  「Neighbors Kasai」Opening
• October 2023
  「Neighbors Esaka」Opening
• October 2023
  「Graphy Shibuya」2nd branch opening in Shibuya, Tokyo