Ikea launches $1-a-month apartment in Tokyo

Tiny flat is just 10-metres-squared

Ikea’s tiny home (Ikea)

Ikea has created a miniscule apartment it will rent out for just 99 yen (65p) a month in Tokyo.

The flat, located in the Shinjuku district, may be a bargain – but it boasts exceptionally modest proportions of just 10 square metres.

There is just one tiny unit available, fully stocked with Ikea furniture to make best use of the space.

Pictures shared of the dinky studio show it decked out with a petite corner sofa, desk and chair, clothes rails, storage draws, lamps and shelves.

A ladder leads up to a mezzanine bed above the main room - made all the more cosy by the addition of Ikea bedding, pot plants and artwork.

The mezzanine ‘bedroom' (Ikea)

Potential tenants are invited to apply before 3 December; applicants must be over 20 years of age and will be responsible for paying their own utility bills.

With an incredibly high population density of more than 14 million inhabitants, Tokyo has led the way when it comes to the trend for “microflats” and tiny homes.

“One of the keys is to make good use of the vertical space,” Ikea said on its website.

“By capturing the room three-dimensionally, new possibilities open up in a limited space.”

Ikea has filled the unit with space-saving solutions (Ikea)

Ikea has partnered up with the character Blahaj – a shark who also happens to be an estate agent specialising in small spaces – to promote the project.

In a teaser video, Blahaj encourages tenants to get in touch, shouting: “Small! Rooms! With solutions!”.

It follows the news that Ikea is buying the former Topshop flagship store on London’s Oxford Street for £378m.

The property is being promoted by Blahaj the shark estate agent (Ikea)

The deal is a much-needed vote of confidence for central London, which has seen tourist footfall decimated by the pandemic.

Since 2019, Ikea has opened shops in major cities such as Tokyo, Madrid, Moscow, Paris and New York to grow its presence on busy high streets.

It now plans to open Ikea Oxford Street in autumn 2023, following the planned launch of its Hammersmith store later this winter.