This article reflects information as of 2020. For the latest details, please contact us.
Written by: Tomohiro Koizumi, Representative Director, tentus inc.
Our company, tentus, is in Chuo Ward, Tokyo, but whoever I tell reacts with "Nooo way!!!"—the rent is that incredibly cheap.
There are all sorts of reasons, I'm sure: the building's about as old as my age, it's the 4th floor of a 4-story building with no elevator, the run-down exterior walls make it freezing in winter and scorching in summer, and so on—but honestly I've rarely heard of a property where the price per tsubo (about 2 tatami mats) is under 5,000 yen.
Around here the image is usually 8,000 to 15,000 yen per tsubo, but for some reason only this building is incredibly cheap.
But this outstandingly run-down little building has a point I loved so much at first sight that I signed the office lease.
And it's this.
Just a nothing-special rooftop. Yep.
But when I first viewed the office, to me it looked like nothing but a secret base.
A place of happiness that pops up among the buildings of Chuo Ward—that's the tentus rooftop.
Ever since moving in here, I've toasted with so many people.
Toasting while everyone grilled gyoza together,
barbecuing together with former colleagues,
in summer bringing out a pool during the day,
and on days off playing with friends and their kids too.
Doing all of this, I realized what these have in common: public-ness and reassurance.
For example, if you try to hold an event at your own home,
"I have to clean the room."
"Is there anything I don't want people to see..."
"I have to limit who I invite to some extent..."
—there's a mountain of things you have to think about; but on the company rooftop, it's a public space in a sense, so you can casually invite anyone, and the invited person can casually come to hang out too.
It's a space you can visit casually, but because the event itself is a closed gathering, it's reassuring even if you bring kids.
If there are young children for whom the rooftop is a bit dangerous, you can let them play in the office's grass space, and there's somewhere to escape to in case of sudden rain and the like.
Toasting in such a public and reassuring space makes people smile more than ever.
Take another look at the photos I posted above.
See? Everyone's got such great smiles, right?
This year, COVID meant we couldn't hold many events, but if there's an opportunity, please do come by.
Just bring out chairs and a table on the rooftop and toast with beer, and a wonderfully fun time begins!
I look forward to the day I can toast with all of you!
With great smiles!
P.S. The office after the feast is a terrible sight...
