Written by Carey Finn
Researched by Hitomi Kuroda
Japanese room-rental service unito has launched English-language support on its mobile search platform, in response to growing demand for mid- to long-term stays among international travelers. Users can find rooms that are available for immediate occupancy — as soon as the next day (or in theory even the same day).
The plug-and-play units include furniture, appliances, Wi-Fi, and other essentials, making it possible to move in with nothing more than a suitcase. Rental periods are flexible, but many rooms require a one-month minimum commitment.
As of the time of writing, there were over 2,370 rooms — comprising both furnished hotels and serviced apartments — listed in English on unito. They were visible only on mobile for us; when we looked at the website on a laptop, the results appeared in Japanese. Responses to any enquiries are sent in both English and Japanese.
Unito says that it is looking to “cultivate a new culture of ‘flexible renting’ starting from inbound demand”, and expand the options for living in Japan. It plans to increase the number of supported languages available in the future. The company cites the special Digital Nomad visa, which was launched in April 2024, as a factor in the expansion of its service offerings.
Some properties on unito include a flexible “Re-rent” option, which allows users to rent out their rooms for short-term stays (like vacation rentals) when they are absent, reducing the overall cost.
Unito reported a sharp increase in the number of enquiries about mid- to long-term stays in its properties, with around 100 estimated for the month of March 2025 alone. Monthly contract plans have been offered to foreign renters since November 2024, with positive uptake. However, a full English-language version of the room-search platform had not been available until now.
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