What is a "mobile property agency"—not a real estate agency—that proposes new ways of living?

Future Shopping Street Sketch is a project exploring new ways of living and lifestyles for the future, valuing not just "consumption" but also "creation." Based on future trends, Dentsu Inc. planners and external experts co-create plans for "shops we'd love to see."

This time's theme is "Camping Cars." As lifestyles diversify, what potential lies in mobile real estate like camping cars—or "mobile assets"? We invited Kazuhiko Ikeda of Dentsu Inc., who traveled around Japan in a camping car during his childcare leave (June-September 2019); Daisuke Takishima, CEO of Native Caravan operating a camper van business in Chigasaki, and Ryo Nakagawa, Founder & CEO of Share X Inc. who planned the project with Takishima. Together with Noritaka Obuse (Dentsu Future Creative Center ) and Takaaki Koshiba (Dentsu Business Design Square), they devised "The Ideal Camper Van Store for the Future," summarizing it in a single sketch.

Discussion members. Top left: Daisuke Takishima (Native Caravan), Bottom left: Ryo Nakagawa (Founder & CEO, Share X Inc.), Top right: Kazuhiko Ikeda (Dentsu Inc.), Noritaka Obuse (Dentsu Inc.), Photographed by Takaaki Koshiba (Dentsu Inc.)

The "Parental Leave Caravan" that traveled around Japan in a camper van for 100 days

Obuse: Multi-location living and the so-called "address hopper" lifestyle—living without a fixed home—have gained attention in recent years. Within this trend, I feel more people will want to use campervans going forward. That's why we decided to explore the idea of a campervan store this time.

Mr. Ikeda, you did the "Parental Leave Caravan," traveling around Japan in a camper van during your 100 days of parental leave, right? With your child and wife.

Ikeda: That's right. I have two children. When my first child was born, I took three months of paternity leave. Surprisingly, those three months were quite relaxed—I even had some free time (laughs). When my second child was born and I took paternity leave again, I thought, "I want to do something fun."

Then, when our first child was six, our second was born. That's when I thought, "We can go on a trip!" (laughs). We couldn't do it once the older one started school, so it was the perfect timing. That's why I decided to take a long trip with the family. Recently, there's a trend making paternity leave feel like an "obligation," but it should actually be a really enjoyable time. So, I figured, let's just have a blast with it.

Obuse: So why a camper van?

Ikeda: Traveling for 100 days with a family of four costs money, of course (laughs). Staying in hotels costing 20,000 to 30,000 yen per night would add up to about 2 to 3 million yen. That's why I planned for a camper van instead.

Koshiba: How was it? Actually, after hearing your story, many people at Dentsu Inc. are thinking, "I want to try that too" (laughs).

Ikeda: To cut to the chase, it was absolutely amazing. A camper van isn't just cost-effective; it's overwhelmingly free. Park somewhere with an ocean view, and suddenly you've got an ocean-view hotel. You only need to roughly plan your route.

Above all, for traveling with small children, a camper van is actually more convenient. You can move after the kids fall asleep. Traveling usually stops when kids get sleepy or cranky, right? That worry is gone. You can put them to sleep anywhere and change diapers (laughs). I really recommend traveling with kids in a camper van, especially for long trips.

In unstable times, "mobile assets" that let you move when needed become valuable.

Obuse: Is that campervan rented?

Ikeda: Yes. Mr. Takishima from Native Caravan, who came today, lives in Chigasaki like me and runs a campervan rental business. He also does various projects using campervans, right?

Takishima: Yes. Since a camper van is like a "mobile home," its potential is limitless depending on how you use it. For example, one project we did was the "Recruitment Caravan," where companies conducted job interviews inside camper vans. When companies recruit across large areas like Kyushu, they often can only hold information sessions in one location. But companies think, "There must be lots of interesting people in other regions too." So, the companies took a recruitment interview tour in camper vans. They displayed their current location in real-time on Twitter, and if there were interested candidates nearby, they'd head to a nearby university for an impromptu interview.

Ikeda: That's an interesting concept.

Takishima: We've also started a service called "Caravan Work," where we rent out campervans to companies as mobile workspaces. Partners or clients can hold meetings in the city, or team members can head out into nature to enjoy both refreshment and work. I'm developing these kinds of projects together with Mr. Nakagawa.

Nakagawa: I've personally launched five startups myself, working in the sharing economy and Shibuya's coworking space business. Through that, I've sensed the potential of "mobile assets" as a counterpart to real estate. For example, being able to hold video conferences while on the move, or having even greater freedom in where you work. Thinking along those lines, Takishima and I have developed various projects.

Ikeda: Plus, all three of us live in Chigasaki—we're neighbors, you know (laughs). That's why we click.

Obuse: Really? (laughs) Nakagawa-san's idea of "mobile assets" is fascinating. In an era where the value of not being tied to one place is spreading, and the very nature of offices is likely to change significantly, this concept could be incredibly important.

Nakagawa: It applies to business too—being mobile is a form of risk management. When the economy and society are stable, staying put might be fine. But in an era of major shifts, having wheels and being able to move might actually be better. COVID-19 created precisely that kind of situation, so the very concept of stability could change going forward.

Obuse: So stability isn't about staying still; being mobile actually provides greater stability as a form of risk hedging.

"Living like a journey." The camper van as the vehicle for that.

Takishima: On a personal note, I've moved around to various places myself, and my wife and I often say, "Living itself is like traveling." Our first meeting actually happened when we were both visiting the same campervan site in Australia. Over there, many people live while traveling in campervans, and the infrastructure and culture supporting it are well-developed. I hope Japan can eventually become like that too.

Ikeda: Takishima-san's idea of "living like traveling" was something I admired, but after the childcare leave caravan, I realized, "This is achievable." Until then, commuting between work and home was the default mindset, but it doesn't have to be just that.

Obuse: Maybe the camper van serves as the mechanism for that.

Ikeda: Actually, there are plenty of people in Japan living like travelers too. During the caravan, we even met someone who travels from campground to campground with a large tipi tent.

Obuse: By the way, after practicing this "travel-like lifestyle" during the childcare leave caravan, what did you find most appealing?

Ikeda: The diversity of the people you meet. There are truly all kinds of people across the country. I think Dentsu Inc. is a diverse company, but this was on another level (laughs). For example, in Hokkaido, we met a family living a self-sufficient life based on permaculture principles. When we visited their home, the children who greeted us said, "The toilet got electricity yesterday!" with sparkling eyes. I wondered how many kids in Japan would get this excited over toilet lighting.

You wouldn't meet them on a typical trip, but by integrating travel and living in a camper van, we could encounter such diverse people and values. Maybe it's a souvenir of living like you're traveling.

Nakagawa: And going forward, lifestyle changes and freedom will definitely accelerate. Remote work became widespread because of COVID. Personally, I'm thinking, "I want to live in Okinawa" (laugh).

Proposing not just "things" like properties, but also "experiences" of what to do

Obuse: Based on what we've discussed, let's envision future stores. Is there a camper van-themed shop you'd love to see?

Ikeda: Hearing today's discussion, I see huge potential in how campers can propose lifestyles. For example, a production shop for people who want to live like they're traveling. I think more people will embrace that value in the future, so a store proposing integrated travel and living for them would be great.

Obuse: Real estate agents introduce many properties, right? In a way, they're proposing "lifestyles" through real estate. On the other hand, hearing today's discussion, it might be interesting to have a "mobile property agency" in town. Like real estate listings, but with campers lined up instead.

Ikeda: Physically, they're all the same camper vans, but what you do with them is incredibly diverse. You could use one as a workspace, or take your family on a nationwide trip during holidays.

Takishima: Among our customers, there's a photographer who rents a campervan as a studio. Since the studio itself is mobile, it opens up all sorts of possibilities. Then there's a famous hairdresser couple who rent a campervan, traveling while cutting hair for clients who live too far to visit their salon.

Koshiba: Real estate agencies list properties, but a mobile property agency doesn't just list the "thing" – the camper van – it also proposes the "experience" of what you can do inside it. That kind of shop sounds interesting.

Obuse: An office, a hair salon, a studio, a cafe, even a greengrocer's. There are all sorts of possibilities.

Koshiba: Families with young children might come purely to see caravans for travel. Others seeking change—like those who've worked hard but now want to try something new—might visit to discover inspiration through the campervans and the "activities" happening inside.

Nakagawa: It's especially great for people who want to run a shop. The idea that shops must be fixed in one place has been the "fixed notion" until now, but a shop on wheels isn't strange at all. Food stalls are the same; being mobile is a risk hedge. The campervan embodies that. It would be great to have a mobile workshop that presents various "activities" as options.

Ikeda: Actually, if more mobile shops appear, shopping districts themselves might become mobile (laughs). You can see that kind of future emerging.

Takishima: Actually, in Portland, USA, vehicle-based shops gather in popular parks. That kind of culture might take root.

Obuse: Instead of people gathering at the shopping district, the shopping district moves to where people gather. That's great. This "mobile shop of the town" is a place where you can choose "how to live going forward." A shop like that would probably be popular.

And the sketch born from this roundtable discussion is...!

Sketch by Hitoshi Nakao (Dentsu Inc. Creative X)