Spreading the Culture of "Living Like a Local" in the Japanese Market Too: A Decade of Close Collaboration with Airbnb

Seven years have passed since the implementation of the Residential Lodging Business Act (New Minpaku Law).

While terms like "minpaku" and "homesharing" are commonplace today, numerous efforts were made to get society to accept this new industry and new culture before they became established.

Airbnb is one of the world’s largest accommodation booking platforms, connecting individuals worldwide who rent out spare rooms or homes (hosts) with travelers looking for lodging (guests).

https://www.airbnb.jp/

It began in 2007 when two hosts in San Francisco welcomed three guests into their home. Today, it has grown to offer over 8 million accommodations and experiences daily across more than 220 countries and regions.

Dentsu Inc. has been a partner in advertising and communications for Airbnb since its initial entry into Japan. This time, we spoke with Mr. Jinichi Yano, a Business Producer involved in the project from its early stages, about the behind-the-scenes story and the appeal of Airbnb as a company.

Home Sharing Arrives in Japan

──What challenges did Airbnb face when it first entered Japan?

Yano: I felt the media coverage at the time was largely negative and based on misunderstandings. Our starting point was getting people to "correctly understand" what kind of service Airbnb is and what we aim to achieve.

Airbnb's Japanese subsidiary was established in 2014. Back then, the term "homesharing" (so-called private lodging) itself wasn't common in Japan. The name Airbnb was also largely unknown, and we faced wariness from the lodging industry and media.

──When did Dentsu Inc. become involved?

Yano: Including my predecessor, Dentsu Inc. became involved around 2013, even before the Japanese subsidiary was established. The Japanese office started with just three employees, so we were involved from its very dawn. Initially, it was more about consulting on various aspects of launching the service in Japan and marketing activities.

Our full involvement began in 2016 when Dentsu Inc. participated in Airbnb's presentation to select a media partner in Japan and was chosen. From the start, it wasn't purely advertising work; it was a consulting-style relationship focused on jointly strategizing "how to make this new service accepted in Japan."

──I hear there were hurdles to advertising, like TV commercials.

Yano: We hit a major wall even before reaching the content review stage. To air a TV commercial, each broadcaster requires an "industry review" step, where they assess the advertiser's business type and operations. The home-sharing service was so novel that it didn't pass any broadcaster's review.

From there, we visited each TV station individually, carefully explaining Airbnb's philosophy and safety measures. When the review finally passed and we could air the commercial on TV, it was deeply moving.

Why a Japan-Specific "Airbnb Partners" Concept Was Needed

──After further preparations, you held "Airbnb Day" in 2018, right?

Yano: That event was held in June 2018, coinciding with the enforcement of the Residential Lodging Business Act (the new minpaku law). After years of preparation, we transformed Tokyo's Shibuya Hikarie Hall into a space resembling an Airbnb listing, creating an environment where visitors could experience the concept of "traveling like a local."

※Act on Residential Lodging Business (New Minpaku Law) = Enacted in June 2018. Established to set rules for the rapidly growing home-sharing sector and promote the healthy expansion of services. What is the Act on Residential Lodging Business (New Minpaku Law)?

Airbnb is a service made possible by our hosts who rent out their homes and rooms. Therefore, we also invited hosts to the event. Furthermore, by inviting media and creating opportunities for them to directly experience Airbnb's philosophy and services, we believe this led to news coverage and contributed to increased awareness, coinciding with the law's implementation.

Nathan Blecharczyk, one of Airbnb's co-founders, visited Japan from the US headquarters. He praised the event as "truly wonderful," which became a significant confidence booster for the Japanese team, including Dentsu Inc.

──At this time, Airbnbalso announced"Airbnb Partners,"a Japan-specific initiative. What exactly is this?

Yano: It's a new organization, the first of its kind globally for Airbnb, and is currently a corporate community with about 200 participating companies. The reason this structure was needed is to aim for the development of the home-sharing industry and contribute to local communities, primarily through Airbnb's service and in cooperation with many partner companies.

Specifically, it includes:

・Demand Partners (jointly promoting new forms of travel to the market)
・Service Partners (jointly building essential ancillary services for high-quality travel)
・Supply Partners (who own diverse properties and operate lodging businesses)

This community spans these three domains.

Currently, through collaboration with these partner companies, new services and systems are continuously emerging. We look forward to further accelerating locally rooted "travel creation" by connecting people with people, people with places, and people with experiences.

Dentsu Inc. supported the launch and initial operations of this uniquely Japanese partners initiative.

Transforming non-tourist destinations into travel destinations

──Beyond TV commercials, what other initiatives did you implement to establish this entirely new service?

Yano: For example, we sent a caravan wrapped in Airbnb's corporate colors on a nationwide tour, traveling from Hokkaido to Kyushu.

There, Airbnb conveyed to local governments and commerce associations that

"If locally rooted lodging systems spread, it will lead to utilizing vacant homes, expanding new tourism, and revitalizing sustainable local economies."

Some local government officials initially expressed skepticism, asking, "Will tourists really come to our town?"

Some local government officials expressed doubts, asking, "Will tourists really come to our town?" But when they actually experienced Airbnb accommodations, they rediscovered that the local experience itself is the attraction. "Turning places that aren't tourist destinations into travel destinations" – I believe this was an activity that truly spread Airbnb's philosophy of "traveling as if you live there."

Many Airbnb hosts from each region also joined the caravan. Airbnb places great importance on connecting with its host community nationwide.

──While it was steadily growing, Airbnb must have taken a significant hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, right?

Yano: Yes, absolutely... The number of international visitors to Japan had been steadily increasing. 2020 was also the year of the Tokyo Olympics, which Airbnb welcomed as an official partner of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). We expected that by welcoming many guests from around the world, both the number of hosts and guests would grow. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and tourists vanished overnight.

I believe it was a difficult period for the entire Airbnb Japan team. Even so, they never lost sight of their core principle: "Belong Anywhere." It was precisely because of that philosophy that they were able to rise again.

The Joy of Supporting a "Culture-Building Company"

──What do you feel is Airbnb's greatest appeal as a company?

Yano: It's definitely being a "company that creates culture." They don't just mediate stays and experiences; they put the philosophy of "Belong Anywhere" into practice. It's their core belief and conviction that you can find a place to belong anywhere in the world.

A concrete example embodying this philosophy is Airbnb.org. During disasters, it collaborates with nonprofit partners to provide free emergency shelter accommodations for victims and relief workers. I understand the impetus for establishing this support organization came from hosts themselves. It's not about business; it's about being united by the same philosophy. This mindset permeates both Airbnb employees and hosts.

You can genuinely feel the affection and passion hosts have for the Airbnb "culture." It's not just about using Airbnb's platform for home sharing; they actively commit to the unique culture that emerges from the interactions with guests and other hosts through home sharing.

──It's fascinating that employees and hosts share the same philosophy. The internal culture must have distinctive features too.

Yano: Airbnb has a dedicated department whose mission is to create a safe working environment for employees. They hold dialogue sessions focused on diversity, organize company parties, and have robust systems in place to enhance employee well-being. It was so impressive that we were inspired to create a team with the same name in our own bureau (laughs).

──After nearly a decade of working alongside them, what stands out to you now?

Yano: Airbnb is an American company, but it's actually very "Japanese" in spirit. It stays close to local communities and continues grounded activities. For Dentsu Inc., it was a significant experience to be involved not just in creating ads, but in building the foundations for new cultures and industries.

The challenge of embedding the philosophy of "traveling as you live" into Japanese society—I believe that will continue. And Dentsu Inc. wants to be a partner in culture. The decade we walked alongside Airbnb might just reflect the very essence of the partner-based creativity Dentsu Inc. strives for.