BeGoodJapan Ltd.

Company overview

BeGoodJapan Ltd. launched its business in 2006 as a pioneer in international-exchange share houses. A major characteristic is its diverse tenant base. The company partners with student exchange agents worldwide and Japanese language schools and universities to welcome residents from 84 countries and regions. While market needs vary accordingly, the company has gained trust through detailed efforts such as maintaining high standards of cleanliness by handling share house cleaning in-house and responding quickly to issues. Currently, the company is expanding its business to include the operation of furnished apartments and international student dormitories.
Initially, the company was not particularly focused on hiring foreign nationals. However, after receiving job applications from international students, the company began hiring foreign staff, who now make up about 40% of employees. Azel from Indonesia is one of them. She started learning Japanese in elementary school, because of Japanese anime, and thought, "I want to work in Japan someday." To fulfill that dream, she participated in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Tokyo Internship for Specified Skilled Workers. She matched with the company while looking for a workplace where she could utilize the accounting skills that she cultivated in her previous job. During the internship, she experienced various tasks beyond accounting. Believing that "It's fun to be able to do more things," she decided to join the company. Currently, she is in charge of managing international student dormitories and handling moving-in/moving-out procedures and inquiries from students. “There are many situations where I can use my accounting knowledge, such as dormitory fee management, so I feel a sense of fulfillment,” says Azel.

Work-life balance initiatives

“Honestly, the line between work and private life used to be blurred,” admits Director Aizawa. It was not uncommon to handle customer correspondence late into the night on weekdays. However, after strengthening recruitment including foreign nationals, the company heard from many job seekers that they “want to have a fulfilling private life as well,” so the working style as a company was gradually revised.
The biggest initiative is streamlining operations. The company subdivided and visualized tasks, hired temporary staff during busy periods, improved internal systems, and utilized generative AI for tasks such as document creation. As a result, the tasks to be addressed became clear, prioritizing became easier, and overtime has gradually decreased. “Since I can switch on and off, handling complaints doesn't stress me out much,” says Azel. In addition, the role of organizer is rotated for the exchange parties for residents hosted by the company, and they are held on weekday evenings to finish within working hours to reduce the burden. It seems that employees can now enjoy the parties without worry. “If they do their own work properly, I want them to spend the rest of their time freely and happily,” says Aizawa.
There is also a company housing system where foreign employees can move into company-managed properties at a reasonable rent so that they can live comfortably. Azel, who lives in a share house managed by the company, smiles and says, “It is fun to interact with other members in the common areas.” Even if an employee doesn’t live in a company property, the company provides comprehensive support, from negotiations with owners to contract procedures.

Human resource development initiatives

The reality is that the real estate industry, where technical terms are abundant, presents a significant challenge for foreign nationals. Therefore, in addition to study sessions where basic industry knowledge can be learned, the company supports the acquisition of the “Licensed Real Estate Transaction Agent (Takken)” qualification to encourage continuous learning. Actual duties are taught through On-the-Job Training (OJT), with one mentor assigned to one employee. Azel, who learned through external training and manuals in her previous job, says, “I was able to do it myself quickly because I was taught carefully on an individual basis.” Aizawa hopes to increase opportunities for Azel to accompany him on visits to business partners. “Even if new foreign employees go out into the field, they sometimes bring back homework due to language barriers. I want to create an environment where they can get used to the work by gaining experience together with senior staff,” says Aizawa.
Meanwhile, the company is also continuing to improve its evaluation system. Aizawa reflects: “In real estate management, 'the absence of problems' is what should be evaluated, but until now, irregular responses tended to be evaluated more easily.” Therefore, the company is currently considering introducing a talent management system. By subdividing tasks into items, the aim is to realize the objectivity and visualization of evaluations. The company aims to foster an environment where employees can set their own next goals after being convinced of the evaluation content—in other words, this is an environment where they can grow.
While staying close to employees, the company also values the attitude of conveying necessary things frankly. “It is easy to be kind, but that does not lead to growth. We are sometimes strict because we want them to become talented staff members who can be active anywhere,” says Aizawa. Azel also nodded, saying: “It is easier to work when mistakes are pointed out and the correct way is taught.”

Message from our top executive

Director / Shinya AIZAWA

The number of students studying abroad in Japan is expected to increase in the future. We will expand our managed properties mainly in metropolitan areas to accommodate them. In order to continue promoting international exchange within that context, human resources with diverse backgrounds and perspectives are indispensable. We would like to create an environment where diverse talent can work comfortably by continuing to improve our systems while listening to the voices of our employees.

Message from foreign talent

University Dormitory Management / Azalea Triza JULIANE (Nickname: Azel)(Indonesia)

In the future, I would like to take on the Official Business Skill Test in Book-keeping and the Real Estate Transaction Agent qualification exams to deepen my understanding of the business while enhancing my professional skills. Tokyo is a city where diverse people gather, and it is an easy place to live for those coming from overseas. There are many places to play, and as I like anime, I look forward to going to collaborative cafes and events on my days off. If you are thinking about working in Japan, please come and make that dream come true!