Arealink

What Arealink does

Arealink Co., Ltd. (エリアリンク株式会社, TYO:8914) is a Tokyo-headquartered, publicly listed Japanese real estate company founded in 1995 that operates Japan's largest self-storage network under the Hello Storage brand, comprising 2,919 properties and 127,541 rooms as of February 2026. Its core operations span container-type outdoor and building-type indoor storage rentals, supported by the Partner System that provides operational management to third-party storage operators, and complemented by three adjacent business lines: Hello Office small-scale rental offices in central Tokyo, a Land Rights Settlement (底地) business that buys and sells complex ground lease interests, and an Asset Business holding income-producing real estate.

The company generates revenue primarily through recurring monthly storage rental fees, supplemented by transaction fees from land rights settlements, subscription income from rental offices, and rental income from owned asset properties. Its go-to-market combines direct field sales to land owners and developers for site acquisition with self-serve consumer rental through the Hello Storage website, dedicated phone lines, and a growing partner channel. Strategic partnerships with Palma Corporation (March 2026, integrating 43 Niconico Storage properties) and Keisei Real Estate (June 2026, unlocking elevated railway land) indicate an asset-light expansion model layered on top of owned-property growth, with a stated target to reach 200,000 rooms by end of 2029.

Name

Arealink

Legal name

エリアリンク株式会社

Website

https://arealink.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Arealink is a publicly listed Japanese real estate company operating Japan's largest self-storage brand, Hello Storage, with 2,919 properties and 127,541 rooms, serving individual consumers, land owners, and developer partners nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Self-Storage Services

NAICS

Lessors of Miniwarehouses and Self-Storage Units (531130)

SIC

Public Warehousing & Storage (4220)

akta.pro primary industry

Self-Storage Facility Management & Operations (Third-Party Managed) (HSAKAGAI)

Keywords

• Self-storage rental
• Trunk room services
• Land rights settlement
• Rental office space
• Real estate asset management

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Storage Rental (ストレージ事業): Core recurring revenue from rental of self-storage units (both container-type outdoor and building-type indoor). Monthly rental fees from 127,541 rooms across 2,919 properties as of February 2026.
2. Land Rights Business (土地権利整備事業): Buying and selling of complex land rights (底地) to resolve issues between landowners and leaseholders.
3. Office Rental Business (オフィス事業): Operation of Hello Office (ハローオフィス) - small-scale rental office spaces in city centers.
4. Asset Business (アセット事業): Holding and managing revenue-generating real estate properties for rental income.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Arealink operates Japan's largest self-storage service under the Hello Storage brand, with 2,919 properties and 127,541 rooms as of February 2026. The company runs four business segments: Storage (container-type outdoor and building-type indoor rental storage), Land Rights Settlement (resolving complex ground-lease issues through property transactions), Office (small-scale rental offices under Hello Office in central Tokyo), and Asset Management (holding income-generating real estate for rental income).

Product overview

Arealink operates a unified multi-service portfolio centered on its flagship Hello Storage brand, Japan's largest self-storage service. The core offering includes Hello Storage (rental storage spaces in both indoor building-type and outdoor container-type formats), supported by sub-services like the Partner System (operational support for other storage operators) and Storage Life. Beyond storage, the company operates three related business segments: Hello Office (small-scale rental offices), the Land Rights Settlement Business (底地), and the Asset Management Business. A consumer-facing brand called kurasul serves individual customers. The company also previously operated Best Inn budget hotels but this appears to be a historical business.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hello Storage (ハローストレージ): Japan's largest self-storage rental service with over 2,919 properties and 127,541 rooms as of February 2026
• Hello Office (ハローオフィス)
• Niconico Storage
• Storage Life (ストレージライフ)

Products and services

• Hello Storage (ハローストレージ) Japan's largest self-storage rental service offering both indoor (building-type) and outdoor (container-type) trunk rooms across 2,919 properties and 127,541 rooms. Serves individual consumers and businesses needing personal item, equipment, or seasonal storage.
• Partner System (パートナー制度) Program enabling third-party storage operators to leverage Arealink's operational expertise and the Hello Storage brand, expanding the company's footprint beyond owned facilities. Targets landowners and real estate operators seeking to develop storage assets.
• Storage Life (ストレージライフ) Lifestyle-oriented storage service within the Hello Storage ecosystem offering additional storage-related solutions for consumers seeking organized, sustainable living arrangements.
• Hello Office (ハローオフィス) Small-scale rental office service operating in central Tokyo, targeting professionals, freelancers, and small teams seeking flexible workspace in city centers.
• Land Rights Settlement Business (土地権利整備事業 / 底地事業) Business that resolves complex land rights and ground-lease relationship issues between landowners and leaseholders through property transactions, serving both landowners and leaseholders seeking to resolve disputes or restructure ownership.
• Asset Business (アセット事業) Real estate asset management business that owns and holds income-generating properties, generating rental income for Arealink from owned real estate assets.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200th store milestone in Aichi Prefecture achieved April 2026
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Keisei Real Estate (京成不動産)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 June 2026Area Link and Keisei Real Estate have constructed a new business model utilizing idle land beneath elevated railways (高架下遊休地). This innovative partnership enables storage facility development on underutilized railway land assets.
• Palma Corporation (パロマ株式会社)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 March 2026Area Link provides operational support for Palma's Niconico Storage properties (43 properties, 1,167 rooms) through its partner system, targeting full occupancy. Palma supplies its rent debt guarantee BPO service for Hello Storage operations. Both companies aim to leverage each other's strengths to strengthen their respective business foundations and contribute to the healthy development of Japan's self-storage market.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Lok'nStore Group: Smaller UK self-storage operator with ~40 facilities focused on the south of England. Comparable subscription-based storage rental business model at smaller scale, useful as a peer for understanding Arealink's growth-stage economics.
• Spaces Inc. (スペースマーケット): Japanese marketplace platform for renting spaces including storage, parking, and event venues. Adjacent competitor in the Japanese space utilization market, addressing overlapping customer pain points around unused space and temporary storage needs.

Broad incumbents

• Extra Space Storage: Major U.S. self-storage REIT operating thousands of facilities nationwide, providing directly comparable storage rental economics at scale. Same subscription-based self-storage rental business model targeting similar residential and small business customers.
• Public Storage: Largest publicly traded self-storage REIT in the United States with thousands of properties. Operates the same subscription-based self-storage rental model at massive scale, representing the dominant industry template Arealink's model is built around.

Direct peers

• Shurgard Self Storage: Europe's largest self-storage operator with operations also in Japan, offering directly comparable container and indoor storage rentals under a subscription model. Most direct international competitor to Hello Storage given similar network-based, multi-country strategy.
• CubeSmart: U.S. self-storage REIT operating ~1,300 facilities with comparable mix of owned and third-party-managed properties. Closely aligned business model combining direct operations with managed real estate partnerships, similar to Arealink's hybrid Partner System approach.

Regional players

• Big Yellow Group: UK's leading self-storage brand operating ~110 owned and leased facilities. Comparable inner-city and suburban storage rental model with strong brand positioning in a developed, space-constrained market similar to Japan.
• Storage King: Self-storage operator in Australia and New Zealand with ~150 facilities under franchise and corporate models. Comparable multi-format storage rental model including container and indoor units, similar in structure to Arealink's container and building-type mix.
• National Storage REIT: Australia's largest self-storage operator with ~270 centers across Australia and New Zealand. Comparable scale and growth trajectory in a developed Asia-Pacific market, operating the same subscription storage rental model with similar urban density dynamics.
• Safestore Holdings: Largest self-storage operator in the UK and Paris with ~200 facilities. Comparable urban-focused self-storage rental model targeting similar residential and SME customers in space-constrained developed markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hellostorage88
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@HelloStorage_Arealink_Official
• Facebookfacebook.com/hellostorage
• Instagraminstagram.com/hellostorage
• TikToktiktok.com/@hellostorage88
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arealink-co-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Arealink