While the use of "share houses," where people with no connections with each other live together, are on the rise in Japan, dwellings occupied by people with a common purpose are also drawing attention.

In a quiet neighborhood in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo, nine computer programmers and university students live together in a "concept share house" to learn programming from each other.

"We are not just good friends; we realize that we can absorb various things from each other because we have the same purpose," said Kohei Sugi, 25.