M asaaki Arai is the founder and director of Open House Group, a major Japanese real estate company specializing in affordable single-family homes in Tokyo's dense urban market. He founded the company in 1997 with a vision to make homeownership accessible in expensive metropolitan areas. Open House's business model focuses on acquiring small plots of land and building compact, efficient homes, a strategy that has resonated with urban families.

Arai took the company public on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 2013. Under his leadership, Open House has expanded aggressively, not only within Japan but also into the U.S. real estate market, catering to Japanese investors. He stepped down as CEO but remains a director and the largest shareholder, continuing to influence the company's strategic direction.