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WeWork Plans Japan Expansion, Eyes Osaka, Yokohama and Fukuoka

  • The co-working startup’s first Japan location opened Thursday
  • WeWork to announce new Shibuya location in mid-February
A woman displays a WeWork Cos Inc. branded coffee mug for a photograph at the Embarcadero WeWork Cos Inc. offices in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017. WeWork has focused its attention on Asia since 2016 with the opening of its first facility in Shanghai amid booming demand for flexible work spaces.
Photographer: Mike Short/Bloomberg

WeWork Cos., a co-working space company backed by SoftBank Group Corp., is planning to expand its Japan operations to include Osaka, Yokohama and Fukuoka.

The New York-based startup may open a location in Osaka in the next 12 to 14 months, Chris Hill, WeWork’s chief executive officer for Japan, said in an interview Thursday. WeWork, which aims to open 10 to 12 offices in the Tokyo area this year, has signed a lease for its first location in Shibuya and plans to unveil the location in mid February, he said.