Abstract: We propose a new mechanism to generate minuscule active neutrino masses in a five-dimensional (5d) spacetime of an interval without introducing SU(2)L singlet neutrinos. Under asymmetric boundary conditions on the two end points, a bulk mass for a 5d fermion allows a Dirac particle with a tiny mass eigenvalue. Implementing this mechanism, which provides us a new tool for building neutrino mass models, to the standard model gauge structure is possible when all the gauge bosons and the Higgs boson are localized on one of the branes. © 2016, The Author(s).