News room

ITOKI CORPORATION (headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Koji Minato), as a partner of the Setouchi Triennale 2025, which will be held from Friday, April 18, 2025, has conducted a demonstration experiment of workation with Panasonic Energy Co., Ltd. (headquarters: Moriguchi City, Osaka Prefecture; President and CEO: Issei Tadanobu), mainly in Naoshima and Teshima, where the festival will be held.

A questionnaire survey of participants before and after the workation showed positive results in indicators such as "well-being," "motivation to work," "team collaboration," and "quality of workshops."

・Feelings of fatigue decreased by 33% ・Feelings of happiness increased by up to 23% ── A dramatic improvement in well-being
・Work engagement improved by up to 18% ・Motivation for growth at work improved by up to 17% ── Positive changes in motivation and attitude toward work
・Social capital between participants increased by up to 51% ─ team connections were significantly deepened
- It is easier to come up with different opinions and ideas than usual - improving the quality of discussions and promoting creative dialogue
*The percentage is the rate of change with the level before implementation being 100%.

In 2022, as part of ITOKI's efforts to explore the possibilities of new ways of working, we conducted a demonstration experiment of workation mainly in Naoshima and Teshima, which are the venues for the Setouchi Triennale, with which we are partners. By examining the effects of incorporating art experiences on "solo work (individual activities)," we were able to confirm a positive impact on work performance and well-being.

This year, we continued to partner with the Setouchi Triennale 2025 and conducted a workation demonstration experiment. This time, we focused on teamwork, incorporating workshops to visualize the specific impact on team performance and engagement.

[1] Dramatic improvement in well-being
First of all, it is noteworthy that there was a big change in the participants' stress indicators. Fatigue, anxiety, depression, and physical complaints (loss of appetite, sleep disorders, etc.) were significantly reduced immediately after the program, and the effect continued even after two weeks. Specifically, after the program, fatigue was reduced by up to 33%, anxiety by 30%, depression by 31%, and physical complaints (loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping) by 24%.

Furthermore, subjective well-being improved immediately after the implementation, and this trend continued even after two weeks. Presenteeism (the degree of perceived work performance) also improved. Subjective well-being improved by up to 23% after the implementation, and presenteeism improved by up to 16%, visualizing the effects of workation on supporting physical and mental health from the ground up.

[2] Positive changes in motivation and attitude toward work
There were also positive changes in the participants' attitudes toward work. Work engagement (dedication, enthusiasm, and energy in work) increased by up to 18% after the program. There was also an improvement of 17% in motivation for work growth and 14% in proactiveness toward work.
These figures show that workation not only provides a way to refresh the mind and body, but also leads to a more proactive approach to work.

[3] Team connections have improved dramatically
This demonstration project confirmed not only changes at the individual level, but also clear effects on relationships between team members. Indicators of "social capital," which show "connections between people" such as consideration for each other, mutual understanding, and a sense of cooperation among team members, improved significantly immediately after the implementation, and sustained effects were seen even afterwards.

This social capital showed the greatest rate of change of all the items surveyed, with a maximum improvement of 51% compared to before the program. The value of spending time together in an extraordinary environment is backed up by the numbers.

[4] Improved quality of discussions and promotion of creative dialogue
In the workshop on the final day, discussions were more free and lively than in regular work. Many participants commented that "it was easy to develop new perspectives" and "opinions came out naturally," and it was confirmed that participants felt more comfortable speaking up and had a stronger sense of cooperation.

On the other hand, 60% of participants responded that they had not noticed any significant change in how easily discussions could come to a consensus, suggesting that the workshops held as part of workations were particularly effective in generating ideas and acquiring diverse perspectives.

To coincide with the Setouchi Triennale 2025, which will open on April 18, 2025, we will provide a specially designed mobile office car, planned and produced as part of the ITOKI MOBILE OFFICE PROJECT - Mobility Space for Everyone, as a partner company.
This mobile office, created through in-house crowdfunding, can also be used for workation and recreational purposes. In addition to being used as a vehicle for art festival staff, employees will be able to actually experience workation, demonstrating different ways of working.
"We Design Tomorrow. We Design WORK-Style." As a company, we will contribute to promoting the appeal of Setouchi and revitalizing the region.

This is a contemporary art festival held once every three years on the islands of Setouchi. The festival lasts for about 100 days and is divided into three seasons: spring, summer, and fall, allowing you to experience the charms of Setouchi in each season.
It is one of Japan's leading international art festivals, attracting approximately one million people from both Japan and abroad during the festival period.