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ITOKI CORPORATION (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Koji Minato) has released "WORKPLACE DATA BOOK 2026," a research report that comprehensively analyzes the challenges companies face regarding work styles and office environments.

This data book analyzes changes in work styles and offices in the post-COVID era, based on a survey of 5,000 office workers in Japan and office data collected by Itoki over the past five years.

As work styles become more diverse, offices are expected to provide value that contributes to human capital management, such as revitalizing communication, improving productivity, and enhancing employee engagement. Companies are therefore redesigning their environments to support these goals.

Download the complete version of "WORKPLACE DATA BOOK 2026" here.

• Work styles are becoming "polarized." Over 40% now prefer to go to the office every day.
Approximately half of respondents said they "want to change their work style or office environment," indicating that the need for review remains high.
The most sought-after features in an office are those that meet individual work needs, such as "individual concentration" and "support for web conferencing."
- The adoption rate of hot desking exceeds 60%. On the other hand, group desking receives high marks for communication.
- The number of single-person meeting rooms is increasing, indicating a growing need for spaces suitable for small groups.

In terms of the ideal frequency of coming into the office in 2025, "5 or more days a week (commuting to the office every day)" increased by more than 10 percentage points to 42.0%, up from 30.7% in 2023. On the other hand, "primarily working from home" also increased slightly from 6.8% to 9.4%, while the middle group, which previously comprised the majority, decreased to around 2-3 days a week.
These results show that work styles are becoming increasingly polarized between those that prioritize working in the office and those that prioritize working from home. Furthermore, companies are increasingly prioritizing face-to-face communication, and the value of the office is being re-recognized not merely as a place to work, but as a place where people interact.

The percentage of respondents who said there had been a "change" in their office environment decreased significantly from 52.1% in 2023 to 18.3% in 2025, indicating that the improvements made to the office environment since the COVID-19 pandemic have stabilized to some extent. However, on the other hand, 50.4% of respondents said they "want to change their current work style or office environment," suggesting that the re-evaluation of the value of the office after the pandemic subsided has led more office workers to feel the need to reconsider office functions.

The most frequently cited features in an office were spaces where individuals could concentrate without being distracted by surrounding noise or glances, and dedicated spaces for phone calls and web conferences—environments suitable for individual work. Furthermore, this survey revealed a need for improvements in both physical and digital environments, with digital infrastructure, such as the use of internal communication tools, ranking highly.

The adoption rate of hot desking has reached 64.6%, and many companies are increasingly implementing them.
The analysis revealed that while hot desking received high marks for productivity, group desking tended to receive higher marks for communication and creativity. These results indicate that companies need to design operational structures that are tailored to their specific work styles and objectives.

Looking at the composition of meeting rooms, the proportion of single-person meeting rooms is increasing year by year, indicating a growing need for spaces for individual use. On the other hand, the number of meeting rooms for 2 to 4 people fluctuates from year to year, remaining at a relatively stable level. In particular, 85% of single-person meeting rooms are set up as booth-type rooms that support web conferencing, showing that the widespread adoption of online meetings is significantly influencing space design.

Survey Overview 1: Office Environment Survey

Survey Overview 2: Survey of Office Workers' Attitudes