In our previous article, we gave you an update on the first and second days of our workcation, but this time we'll be bringing you a fun vacation experience on the final day, the third day (Saturday)!

First, let's review Okaya City's workcation subsidy system.

<Okaya City Workcation Subsidy Program>
・Okaya City will cover half of the travel, accommodation, and rental car costs during the program (up to a certain limit)
・Receive a gift of 3,000 yen worth of eel vouchers
・Free e-bike rental
・Free pocket Wi-Fi rental
・Silky Bus (local shuttle bus) 1-day free pass
・Common admission ticket for five cultural facilities
・Okaya Silk Set (Silk soap and Okaya specialty sweets set)
Please also refer to: "Let's go to Okaya" About workcation
https://www.city.okaya.lg.jp/soshikikarasagasu/shogyokankoka/409/740/19212.html

In order to take advantage of these subsidy systems, I first headed to the Okaya City Tourist Information Center adjacent to Okaya Station.

This information center is staffed with staff who are familiar with Okaya and can guide you to the best places to see and things to do in Okaya. They also offer a variety of other services, such as bicycle rentals, bus ticket sales, free rain gear rentals, free pocket WiFi rentals for those using teleworking or workcation in the city, and souvenir sales.
(Facility link: Okaya City Tourist Information Center opened on October 1st! [Okaya City Tourism Association, Tourism Information for Okaya City, Nagano Prefecture])

There is a large "Okaya City Tourist Map" inside the information center!
It's easy to understand the relative positions and makes it easy to make plans.

We were blessed with good weather that day, so we decided to go cycling towards Lake Suwa. It was the first time for all of us to ride e-bikes, so we all got excited as we started riding.

It felt a little heavy for just the first moment I started pedaling, but the electric assist quickly helped, and after that I was able to move smoothly with just a light pedal push.
What shocked me was running up a slope! It felt just like running on a flat surface, and it was so easy.

So before we knew it we had arrived at Lake Suwa.

Aaahh, so relaxing!!!

The Kamaguchi Water Gate is located nearby.
This sluice gate is located at the point where the Tenryu River flows out of Lake Suwa (the eel restaurant I introduced in my previous article was along the Tenryu River), and this is the starting point of the Tenryu River. It was built to effectively utilize the power of Lake Suwa's water, regulating the amount of water flowing from Lake Suwa into the Tenryu River and the height of the water surface of Lake Suwa.

We chatted for a while while looking out at Lake Suwa.

You can also relax at the foot baths along Lake Suwa (for free!).
Apparently you can see Mt. Fuji on a clear day.

Now that I've had some time to relax, I hop on my e-bike again and start riding!

This is the street along Yokokawa River in Okaya City where the movie "Hikita-san! You're pregnant" (starring Yutaka Matsushige and Keiko Kitagawa) was filmed. The street is lined with mostly Somei-Yoshino cherry trees, and when they're in full bloom, you can see a beautiful cherry blossom arch. I'd like to visit again in the spring.

Well, after driving through the beautiful tree-lined road, we arrived here.

As mentioned in the previous article, Nagano Prefecture has been a leader in Japan's silk industry for a long time.
The building of the Okaya Silk Workshop is registered as a national tangible cultural property and a modern industrial heritage site, and is a very valuable facility that is still in operation. This is an experience workshop where you can weave Okaya silk with your own hands in a nostalgic atmosphere.

We're trying our hand at making coasters!

Everyone was struggling!
You will receive one-on-one instruction from experienced craftsmen, who will show you the process step by step.

Thanks to this, it's finally starting to take shape.

Once you have woven a sufficient length, you can finish it into a souvenir like the one shown in the photo on the right.
It was my first time experiencing weaving, and it felt great to be immersed in something; it also helped to refresh my mind.

You can experience making a coaster for just 1,000 yen in materials costs.

Although there were some facilities that I wasn't able to visit, I'd like to introduce some of the benefits of workcationbelow.

You can visit the former residence of Kunizo Hayashi, the founder of Ichiyamaka Hayashi Silk Mill, which was founded as Tenryu Silk Mill in 1876. The gold leaf room on the second floor is a masterpiece, and from inside the building you can also see a magnificent Western-style building that you would never imagine was built (strange!). The gorgeous Buddhist altar is also worth seeing.
(Facility link: Former Hayashi Residence [Okaya City website])

The museum exhibits outstanding local artworks such as paintings, sculptures, crafts, and calligraphy, as well as a wide range of earthenware and stone tools from the Jomon to Heian periods that have been excavated from ruins within the city.
You can see the real pottery that you learned about in your Japanese history textbook when you were a junior high school student up close! It brings back memories! I had a great time talking about pottery with the curator who is a big fan of Yayoi pottery.
(Facility link: Okaya City Museum of Art and Archaeology)

This is a children's art museum that has a permanent exhibition of the works of Takeo Takei, a Douga (children's picture) artist from Okaya City. You can see the actual published works that are called "jewels of books."
Be sure to ask the staff about the origin of the museum's name.
(Facility link: ILF Douga Museum of Art)

This is a unique museum in the world that houses a silk factory and conveys the truth about the factory, silk, and the silk industry.
Detail is Article on the second day of my workcation experience Please refer to
(Facility link: Okaya Silk Museum)

This samurai residence near the Nakasendo road was inhabited by generations of scattered samurai (samurai who lived in villages outside the castle town) who served the lord of Takashima. It has been designated a Nagano Prefectural Treasure.
(Facility link: Former Watanabe Family Residence (designated prefectural treasure) [Okaya City])

Workcation benefits: Okaya Silk Set, eel voucher, and common pass to five cultural facilities

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Time passed quickly and it was time to head home.
This was my first time experiencing workcation, and I felt like working in an environment where I could feel close to nature allowed me to stay in a very neutral mood. I think working with colleagues that you normally only see at work can also help you build relationships, so it might be a good idea to use it with project members from different organizations.
The next article will be the final one in our workcation experience series, where we will look back on the whole experience.