We have introduced our workcation experience in Okaya over the course of four articles, but what did you think after reading them? After returning to Tokyo, we, the participants, looked back on our experience. In this final article, we will consider the theme of "Reconsidering the effects and challenges of workcation through our own experience."

In recent years, against the backdrop of a declining labor force, work style reforms have been promoted, with emphasis being placed on improving labor productivity and job satisfaction.
Furthermore, due to the impact of COVID-19, many business people have been forced to reconsider the way they work, and many people have started to hear words such as "working from home," "multi-location," and "relocation" frequently in their daily lives.

In this context, one new way of working that is garnering attention is "workcation." Workcation is a new way of working that combines the benefits of both local revitalization for local governments and work style reform for companies.

However, it is true that there are many questions and criticisms, such as, "Can you really relax while working?" and "Combining "work" with "vacation" and being able to work anywhere..."
Through this workcation experience, we wanted to actually feel what kind of effects it could have.

When I actually started working in Okaya, Nagano Prefecture, the thing I felt most of all was a sense of relaxation.
Due to the impact of COVID-19, working environments have become more decentralized and diverse than before, and by practicing Activity Based Working (ABW)* within the office, we have more opportunities to work in a variety of spaces.
* ABW is a work style strategy that Itoki is implementing.

However, it is refreshing to take the train and come to Nagano to work.

The flow of time and the atmosphere seemed different from usual, and I was able to relax when participating in regular online conferences.

Furthermore, when we are sitting on our laptops in a natural setting like Yamabiko Park, the sense of openness helps to encourage conversation among team members, and it seems that more ideas come to us than usual.

It's also very comfortable to be able to take time to refresh yourself after work or in between work by cycling around Lake Suwa or soaking your feet in a foot bath.
By thoroughly refreshing myself and relaxing my mind, I was able to work more refreshed and focused.

Of course, I also felt there were some challenges.
This time, Techno Plaza Okaya provided us with a place with furniture and fixtures such as chairs and tables, as well as a good working environment with power outlets and Wi-Fi, which allowed us to work comfortably, but I feel that having the right hardware is an essential condition for workcation.

It is also true that if we had not been accustomed to a "highly mobile way of working" that includes the use of laptops, going paperless, and having a secure environment that allows us to work safely even in a remote environment, we would not have been able to even attempt a workcation experience like this one.
Isn't creating an environment that supports new ways of working an urgent issue?

Furthermore, the more the boundaries between on and off time become ambiguous, the more people will need to be liberated from time-bound working styles. Companies will also need to put in place systems to accommodate this.

In summary, workcation may be a good opportunity for individuals and organizations to reconsider their working environment and autonomy. We should aim to create rewarding work by reviewing both the hard and soft aspects of work to suit new ways of working.

This workcation originally started as an initiative by ITOKI to open up intellectual property patents, which ITOKI has been working on since 2015. We were connected with Okaya City through intellectual property business matching, which led to the discussion of using ITOKI products in the workspace at Techno Plaza Okaya and this workcation experience.
Open Patents are a starting point for creating contact points between local governments and companies, which leads to the creation of workspaces and workcation like this one, and increases the "related population" in the area. I felt that Open Patents is a meaningful initiative in that sense as well.

It all started in 2015 when we supported small and medium-sized enterprises in Okaya City with intellectual property licenses, and we have maintained a friendly relationship with Okaya City ever since. We believe that supporting the manufacturing industry through intellectual property licenses is fundamentally the same as supporting the creation of tourism demand through workcation and supporting the economic development that comes with local consumption, so we would be happy if these efforts could lead to the revitalization of the local economy.

This time, a company in Nagano Prefecture saw the media feature about our workcation experience and asked us to share our thoughts about it.
Providing insight into new ways of working through these initiatives also ties into ITOKI's corporate concept of "We Design Tomorrow. We Design WORK-Style. "​

Workcation is a new way of working that combines the benefits of local revitalization for local governments and work style reform for companies, and it is also expected to contribute greatly to the SDGs.

For companies, it is expected to contribute to improving job satisfaction (SDG 8 "Decent Work and Economic Growth") by having a positive effect on the work-life balance of workers, increasing their motivation, and by working in a different environment from usual, increasing productivity and creativity. In addition, it also leads to health management (SDG 3 "Good Health and Well-Being for All"), as employees can come to work refreshed both physically and mentally.

Meanwhile, for local governments, the first thing they can do is contribute to revitalizing the local area (SDG 11, "Sustainable cities and towns"). In addition, new relationships between the local area and companies will be created through the process leading up to that point and through workcation (SDG 17, "Partnerships to achieve the goals"). The relationships between companies and the local area will likely lead to efforts to solve local issues.

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Through these five articles, we have introduced the workcation experience in Okaya City, Nagano Prefecture.
Until the end Thank you for reading.
I imagine that there are various ways of perceiving workcation depending on each person's position and work environment, and it is also true that even if you want to try workcation, there are hurdles that individuals cannot overcome.

At WORKERS happiness, we will continue to provide a life-size picture of each workers, including their challenges, so that they can work while feeling happy in their own way. We hope that our experiences will be of some help to you.