In the previous article, we reported on our workcation experience, but as a result of this experience, we had the opportunity to meet with Okaya City Mayor Ryugo Imai, so we'd like to share that with you!

After the greetings, the ITOKI members shared their impressions of their workcation experience, saying they were impressed by the scenery at Yamabiko Park, which they visited in the morning of the day of the interview, that the natural environment allowed them to communicate in a relaxed manner and come up with ideas from a different angle than in office meetings, and that the coworking space had a well-equipped environment, including communication facilities, which allowed them to concentrate fully on their work.

We also asked the mayor about what prompted him to start accepting workcations and what he thinks is appealing about Okaya.

Mayor Imai: Okaya City has just started accepting workcations in earnest from this year. The trigger was a proposal from a city official who asked, "Can we use our tourism resources to create a related population, including businesses?"

We hope that workcation will encourage many people to visit Okaya, and we also hope that workcation will lead to the establishment of satellite offices, etc. For that reason, we thought it was important to provide an opportunity for people to experience the charm of Okaya, so we created an environment where people can do sightseeing while working.

Okaya City is also located about two and a half hours by train from Tokyo and Nagoya, and has excellent access to urban areas. Matsumoto Airport is also 30 minutes away by car, so we hope to attract not only companies in the Tokyo and Chukyo areas, but also many companies from all over the country. Currently, the city is subsidizing transportation, accommodation, and rental car costs to promote workcation, and also lending pocket Wi-Fi and e-bikes free of charge. We hope that people will take advantage of these various support systems and experience and enjoy workcation in Okaya.

Mayor Imai: Okaya city, located in the northwest of Lake Suwa, almost in the center of Nagano Prefecture, is a scenic city overlooking the Yatsugatake mountain range to the east and Mount Fuji in the distance. From the Meiji to Showa periods, much of the raw silk produced in Okaya was exported, and the city gained worldwide fame as "Silk Okaya" and "Thread Capital Okaya." Okaya developed as a major raw silk production center and has a history of making a major contribution to the modernization of Japan.

Even today, many vestiges of this era, historical sites, and assets remain in the town, and the town recently assisted in the filming of the NHK historical drama "Seiten wo Tsuke."

In addition to the silk-related assets that built the town's foundations, Okaya has a variety of other regional resources, including natural scenery that changes with the seasons surrounded by the mountains overlooking Lake Suwa, hot springs, various events, and food assets such as eel, miso, and local sake. Okaya's silk-reeling industry, watch and camera production, and other industries have led to advanced technology, and the town is now home to a cluster of manufacturing companies that specialize in ultra-precision micromachining, providing employment and continuing to develop, which is one of the town's attractions.

★ Mayor Imai's favorite spot ★
For scenery, there is the view from Torii-daira Yamabiko Park, and for history and culture, there is Silk Fact Okaya, Irufu Children's Art Museum, and the Nakasendo roadside.

Mayor Imai: We have been in business with ITOKI since 2015, when they provided us with their intellectual property, and in June of this year, we introduced their products (chairs and desks) to Techno Plaza Okaya, a co-working space that Okaya City is focusing on. We have continued to build a relationship with ITOKI. We also visited ITOKI when we visited companies in Tokyo in the new year, and ITOKI is one of the companies with a very deep relationship with our city.

I had the opportunity to sit on the work chair "Vertebra 03" delivered to "Techno Plaza Okaya", and I felt that the cushion was firm, it was comfortable to sit on, and it reclines so that even if you work for a long time, your back won't be strained. I've heard that it is very popular with users.

Mayor Imai:Okaya City, has beautiful nature and various events in every season. In spring, many tourists visit the cherry blossoms along Yokokawa River, and 30,000 azaleas of 30 varieties, which are said to be the best in the Chubu region, are in full bloom. In August, there is the Okaya Taiko Festival, which features 300 people performing together, which is said to be an extremely difficult feat. In autumn, there are autumn leaves at Idehaya Park and Onodate Park, and in winter, swans fly to Lake Suwa. Okaya City is full of attractions and fun all year round.

In terms of food culture, Okaya is famous as the town of eels, and as the birthplace of the "Doyo no Ushi no Hi" festival, Okaya's delicious eels are being promoted throughout the country. They also have delicious local sake and miso.

It is our pleasure to provide you with a chance to escape from your everyday life, soothe your soul and revitalize yourself with the rich natural environment and hospitality that is unique to Okaya.

Everyone, please come to Okaya City. We look forward to seeing you.

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to join us and we ended with a commemorative photo.

From left
Aiko Kondo (ITOKI Public Relations), Saeko Kawashima (ITOKI Public Relations), Mayor Ryugo Imai, Shigeto Mizutani (ITOKI Corporate Planning), Yuka Ashika (ITOKI Corporate Planning)

A local cable television station was there to cover this interview.

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At first, all the members were a little stiff, but Mayor Imai's gentle personality quickly eased the tension, and it became a lively exchange of opinions. For workers, workcation is one of the options for working styles, but for the local government that is attracting them, the perspective of "regional revitalization" is also an important factor, and various plans are being developed.

During this visit, I felt that the fusion of ideas that are a win-win for both companies (workers) and local governments could lead to the revitalization of workcation.

Thank you very much, Mayor Imai.

Next time, we will bring you pictures of the final day of workcation, so stay tuned!