To get out of the concrete jungle that is the city of Tokyo, why not subscribe to a rental service in the countryside? This is the idea of the company ADDress, which launched in 2019 a subscription platform allowing you to stay for up to two weeks in more than 200 furnished accommodations located throughout Japan. “When you are in an area rich in nature, it gives more opportunities to relax. It’s better for productivity too,” says Akihisa Oikawa, one of the users of the service, to the economic daily Nihon Keizai Shimbun.
With his companion, Akihisa Oikawa changes house according to their desires, passing for example from Masuko (in the north of Tokyo), a mountain town renowned for its production of ceramics, to that of Oarai (in the north-east of Tokyo ), which overlooks the Pacific. “Before, they went to their respective offices in Tokyo every day. However, Covid-19 obliges, they now telework one hundred percent”, says the journalist. The number of subscribers to this service has increased ninefold since its launch.
Hope for the regional economy
In the same vein, the Sanu company provides its customers with guest rooms located in the departments of Yamanashi and Nagano, which are reputed to be picturesque. More than 2,000 people have joined the waiting list to subscribe to their service. According to a survey carried out in 2020 by Biglobe, one of the main Internet service providers in the country, this craze would reflect an underlying trend. Around 60% of respondents say they are in favor of the idea of “workation”, neologism created from English words work et vacation. At the same time, some Japanese companies, such as the search platform manager Yahoo Japan, now allow their employees to work from where they want.
The increase in people choosing nomadism could represent an asset for the regional economy of the country, bloodless due to the rural exodus which has persisted for decades, writes the journalist. In order not to lose this bargain, “local authorities should work on better reception, notes Matsushita Keita, a professor at Kansai University quoted in the article. For example, they can improve their Internet connection and install devices intended to take advantage of the experiences of people coming from outside.