Trial “Work-in-Residence” Report #01

RESIDENCE PROGRAM

Check out the video of the stay (Click to play)
“Wow.” That’s what they said when they saw the magnificent view below them as they walked along the hiking trail. Click here to see a video of the guests during their stay.

ROKKONOMAD on Mt. Rokko, is a facility that can also be used as a base for a work vacation or workcation. Ahead of its opening, here is a trial of the facility and the “work-in-residence” program.
Our first guest was Ms. Ko from Taiwan.
Since Mt. Rokko is a mountain close to the city, we made a plan that would allow us to enjoy both the city and the mountain.

Ms. Ko is 28 and is from Taipei. She came to Japan in 2018 and is currently working for a company in Tokyo.

Ms. Ko working in one of the cottages at ROKKONOMAD.

On the condition that she will be working remotely, the representative of the company to which Ms. Ko belongs gave her permission to participate in this trial stay program for four days from the end of November to the beginning of December 2020.

We adjusted the program so that she could enjoy both the city and the mountain environment.

Program Plan
11/27 (Fri.) Yokohama→Shinkansen Arrive at JR Shin-Kobe Station Stay overnight in the city
11/28 (Sat.) Experience Kobe Farmer’s Market in the morning, free time in the afternoon
11/29 (Sun.) Walk around the local shopping street and have lunch → Climb up the hiking road of Mt. Rokko to ROKKONOMAD → Light work at the cottage in the late afternoon and then Stay at the cottage
11/30 (Mon.) Spend the day free on Mt. Rokko, then overnight at the cottage
12/1 (Tue.) Interview about the stay → Descended the mountain, purchase some souvenirs in town, then return to Tokyo

EAT LOCAL FARMERS MARKET

A farmer’s market where farmers from Kobe City gather.

Learning about seasonal vegetables and how to cook them from the farmers who are selling their products.

On the second day of her stay, we took her to the EAT LOCAL FARMER’S MARKET, which is held almost every Saturday morning at the Higashi Yuenchi Park in Sannomiya.

Ms. Ko is in charge of the grocery business at her current company, which purchases and sells local vegetables. She is very interested in the farmers’ market in Kobe, and actively engaged in conversations with the farmers selling their products. She said she was “surprised to see how close the distance between consumers and farmers is compared to Tokyo, and how natural the atmosphere is for conversation.”

Suidosuji Shopping District

Got a map from the guesthouse where we were staying and set off.

Walked around the local shopping district.

Day 3. We strolled together through the Suidousuji Shopping Street, which has a history of 90 years and is said to have as many as 500 local stores. A local told us about a kushikatsu restaurant that was established in 1950.

Delicious! Wonderful to taste the local food.

Instead of using the cable car, we hiked up the mountain to the office.

Hiking up to the office.

After lunch, we took a bus to the Rokko Cable Lower Station, the gateway to Mt. Rokko. However, instead of using the cable car, we took a hiking route to the top of the mountain. The starting point is actually right near the cable station. Ms. Ko had brought her own hiking shoes.

She was even more fit than we were, and climbed up the mountain without losing her breath. On the way up, we enjoyed the various views from the mountain. The hike up to the top of the mountain took us one hour and ten minutes.

This time, we chose the “Abura Kobushi” course. Mt. Rokko has a variety of hiking routes.

According to Ms. Ko, she was born in Taipei, which city that sits in a basin. There were low mountains near her parents’ house that she could easily access, so she had been mountain climbing with her family since she was a child. Even after she started working in Japan, she always went to the mountains to refresh herself when her work became too hard. Since she lives in Yokohama, she usually goes to mountains such as Tanzawa. Sometimes, she goes to the Yamanashi area to climb mountains.

Arrival at ROKKONOMAD – A bit of light work

The main building of ROKKONOMAD was under renovation. The cottages are on the far side of the main house.

Once you reach the top of the mountain, it’s a 10-minute walk to ROKKONOMAD. We went straight to one of the two cottages. Took a short break, checked email and worked on some urgent matters.

Inside the cottage. Complete with an IH stove and cooking utensils.

Afterwards, we took a walk around the office and Ms. Ko asked me a question. “I’d like to attend a reunion with my friends from Taiwan, is that okay?” By connecting to Taiwan via online video chat on her smartphone, she was able to attend the reunion from Mt. Rokko. As long as there is an internet connection, there is no longer any problem to work, even when on a mountain. It is such a wonderful era. Such a nice thing to know.

The view from the balcony of ROKKONOMAD. Looking out over the Port of Kobe.

On the fourth day, we had a full day of free time on the mountain. I was told later that she took the Rokko Arima Ropeway to Arima Onsen in the morning. She really wanted to take a leisurely stroll and soak in the hot springs, but had an online meeting with her company in the afternoon, so she had to leave Arima early and return to the cottage. However, she said she had a great time even if it was only for a short time, and next time she would like to go out with more time to spare so that she can walk the hiking route to and then back from Arima. Even though she only had a short time there, she really enjoyed herself and like the flexibility of ways that the area can be used.

Interview on the last day about her stay. Watch the video above for more!

The last day of her stay. We interviewed her to get her impressions of the program. Did you have a good time?　”I slept well yesterday and today!” was her first response. This morning, she woke up and went for a walk around the neighborhood. Then she started getting ready for the day.　

“I really enjoyed both the city and the mountains. I picked up so much in the city, and I was able to really refresh in the mountains.”

“I’m sure there are other areas where the city and the mountains are close, but I felt the biggest difference here is that there is an environment where you can work in the mountains. When I was working in Tokyo, I spent most of my time working on weekdays, and on weekends I would go to the mountains without thinking about work, but here I don’t have to completely separate the two. I can take a short walk in nature before starting work, and I feel like I can easily combine life and work here.”

“I thought it would be nice to be able to mix and match, to go to the city and come here from time to time, without having to do all my work here.”

“It’s easy to concentrate and clear my mind and heart. It’s hard to do that when you’re in a city all the time.”

“I have no complaints, but I thought it would be great if we could eat and cook fresh vegetables here.”

For more information about the interview, please see the video above. “It was a lot of fun! I want to visit again soon.”
　
Thank you, Ms. Ko, for joining us this time. We’ll definitely see you again on the mountain!