I went to Mt. Koya for my first solo workday [Seijoshin-in & Muryoko-in]

My name is Kai Fujisawa, and I work in public relations and recruitment. I gained weight from eating too much vegetarian food at the temple

In October 2021, Beyond introduced the "Workation System"

The rules of the system are as follows:

• Up to twice a year, available for those with more than three years of service
• The period is from 2 days to 2 weeks
• The company will cover up to 50,000 yen (transportation, office space, and accommodation)

The workation system was introduced just when I was thinking, "I want to work somewhere that's neither an office nor home," so I thought I had to be the first to take advantage of it, and so I went straight away

Where did you go for how many days?

When I told our CEO, Haraoka, that I wanted to go on a workation, he said, "Koyasan sounds good," so I decided to go to Koyasan

Koyasan has several lodging facilities called "shukubo" where you can stay overnight at temples, and the internet is also available for free, making it a great place not only for worship and training but also for workation

This time, I visited " Shojoshin-in " and " Muryoko-in . "

As for the duration, I was thinking of going for about a week since I was going to be working remotely, but Haraoka, who had worked remotely for five days at a campsite, advised me that it would be better to keep it to two nights and three days (because working alone for a week would be tough), so I went for two nights and three days

As advised, 3 days and 2 nights was just right for me mentally and physically

Preparations before going

Contact the temple

• Internet and power availability
• Is it okay to make online calls while wearing earphones at work?
• Whether it is possible to take photos/videos and whether it is okay to post them on blogs or social media

I called to confirm things like, "I'm going to do a workation, is that really okay?"

Create a three-day schedule

I simulated the Koyasan area using Google Maps, including travel time to the temple, transportation options, and where to eat

If I didn't check my travel time and means of transportation in advance, there was a chance that I wouldn't be able to start work at the scheduled time, so I carefully wrote down my schedule on Google Calendar and looked at it on the day

My very personal thoughts on temple workcation

I will try to write down everything I felt and noticed at the temple

Everyone is greeting each other properly

There are loud shouts of "Good morning" and "Hello" from people at the temple and those staying at the temple lodging

Kindness, courtesy

They have excellent etiquette. (It's a small thing, but) they give you the right of way, put your shoes in order, offer you tea, and show great hospitality

A subtle athletic atmosphere

The people who work at temples are not part-timers or employees, but trainee monks or monks, so they don't seem to be following a manual. They seem to work efficiently, either of their own volition or by following the etiquette taught to them by their superiors

I feel like I have to be a decent person too

The sounds of bells, chanting of sutras, and silence can be heard in the Japanese-style workroom. Working in a clean and proper place makes you aware that you must become a person who suits the environment

I can concentrate on my thoughts

There's no TV, music, or people talking around me, so I can organize my thoughts

I realized I was rushing through life

I want to do what I can now without comparing myself to others. I feel like I have my feet on the ground

Things to be careful about when working remotely

If you work in a place where you can't access a power source, a mobile battery is essential

On the first day, before checking in at the temple, I had to work for a few hours in a place where there was no power source, but I forgot the cable to connect my laptop to my mobile battery, which put me in a difficult position. Don't forget to bring a mobile battery so you can charge it

Plan your trip in advance, including travel time

No matter how well you plan your workation, things don't always go as planned, so make sure to plan your trip with this in mind

It is best to avoid scheduling meetings as much as possible

It's best not to schedule important meetings during your workation, as you may not be able to make it on time or your internet may not be working properly

Don't force yourself to work, make time to relax

If you cram too much work into your workation, it will defeat the purpose of workation, so we recommend that you choose a time when you have some free time to work remotely

summary

Workation is suitable for the following people:

• People who want to experience a new environment for just a little while
• People who don't mind travel time
• People who want to be alone

On the other hand, it is probably not suitable for the following people

• People who want to work in the same environment
• People who don't want to go outside as much as possible
• People who don't want to be alone

Temples are by far the best environments in terms of quietness, but they don't have desks and chairs suitable for work, so I felt they were more of a place to go to think about something or sort out your feelings rather than to do serious work

The coronavirus situation is calming down a bit, so if you're feeling tired of self-restraint, why not try going on a trip?

※postscript

We have posted videos of our workcation at Koyasan on YouTube, so please take a look if you have some free time

Public relations staff stay at the temples for workcation [Shojoshin-in Temple & Muryoko-in Temple] - YouTube -

Now, I'm Fujisawa, in charge of public relations and recruitment.