Kamiyama (Tokushima, Japan)

The good thing about coming to Kamiyama is that my working hours are shorter. I come to work after 9:00 and leave around 19:00. Naturally, I have more time to focus on my daily life. It's nice to be able to go home in 10 minutes after work. When I worked in Yoyogi, it took me 2 hours to commute one way, or 4 hours round trip.

I'm not the type of person who has a clear goal in mind. But living in Kamiyama means having to cut the weeds around the house, and being close to nature means having to take care of it. It's fun to be able to see and learn from the skills of others, not just around the house but also in the cleaning activities (tree cutting) in the area where I live. It's good to have something to do rather than just lazing around at home. I like to be physically active, so I think it suits me.
(As of October 2024)

For me, the biggest change has been my commute time. I also like the fact that there are few people in the office and it's quiet. When I worked in Tokyo, I had the impression that the company phone was ringing frequently and it was hectic. Now I feel like I can concentrate on my work.

Since I came to Kamiyama, I've been cooking for myself a lot more. I get home around 8pm, and either my wife or myself, whoever finishes work early, cooks dinner. I've redone the floors at home and made a work desk, but I'm thinking of making something again if the boom comes. I also like playing in the river, so I go there almost every week in the summer.

Kamiyama is well prepared to welcome newcomers, and there are many opportunities for newcomers to interact with each other, so I feel like I am in a very fortunate position. I think the living and working environment here suits me very well.
(As of October 2024)

I moved to Kamiyama before joining Monosus, and have been working out of the complex (Kamiyama Valley Satellite Office Complex) ever since. I start work around 9am and finish at 5pm. It varies though.
I've spent more than half my life in Tokushima, so I can't really compare it to anywhere else, but it's a very comfortable place to work and it's the best.

In Kamiyama, I am often asked to take on a variety of roles. For example, I manage the fire brigade and the KamiyamaMakerspace, run a coder dojo for children, and perform the Awa Odori dance with the Oukaren.

The good thing about coming to Kamiyama is the closeness of the relationships with people. I say "there is a lot of room," but there are many opportunities to enter into that room. Recently, I was asked quite casually if I would be a lecturer for a course for working adults organized by the town, and I replied, "Sure," but I don't think that kind of atmosphere would occur in urban areas.
(As of October 2024)

Now I go to Kamiyama Town Hall every day from 9:00 to 17:00. When you work at the town hall, you get a lot of vegetables. High school students sometimes come to sell them, and during the sudachi season, the surplus vegetables are left on the desk, so I feel the blessings of the community.

As for my lifestyle, I used to live in the countryside in Tokushima Prefecture, so I feel like I moved to the mountains where the air is fresh. I now live in an apartment complex and am living very comfortably, so there's nothing special to say about it.

The good thing about coming to Kamiyama is that, starting with the establishment of the Kamiyama College of Technology, a series of innovative initiatives are being undertaken that are rarely seen in other regions. Thanks to the town office secondment, I was able to learn about these new developments early on, and I feel fortunate to have been given the job at such a good time. Having the opportunity to experience new challenges is very stimulating, and I feel that this is a major attraction of Kamiyama.
(As of October 2024)