As the number of employees increases and people's interests vary, Monosus is fully implementing company trips in 2024, with the aim of "going together" instead of "going with people who want to go."
This is one of the employee benefits where employees think about the kind of trip they want to go on, recruit people to join them, and if they meet certain rules, it will be recognized as a company trip.
In 2025, five company trips were held using this system.
We will introduce some of the company trips we took to various places, including Korea, hot springs, and mahjong.
The Showa era company trip! Part 2: "Ikaho Onsen Trip"
A typical hot spring trip, where you travel around the tourist spots on a tour bus and then have a party at a hot spring!
This year, a total of 20 members headed to Ikaho Onsen.
They visited the Toy, Doll and Automobile Museum, strolled freely along the Ikaho Onsen Stone Steps, played heated table tennis matches at the inn every night, tried making kokeshi dolls, and had the opportunity to feed animals at Gunma Safari Park.
Participant comments
Iino Naoki: I've been to Ikaho Onsen many times, but this was my first time staying overnight, and the scenery was completely different. Last year, when I went to Atami, there was a performance, and I drank like crazy. This time, I was able to relax and enjoy myself. I even climbed the stone steps to the top, and enjoyed table tennis, mahjong, kokeshi dolls, and the safari park. I'm using them for my Daruma bento lunch boxes and piggy banks.
I had been interested in Murakami Izao Ikaho for a while, and I enjoyed going up and down the stairs to experience the atmosphere of the town. The view from the room at the inn was also amazing. In the evening, I played mahjong, learning the rules. I enjoyed myself, being watched over warmly.
A journey to walk, feel and enjoy the revitalized Kumano Kodo with Marky
I walked the Kumano Kodo with Aoki Masayuki, also known as Marky, a meeting facilitator who is also helpful to Monosas members and who enjoys training as a mountain ascetic.
The course was flexibly decided based on the participants' physical condition and mood on that day, and they toured the three major Kumano shrines and experienced the atmosphere of this sacred land by taking a boat ride down the Kumano River.
Kumano is Marky's hometown, so we stayed at his family home, where we prepared fresh fish caught in Wakayama, and chatted late into the night while tasting local sake.It was a fulfilling and refreshing trip.
Participant comments
Keisuke Kato: I had always wanted to walk the Kumano Kodo trail. Marky, who is also a mountain ascetic, guided me and I was able to enjoy the unspoiled scenery of Japan. After walking a long distance, the excitement of seeing Nachi Falls at the end is an unforgettable memory.
Tanaka Yuka: One day, I told Aoki, "I've always wanted to walk the Kumano Kodo trail," and time has flown by, and it's been about two years since then. This time, I finally got to visit Kumano, and just that alone was enough to make me overwhelmed with emotion! While we were there, Aoki taught me a wide range of things, from Kumano's history and culture to famous local supermarkets. It was a fulfilling three days where I was able to see, hear, feel, and learn so much. The two people I traveled with usually work in different offices. It was practically our first meeting, but we quickly became close, and it was so much fun talking about work, our interests, and all sorts of things late into the night over delicious food and drinks.
Mahjong training camp
Six people with varying mahjong experience took on a three-day, two-night company trip dedicated to "all mahjong." They played 3-on-3 team matches from morning until night, and before they knew it, they'd been playing for a total of 24 hours. They even played on the Romancecar app during the trip, and it was three days immersed in mahjong.
However, the trip didn't end with just mahjong. On the last day, we enjoyed lunch at a delicious tofu restaurant in the neighborhood, and then took a quick (about 15 minutes!) tour of Odawara Castle. It was a very satisfying trip.
After returning to the office, many people said they wanted to participate again next year, and the mahjong fever within the company is growing even more. Will the event be held at the same location next year? If you're interested, please contact Yamamoto.
Chumo! 🀄🔥
Participant comments
Matsubara Megumi Mahjong Training Camp was truly the best! It was such a perfect environment for mahjong that we would like to hold it again next year at the same place. We are 1000% grateful to the organizers who perfectly planned everything from the game style to accommodation, lunch, and transportation! After we returned, there was more talk of mahjong within the company, and we had more opportunities to play with people other than the participants. The number of mahjong players at Monosus is definitely increasing!
Satoru Matsunaga: It was a really good time, as it was the first time since my student days that I was able to play mahjong without worrying about time. I feel like the trip strengthened my connections with my mahjong friends. Both the hot springs and the food were so good that we used the same hotel for our family trip a month later. I hope to stay at the same place again next year.
Adult Holiday Hakone Hot Springs Trip
We went on an adult hot spring trip, taking the Romancecar and relaxing at a luxury inn.
After enjoying a delicious lunch and beer at GORA BREWERY PUBLIC HOUSE in Hakone Yumoto, we checked into the inn and enjoyed a luxurious stay.
The trip was a great way to soothe our daily fatigue, not only in the open-air bath in our room, but also in the large public bath and private baths.
Participant comments
Kumiko Sakuyama: It was my first time staying at such a luxurious inn, so I had a great time and even promised to go back next year.
On the way there and back on the Romancecar, we sat in our seats and chatted away. The two days and one night passed by in a flash.
Four adult women from Furuhata Yukari Monosus got together for a trip to Hakone to see the autumn leaves. We squealed and squealed at the top-class inn, enjoying the room, the food, and the baths. A trip where we did absolutely nothing was the best. However, we also managed to visit a craft beer shop and a gelato shop on the way there and back, making it an absolutely perfect weekend.
Going with Yosuke! A fun Korea tour
Designer and programmer Hayashi Yosuke (Korean Language Proficiency Test Level 2), whose weekend plans often include Korea, acted as our guide for the Korea tour, which was an extremely short, two-day, one-night trip for a total of 10 people, including my family. (Some of us arrived early, and some later, so we all traveled together for the two days.)
First, we all gathered at the hotel. We headed to Gwangjang Market, bought some kimbap and tteokbokki, and walked along Cheonggyecheon Stream. After that, we took the train to Gyeongdong Market. This is an area with about three markets in a row, and there are fewer tourists than Gwangjang Market.
We headed to Andongjibu, which is said to have the best Chinese cabbage pancake, but there was a long line. We gave up and went to a restaurant that serves delicious roast duck. There were no seats available, so we were wondering where to eat. A nearby store lent us a chair and table, so we bought a beer and ate there.
After that, we went to Seongsu-dong to look around the fashion mall MUSINSA EMPTY, and then went to buy pajamas as requested by the members. At 7pm we all had samgyeopsal at a restaurant we had booked.
We went back to the hotel and went to bed, ignoring the pajama fashion show. The men's team went to a jjimjilbang (where there was apparently a commotion).
On the second day, we went to Kwangjang Market for breakfast, ate red bean and pumpkin porridge, and took Korean-style photo booth photos. We then took some cool photos at Starfield Library, stopped by THE Hyundai Seoul, and browsed everything from high-end brands to trends for the MZ generation before disbanding. I had a business meeting with a Korean artist about the New Year holidays (after a busy schedule), and then headed to the airport. This tour was pretty shopping-focused, so next time I'd like to plan a tour that better conveys the wonders of culture.
Participant comments
Kikuchi ErikaYosuke, who is knowledgeable about Korea, gave us a quick tour of various places, from standard tourist spots to hidden spots not often visited by tourists.
It was my first time in Korea, but thanks to having someone knowledgeable about the area with me, I was able to feel at ease and enjoy myself to the fullest, even though I was in a foreign country for the first time!
Takumi Sekiguchi: It was a quick weekend trip, but we were able to fully experience the energy of Korea! Not only did we sightsee, but Yosuke also took us to a deep market where we ate our way through the markets, and had dinner at a restaurant bustling with locals. Everything was fresh and delicious. It was a whirlwind tour, but it made me want to go back again right away.
Mongolian warrior training to explore nomadic life
Finally, we will introduce the Mongolian warrior training trip , which unfortunately did not fall within the scope of the company trip system, but was participated in by members who said, "I'll go even if I have to pay for it myself!" This project was not only attended by two members from Monosas, but also by about 20 members from all over the country.
On the first day after arriving in Ulaanbaatar, we stayed in a modern ger a few hours from the capital, and on the second day, we boarded a lovely bus that is normally used as a school bus and set off on a rough road to the Orkhon Valley. Along the way, we traveled through the desert and the former imperial capital of Karakorum, and arrived at our base on the grassland late at night after more than 12 hours.
For the next three days, we rode horseback every day, staying with the locals. The Orkhon Valley is a land of great variety, with abundant rivers and waterfalls, hills and forests, and a starry sky at night... We were able to witness and experience the grandeur of Mongolia, which goes beyond the image of a "vast grassland," the lives of the people who live there, and even the practice of slaughtering livestock.
The next day, after returning to the city, we explored the city individually and in loose groups. We had time to get a feel for modern Mongolia and to think about it. We will introduce the local situation with plenty of photos and comments.
Izumi Kojima
Marie Fujiwara
