Hello. This is Omura from the Monosasu editorial department.
On March 6th, Monosus officially opened its fifth base, the Suo-Oshima Satellite Office, in Jikamuro, Suo-Oshima Town, Yamaguchi Prefecture!
On this day, which marked the official start of the office, about 60 people gathered in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Suo-Oshima Town, and people living near the office, as well as people who are regularly indebted to Vice President Nagai, to hold an opening ceremony and reception.
For the opening ceremony, five members of the Yoyogi office, including myself, came to Oshima to help with the ceremony.
We toured the island, which is rich in nature, and checked out how the new office felt.
This time, I would like to give you a little update on what happened on the opening ceremony and what the island is like.
The Suo-Oshima office is located here
First, let me give you a brief introduction to Suo-Oshima.
Suo-Oshima is located in the southeastern part of Yamaguchi Prefecture and is the third largest island in the Seto Inland Sea after Awaji Island and Shodo Island. Approximately 17,000 people live on the island.
The shape of the island resembles a goldfish.
Our satellite office, Jikamuro, is located on the Shiraki Peninsula, just below the goldfish's tail.
Agriculture, fishing and tourism are thriving on Suo-Oshima. Taking advantage of the warm climate, which averages 15 degrees throughout the year, the main agricultural industry is mandarin orange cultivation, and mandarin orange trees are planted all over the island. The sea surrounding the island is crystal clear and beautiful, and sea bream, rockfish, hairtail fish and octopus can be caught throughout the year. At the harbor, there are some very sharp-eyed cats that probably eat delicious fish every day.
Katasoegahama Beach on the island. The Seto Inland Sea is very calm.
In addition, due to the fact that the island has been a major source of immigrants in the past, it has a sister island relationship with the Hawaiian island of Kauai, and in the summer people are encouraged to wear aloha shirts, and hula dancing is performed every weekend at tourist facilities, earning it the nickname "Hawaii of the Setouchi." On weekends, tourists from neighboring prefectures and Hiroshima come to fish, take in hot spring facilities, and enjoy cafes overlooking the sea.
Although the island faces the problems of aging and population decline, it is also seeing new developments, such as people moving to their hometowns or moving to the area, and people starting businesses.
Suo-Oshima Satellite Office Opening Ceremony
Now, let us tell you about what happened on the opening ceremony of the Monosus Suo-Oshima Satellite Office!
The ceremony was held in the space in front of the office.
The office is about 30 seconds walk from the beach. The rain from the previous day had completely stopped and it was a clear day with warm sunshine and occasional breezes from the sea.
The beach is just a few steps from the office. The breeze from the ocean is a little cool.
The members from Yoyogi, along with the help of the people from Suo-Oshima Town Office, Nagai's relatives and friends, began preparing to welcome the guests in the morning.
After a tough time tying the strings for the office plaque unveiling ceremony, it's finally finished!
We borrowed a podium and chairs from the local community association, and also set up a monitor so that members from Tokyo, Kamiyama, and Thailand could watch the ceremony via Hangouts (video call).
This was the first time for all of them to attend such a ceremony. They were excited to see who would be attending, but they welcomed the guests with smiles on their faces.
The time for the ceremony is approaching, and people are arriving one after another.
Before the ceremony, we had a tour of the office.
Once all the guests have gathered, the ceremony finally begins.
First, a greeting from our representative, Mr. Hayashi.
First, we expressed our gratitude to all those involved in the completion of the office and to our neighbors, and shared our thoughts about its completion.
Monosus believes it is more important to increase "options" than simply increase the number of bases. In a situation where most companies in the web industry are located in Tokyo, is it really okay to have only one option to live in Tokyo in order to continue this work? I wondered whether that would be good for myself and for the members I want to work with for a long time, and so I gradually increased the number of bases.
By creating options, interested members will gradually move to the new base. In this way, we will slowly deepen our relationship and hope to be able to work with you here for a long time to come.
The Yoyogi members also greeted the audience via screen (screen on the right).
On the right are members of Yoyogi. The two screens on the left are connected to the Kamiyama satellite office in Tokushima Prefecture and Monosus Thailand in Thailand.
Afterwards, Mayor Takumi Shiiki of Suo-Oshima Town and Director of the Yagyu Prefectural Government Bureau of Yamaguchi Prefecture, Tatsuya Yoshioka, who represented Governor Tsugumasa Muraoka of Yamaguchi Prefecture, gave congratulatory speeches welcoming and encouraging the office.
(Left) Mr. Takumi Shiiki, Mayor of Suo-Oshima Town, and (right) Mr. Tatsuya Yoshioka, Director of the Yagyu Prefectural Government Bureau of Yamaguchi Prefecture, representing Mr. Tsugumasa Muraoka, Governor of Yamaguchi Prefecture, gave congratulatory remarks of welcome and encouragement.
Then came the unveiling ceremony for the Monosus office plaque, made from cedar from Kamiyama, where the Kamiyama satellite office is located.
The unveiling was a success! This marks the official start of our new office!
Finally, we took a commemorative photo with everyone who attended the ceremony.
From the left are Mr. Hidefumi Matsui, the chairman of the Chikamuro Neighborhood Association, Mr. Sakuyama, Mr. Nagai, Mr. Hayashi, Mr. Tatsuya Yoshioka, the Director of the Yamaguchi Prefecture Yagyu Prefectural Affairs Bureau acting as the Governor, Mr. Takumi Shiiki, the Mayor of Suo-Oshima Town, Mr. Masayoshi Arakawa, the Chairman of the Suo-Oshima Town Council, and Mr. Gen'o Niiyama, the Chairman of the Suo-Oshima Town Community Council. In the back are Mr. Kawada and Mr. Takada, Nagai's relatives.
After the ceremony, we were covered by many media outlets, including newspapers and cable television.
We had no idea that so much attention was being paid to our ceremony... The ceremony was featured on the evening TV broadcast that day and in the newspaper the next day.
Local people also gathered for a lively celebration.
After the ceremony, the reception will take place at the nearby Chikamuro Community Center.
(It's refreshing to hear the word reception used for something other than a wedding!)
Many of the local residents who live near the satellite office also attended the reception. Mayor Shiiki of Suo-Oshima Town gave a congratulatory speech, saying, "I hope that if more businesses like Monosus come to Oshima in the future, Oshima will change dramatically. I hope that the opening of the office in Suo-Oshima will lead to great development for Monosus." The reception then began with a toast from Masayoshi Arakawa, Chairman of the Suo-Oshima Town Council!
cheers!
Lively conversations began at each seat.
Members from Yoyogi also spoke with local people.
They were also seen having passionate discussions.
We also received congratulations from two people who have been looking after our Vice President, Nagai, since before he moved here.
(Left) Matsui Hidefumi, chairman of the Chikamuro Neighborhood Association, and (right) Izutani Katsutoshi of the Suo-Oshima Settlement Promotion Council, who organized the tour that inspired Nagai to move to the island, gave congratulatory remarks.
For the celebration, we had fresh sashimi caught locally and sea bream soup. The fish from Suo-Oshima are so fresh and delicious...
As souvenirs, we have red and white rice cakes and "Monosasu Mate".
Monosasu Mate is a special version of Kamiyama Mate, a rice flour and rice bran snack sold at Kamapan, a bakery in Kamiyama, Tokushima Prefecture, part of the Food Hub Project agricultural corporation that Monosus is involved in. The bakers made it from Monosasu rice that Monosus members produced in Kamiyama last year . The red and white colors of the Sakura and Plain flavors are auspicious!
Finally, Hayashi has one more message for everyone.
I greeted them again and said, "From today, I will no longer be a customer, and if I do anything rude, please scold me like a mischievous kid in the neighborhood. I would like to take my time and become familiar with the local community."
The event concluded with three cheers led by Mr. Gen'o Niyama, chairman of the Shiraki Peninsula District Community Council.
Three cheers!
Thank you very much to everyone who came!
Although my stay in Suo-Oshima was short, I was very surprised to see how Monosus has been accepted and integrated into the local community since Nagai moved there about a year ago.
With the satellite office now complete, an opening ceremony and reception will be held.
This may have come as a bit of a surprise to Monosus up until now.
Having the opportunity to meet and talk with the people of Suo-Oshima and the local community of Chikamuro made this an important day that we will look back on as a commemorative day of acceptance.
Finally, we must not forget the people who helped out on the day. The people I have been in contact with since I moved here helped me out from morning to evening with the preparations, cleaning up, and hosting.
There were Nagai's relatives and two drinking buddies who recently moved to Oshima. And Nishimura-san, who was the host of the reception from the opening ceremony, looked relieved that everything was over.
Once again, thank you very much!
And we look forward to your continued support of the Suo-Oshima Satellite Office!
Thank you for the flowers you sent to celebrate!
Bonus: Yoyogi members' first visit to Suo-Oshima
Suo-Oshima is rich in nature. Here are some photos of the Yoyogi members' first visit!
We arrived at Oshima. Diamond Head on Suo-Oshima Island! We gazed at the clear ocean and tropical scenery for a while.
We visited Setouchi Jams Garden , which makes jams mainly from fruits grown on the island. While looking out at the ocean, we enjoyed drinks and ice cream made with plenty of fresh fruit.
That night, we went to Ryuzaki Onsen . The sunset we saw on the way to the hot spring was very beautiful. (Although the photo doesn't do it justice...)
After the hot springs, we enjoyed the island's specialty, "Mikan Nabe" (mandarin orange hotpot)!
A mysterious hot pot filled with seafood with mandarin oranges still attached floating in it.
Outside, cats were on the lookout for tasty treats! (Unfortunately, feeding the cats is prohibited.)
This time, we stayed at Koyosho, a fisherman's guesthouse located on Okikamuro, an island near the office. It is a guesthouse run by a fisherman and only accepts one group per day.
The fishing port is right in front of you.
What surprised me most about this inn was the astounding platter of sashimi that was served on the day I requested dinner!
All the fish are caught that day.
"This is raw wakame seaweed, which can grow into rockfish, yellowtail, and horse mackerel...Yazu is a fish that grows as it ages, eventually becoming yellowtail or Japanese amberjack," he explained.
We were overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the meal, but enjoyed the freshness of the fish to our heart's content. What we couldn't finish was marinated and we had it for breakfast the next morning. We had a wonderful time.
I will also tell you about my first visit to a satellite office!
As soon as you enter, the entrance area is spacious.
The walls, which Nagai himself painted (!), are made of plaster. Depending on the space, they are painted light pink or blue.
The building is nearly 150 years old and has been renovated, so while the beautiful beams have been preserved, it is a very relaxing space that skillfully combines Japanese and Western styles.
There are plans to create a garden outside the door at the back of the kitchen. It's an office with a kitchen garden!
The solid wood floor on the veranda, which was laid by Nagai's grandfather, has been repainted and is still in use.
Tatami space and stairs leading to the second floor
Nagai tells us that if you open up the center of the tatami space, it turns into an irori hearth!
It's an internet environment that will make you exclaim, "It's so comfortable!"
The satellite work on Suo-Oshima while experiencing the island's nature seems like it will be very refreshing. That was the feeling of the Yoyogi members when they returned. I'm looking forward to seeing how the Monosus members will be involved in the new base!
モノサスアーカイブ