My name is Tanaka, and I am a director/coder at Coding Factory (hereafter referred to as CF).
Since June, I have left Tokyo and am on secondment to Osaka.
I'm originally from here, so I commute from my parents' home to the Monosus Osaka office in Honmachi.
I spend my days here in the place where I was born and raised, thinking of the faraway Monosus headquarters. There are many difficult times, but I am doing my best.
I want to cover the distance with diligence.
What I saw through Skype
The reason I was seconded to Osaka in the first place was because of an ongoing project with a client in the Kansai region.
Because this was a large-scale project, the aim was to bring us closer physically, to also become closer mentally, and to speed up the pace of progress.
That part went as planned, but an unexpected difficulty arose when communicating with company members who were in different locations.
For example, we decided to use Skype or Hangouts to participate in regular production team meetings and internal conferences, but if the signal was poor, this would just waste time.
Maybe it's the microphone settings, the volume, let's try calling again...
As we did various things, both myself and the other CF members became quite familiar with Skype and Hangouts.
I also feel that even though I can see people's faces on Skype, the way things are communicated is different from when we communicate in person. My teammates try to cooperate with me, but there are really small moments when I feel frustrated and think, "Oh, I wish I could talk to them in person!"
I am especially concerned when asking them to do complex or difficult tasks.
However, at times like that, even after I've explained the outline, I make sure to check in on them frequently. Since I can't be there, I keep in touch frequently to pick up on any misunderstandings or concerns the production staff has, and make amends.
Our company president, Hayashi, often says, "Work is like love."
Hayashi often speaks this way about relationships with customers, but I also feel that it's similar when it comes to his interactions with members of his own company, such as becoming extremely knowledgeable and attentive to the tools they use to communicate.
Currently, the only people in the Osaka office are myself, Tanaka, and Yoshinaga from sales.
To be honest, I feel very lonely not being able to see the faces of the CF members. But even so, just seeing them waving, smiling, or saying a few words over Skype somehow cheers me up.
This is something I couldn't have known until I left.
Ah, maybe this is a bit like love.
Take a stroll around Namba, the town of memories.
I moved to Tokyo four years ago, and during that time I only ever visited Osaka when I went home for the holidays.
I always spend my limited time with family and friends, never alone.
However, this secondment is for a long period of two months, so there will be times when I am alone.
One day after work, I took a walk from Namba Sennichimae, a town full of memories, to Doguyasuji.
View from Sennichimae Shopping Street
I was shocked to find that my favorite bookstore had closed, but relieved to see that the street where I usually wandered around drinking alone was still standing (although I managed to hold myself back as I had work the next day).
I remember how I used to take a break at this coffee shop, or how I used to talk with friends until late into the night at this izakaya. As I was walking around reminiscing about the past, I realized that two hours had passed and I hurriedly ran to the station.
It was a busy, but relaxing and thoroughly enjoyable evening stroll.
Thanks to this, I was able to start work the next day feeling refreshed.
This kind of thing is really important, isn't it?
Living at home for the first time in a while.
All of my relatives were looking at the Monosasu website.
As a member of society, it is important to maintain good health. To do so, a nutritious diet is essential.
I know this, but when I'm busy I don't have the energy to cook when I get home, so I end up skipping out on meals.
But now…
The menu for the day was stewed fish, salad, rice, miso soup, homemade pickles, and my favorite, yuba.
What do you think? It's so nutritious, that's all I can eat.
My mother is a chef, so she thinks about my health because I work overtime until late every day, and the meals she makes for me taste great! She also does the laundry and cleaning, and is extremely caring. I'm really grateful.
While living at home like that, there was one thing that surprised me.
I once sent my parents the URL of an article about me on the Monosasu website.
It wasn't really talked about after that, but now that I've started living at my parents' house, my relatives got together for the first time in a long time.
My cousin, who was there, said one thing.
"Nacchan, I saw your company's website!"
Wh-what?
Then my aunt said,
"It's a great company! And the building is stylish!"
Apparently my mother had sent the URL of the previous article to everyone. To be honest, I was embarrassed,
"Nacchan, you're really trying your best."
When I heard that, I could only grin and say, "That's not true."
I was also very happy that everyone was interested in the company I work for, Monosus.
I will do my best for the remaining month.
I only have one month left of my life in Osaka.
The project is underway, but as I'm back in Osaka for the first time in a while, there are still many things I want to do.
In order to be able to approach my work with genuine enthusiasm, I would like to try living a little more slowly.
TANAKA Natsumi