I am Vice President Nagai, working at the Suo-Oshima satellite office. From now on, the words "temporary office under preparation" have been successfully removed, and Suo-Oshima has become an official place of work in both name and reality. In conjunction with this, on March 6th, 2018, we held an opening ceremony and unveiling party in Jikamuro, Suo-Oshima, where normally only about 50 people live, with about 60 people attending, exceeding the population of the area! (Click here to see what happened on the day)
We started with a scene from the lively unveiling ceremony, attended by people of all ages and genders, but this time we would like to take a look back at what happened leading up to the opening ceremony and after it was over.
An opening ceremony?! What is that?
At the end of last year, when the renovation work on the satellite office was nearing completion, I was talking with someone from the town hall about the progress of the work.
"By the way, aren't you going to have an opening ceremony?" he asked. Apparently, the first company to set up a satellite office in the area had held a fairly grand ceremony when it opened its office.
My reaction at the time was, "What do you mean, an opening ceremony?! I've never done anything like that in Thailand or Tokushima. Besides, if the construction is finished, we'll just start work the next day..." I brushed it off like that, but then the locals started asking me all sorts of things. "Aren't you going to do the mochi-maki (an essential event for celebrations around here, including the topping-out ceremony)?" "Please show us the inside of the building when it's finished," and so on.
The renovation work has become a bit of an event not only for me, but also for the local community. Since it was such a special occasion, we decided to hold an opening ceremony to show the facility to the local people who have always been so kind to us.
Initially, we were thinking of having a small, intimate celebration with around a dozen close friends and those who have helped us, but as more people said they wanted to come and we thought of people we would like to see, before we knew it, it grew into a huge event with over 60 people!
On the day of the event, preparations progressed in a flurry from the morning, testing the monitors and microphones that would connect to each of Monosas's bases, braiding the cords using a method taught to us by locals, and hanging the curtain for the opening ceremony, all of us nervously wondering if it would come off at the right time.
We had many meetings with the town hall, the locals arranged for bento boxes and rice cakes for the banquet, and Kamiyama Town in Tokushima Prefecture sent us a brand new sign with the Monosus company name (made from Kamiyama cedar!) and souvenir sweets... With the cooperation of all the parties involved, we made and sent the event.
Five members from Yoyogi also arrived in Suo-Oshima two days before. On the day of the opening ceremony, Monosus members, town hall staff, and local friends gathered together, and preparations began in a festive mood from the morning, for the opening ceremony, which began at 2 p.m.
An unusual sight for a local family?
For the first time in decades, the voices of young people could be heard everywhere.
The solemn ceremony was attended by the mayor of Suo-Oshima and the acting governor of Yamaguchi Prefecture, followed by a reception. I called out to everyone I thought I wanted to invite: relatives, neighbors, drinking buddies I'd met since moving here, and of course the people from the town and prefecture who'd helped me out. What kind of occasion would it be when 60 people of all ages, lifestyles, and backgrounds gathered together to participate? Even though I was the one inviting them, I had no idea.
However, there was a harmonious and lively atmosphere at the venue. Many of the people who gathered were meeting each other for the first time, but seeing the sounds of conversation and laughter here and there made me feel really glad that we held the event. I wanted to talk to each and every person who came, but it was hectic and I regret not being able to speak to them at length. On the other hand, what made me happiest was that we were able to create a space where locals, those of us who had moved there, and people based in the city could all enjoy themselves harmoniously, regardless of their background or generation.
Even after the event, people kept saying things like, "It was fun," "It was lively," "The food and souvenirs were delicious," and so on. I feel like I've become a little closer to each of the people than I was before the opening ceremony.
The atmosphere was harmonious and relaxed, with a grandfather approaching 90 years old and his younger drinking buddies.
After seeing off the guests, we had a second party. We had some more drinks with the Monosus members and Nishimura-san, Chizu-san, and Tomo-chan, who helped out with the ceremony, as a reflection session.
During the ceremony and public unveiling, we were all there to entertain and look after the guests, and as such were unable to have a leisurely chat, which gave the Monosus members and their local friends, who were meeting for the first time, a chance to let off some steam, relax, and get to know each other.
Whether you live in the countryside or in the city, the essence of life remains the same. It was a day where I reaffirmed that the place that suits me is the place where I can spend good times with close friends and acquaintances who look after me kindly.
And now, the way we work and live here has changed, yet at the same time remains the same.
Thus, the festival-like day ended without a hitch, and the satellite office quietly resumed normal business the next day. As with the previous day, I worked alone in the satellite office, held meetings with each base via video conference, and occasionally made business trips to Tokyo. My daily work and life continued as usual, but the opening ceremony once again made me feel the great expectations of the local community, and it was with a sense of urgency that I officially started the day.
As long as you have internet access and a car, life on Suo-Oshima isn't actually that different from Tokyo.
However, even though I'm doing the same things as I would in Tokyo, I feel like the way I approach and think about each and every thing is somehow different because of the different environment. That's what I'm feeling now.
Monosus now has five locations (Yoyogi, Osaka, Kamiyama, Suo-Oshima, and Thailand).
We are happy to hear that people are interested in relocating or being transferred, but we also want to know what changes will occur in your body and your mind when you put yourself in a different environment than usual. We would like to gradually develop this as a place where people can experience satellite work, which will be one of the triggers for this.
Suo-Oshima also has a famous spot for Kawazu cherry blossoms, which bloom a little earlier than Somei-Yoshino cherry blossoms. A year has passed since I moved here, and now I'm experiencing my second cherry blossom season, having gone through four seasons.