Use the days of worry and frustration as nourishment.
This month's MVP is Satoru Gotanda, who supports the Kamiyama office.

Hello, my name is Kurihara and I work at the Kamiyama Satellite Office of the Webmaster Support Department.
This month's MVP award went to Igeta Satoru, who, like me, works at the Kamiyama Satellite Office.

There are two main reasons for this award.

1. Over the past year since the Kamiyama satellite office opened, the company has grown significantly despite facing many challenges.
2. For maintaining and managing the Kamiyama satellite office

Personally, I really wanted him to receive this award at this timing, one year after the Kamiyama Satellite Office opened, and I am truly glad that Gotanda was able to receive this award.
Today, I would like to write about the reasons why Gota won the MVP award this time.

"I want to teach coding in Kamiyama."

Anyone who knows the beloved character, Gouda, would agree that he is not suited to life in Kamiyama. When it was decided that he would be going to Kamiyama, many people were worried about whether Gouda, who hates insects, would really be able to live in this place surrounded by mountains.

Still, the reason I really wanted Gota to come to Kamiyama was because I thought it would lead to his own growth.

Before going to Kamiyama, Gota had been carefully trained and taught by his seniors, including Matsunaga, a former member of the operations team, since he joined the company. However, there was an air of him being troubled and distressed as he carried out the work he was given.

Hoping that I could help bring about some kind of awakening in him, I asked him to come to Kamiyama as a lecturer in a teaching position for one month for the second term of Kamiyama Monosasu Juku, where I served as the principal.

What I experienced at that time was teaching others.

He is a man of character who does everything carefully. He works closely with the students, carefully teaching them at their own pace, and his gentle nature has endeared him to the students.

Gota will be teaching a coding class in the second term of Kamiyama Monosasu Juku.

I could see a sense of fulfillment and a positive atmosphere at Gotanda that I had not seen much in the company until now, and I learned how the experience of "teaching others" even for a short period of time can change a person so much.

I remember being truly surprised and happy when Mr. Goto himself said, "I felt a sense of fulfillment in teaching others," and even said that after he finished his teaching career, "I want to teach someone what I have."

For this reason, I invited him to officially come to Kamiyama in the fall of 2016, in the hope that by teaching the four new members how to do their jobs at the Kamiyama satellite office that would start at the same time, he would bring about a major change in himself.

As expected, he didn't agree right away, and after several interviews, he finally agreed. ←Wrong. He agreed.
I think he was quite troubled because the option to live in the countryside, which had never been an option until then, suddenly presented itself.

Work, life, relationships, family...

It's only natural to have worries, as you will be moving from the familiar environment in which you were born and raised to a completely different environment.

However, after much deliberation, he finally said, "I'd like to teach coding in Kamiyama."

After much thought and consideration,

That's how Gota came to Kamiyama at the same time as the Kamiyama satellite office was opening. A year passed in the blink of an eye, from setting up the office to training the members who had completed the seminar.

In this new environment, he was constantly thinking about projects, his education, and his daily life. It may have been a year of worrying like never before.

Most of the time it didn't go well...

Each time, I thought about it, worried about it, came up with a solution, and then moved forward. I think this year was a repeat of that process.

Before I came to Kamiyama, in Yoyogi, there was always someone nearby who would readily help me with any questions I had, but that's not the case in Kamiyama.
On the contrary, I am now on the side of solving problems, and I think I have started to think deeply about each and every thing I did casually before, so that I can communicate and teach them.

While he still has a lot to learn, Gota finds himself in a position where he must support the other members while also growing as a person.

You also need to find someone you can ask questions to and consult with when you encounter a difficult problem on a project.

Although Goto was not exactly known for being proactive, now that he is in a position to lead the members, he has been seen taking action to expand the community, regardless of his department.

Regarding one project, I asked, "What happened with the XX thing?"

"Oh, I asked Mr. XX from the XX department about that issue and it was resolved!"
I once answered refreshingly, ``Yes, I am.''

It's important to think of ways to solve problems and derive answers on your own, but it's also very important to increase the number of people you can consult with. I think that by increasing the options for the ball I throw, the scope of my work has expanded.

It may be a bit of an exaggeration, but I think the moment when I got a glimpse of the change in Gota, was when he was able to act independently.

I believe it is because I thought and worried about it every day that I have been able to grow so much as a person compared to a year ago.

This month's (January) MVP award winner, Iwata, commented from his laptop as he was in Kamiyama.

When Yoyogi members heard Ige-chan's comments when he received the MVP award, some of them praised him, saying, "Ige-chan has become more reliable," and "He said some good things," and it seems that the people around him have also noticed the change in Ige-chan.

Ige-chan, please continue to think and agonize over everything and come up with an answer. Even if it's not the right answer, I'm sure it will be a source of nourishment for you.

I'm sure that even now you are feeling anxious and worried about many things.

But that's Igechan's good point. He thinks about everything until he finds a satisfactory answer. Please keep doing that.

He is the man behind the scenes who makes the Kamiyama satellite office possible.

Working at the Kamiyama satellite office

The reason for winning the MVP award is not just due to Goto's own growth.
As mentioned above, it has been a year since the Kamiyama satellite office opened.

As the office name suggests, it also functions as a satellite office and also has a dormitory building where Yoyogi members can stay.

When members come from Yoyogi, Gouda prepares futons and sheets. It is a rule that used sheets are washed, but sometimes due to time constraints, Gouda washes and hangs out sheets that could not be washed, and folds them so that the next person can use them comfortably.

They also regularly check for food left in the refrigerator and dispose of it. They provide support in various ways so that the members working in Kamiyama and at satellite offices can use the facility comfortably.
(Even throwing away food waste is difficult in Kamiyama Town...)

We don't have a designated person in charge, but one of our staff members, Gotanda, who is particularly conscious of his role, once let out this complaint:

"This isn't a hotel..." (I don't usually complain like this.)

You're absolutely right. I'm sorry for relying on you and putting so much of a burden on you.
Let's distribute the burden more and have not only the members working in Kamiyama but also the members who come to do satellite work.

We appreciate your cooperation.

In addition to the accommodation buildings, the office buildings where business is carried out daily also require replenishment of supplies such as toilet paper, which is used daily, and kerosene, which is needed during the winter.

Not only that, but because there are no headquarters members in Kamiyama who handle general affairs, like in the Yoyogi office, we are able to work in Kamiyama every day without incident, even with payments that cannot be made by direct debit, thanks to Gotanda working behind the scenes.

Despite his busy schedule at work, he works hard for everyone outside of work as well, so I decided to nominate him as MVP to show my appreciation.

Anyway, thank you for your hard work in the past year since the Kamiyama satellite office opened. And thank you very much. The second year has already begun, but I think this year will be another year of leaps and changes for Igechan.

Ige-chan is cherished by many people because he treats people with kindness and courtesy.

Let's continue working together like this, even if we feel a bit frustrated from time to time.

Jumping with the members who came from Yoyogi. It looks like fun. From the left: Hamabata, Kawarazaki, Kagawa, and Gouda.