It's better to have a little difficulty in your work so you don't get bored. Director Yurika Machiyama loves solving mysteries

Hello, I'm Sugimoto, a writer living in Kyoto.
It's summer in the basin! We survive by pushing through the warm, jelly-like air caused by the humidity and heat...

Well, this time, it's been a while since we've last appeared on the Monosas website, so we interviewed Yurika Machiyama, the director of Monosas Thailand (Monotai). We asked her some questions, including questions from Monosas members who work with her, collected by Yuka Tanaka, also from Monosas.

How do you balance hard work with relaxation?

Sugimoto: It's been seven years since you joined Monotai. What kind of work do you do?

Machiyama: I'm surprised that it's taking so long. I work as a web director. I act as a middleman between the client and the Thai coder, negotiating the specifications and managing the project progress.

Sugimoto: Actually, we have received a lot of questions for Machiyama from everyone at Monosus. When you think of Machiyama, you may have the image of him being "busy" and "working very hard," so we have received a few related questions.

Machiyama: No way! Everyone (laughs).

Sugimoto: A question from Kagawa. "I have the impression that you are always being overwhelmed with hard work. Even though that situation continues all the time, I get the impression that you continue to work positively. What motivates you to work?" Nagai asks, "What kind of work, or what about it, do you find motivation or joy in?"

Machiyama: Once I get into a state of concentration, I can't stop. However, the degree to which my brain gets tired is completely different now than it was in the past. When I first joined the company, we still had projects to create websites for PCs only, and although each project was simple, there were many of them and we were busy. But now, the needs of projects are becoming more and more complicated and difficult, so it's no longer possible to stay focused all the time.

So I'm not working as much as people think. There is some blank time for my brain's HP (Health Points) to recover. If I absolutely have to finish something today, sometimes I'll do a little before going to bed, but sometimes I'll take a break after eating.

Sugimoto: Don't you ever think, "I don't want to work anymore!"

Machiyama: Absolutely! But I wonder. If something is unreasonable, I get annoyed, but if I can find a way to end it without being unreasonable, I think, "I'm glad I did this job." I want to somehow interpret difficult cases, discuss this and that with the coders, and somehow complete them, and achieving difficult things is fun, isn't it? If it's easy, my brain doesn't get tired and it's boring. As the industry evolves rapidly, there are always things that are a little difficult that I don't know yet. I think that's just right for me to keep doing it without getting bored. When I'm passionate about something, a year goes by in the blink of an eye, so maybe that's why I'm still motivated.

I'm jumping ahead a bit, but I guess I release stress by reading manga. Doing what I like for about two days makes me feel better? Also, there's a Thai product called "Ya Dom" that smells like menthol and looks like a lip balm, and I sniff it. It's pretty effective. When I get irritated and my stomach muscles get stiff, I stand on a tennis ball and roll around to loosen them up. That's how I deal with stress in a small way.

Yadom, a Thai sniff medicine that Machiyama uses frequently (provided by Machiyama)

I want to incorporate "I've never thought of that!"

Sugimoto: In relation to manga, Phong asked me, "Among the two-dimensional characters, is there any that you think are similar to you? Please tell us in what ways you are similar."

Machiyama: I don't really see myself as a character in a manga or anime. By listening to other people's stories and reading manga, I can gather stories that I can't experience myself. I think that's how I release stress.

Sugimoto: Hinata asked me, "Even though you're busy, it seems like you're always challenging yourself with things that interest you. Where do you get the energy to do that?"

Machiyama: When I took the Strengths Finder, the results showed that I had strong qualities of "collecting" and "returning to basics." I want to know and experience many different things. Maybe it's because I have a strong sense of curiosity. "Challenging yourself with things that interest you" - does that mean you're helping out at an online coding school for Japanese children?

Sugimoto: Why did you start helping out at the coding cram school?

Machiyama: One reason is that I'm interested in education. To put it very simply, I think that if more people could think for themselves and realize the absurdity of politics, society would become a better place. Another reason is that I was looking for a side job that would allow me to earn Japanese yen.

Sugimoto: I heard that when you joined Monotai, you wanted to broaden your horizons. Do you still feel that way?

The sea of Toyama with a view of the Tateyama mountain range (Photo by Machiyama)

Machiyama: I always want to incorporate things that make me think, "Oh, I never thought of that," whether big or small. Seven years ago, I chose to work in Thailand because it was something that was in my blind spot. Now, specifically, I want to move to Toyama. It has everything that I'm attracted to, from the scenery to the delicious food. When I was researching moving to Toyama, I found a website for a multi-generational shared house called "Toyama-style (*) Share House," and I thought, "Ah, this is it!"
*The "Toyama model" is a model of day care service in which multiple generations support each other, regardless of whether or not the person has dementia or a disability.

If you're always looking for something, and if you find something interesting, and don't miss any information related to it, I feel like you'll find something that you'll like.

Why do we love solving mysteries?

Sugimoto: Mr. Matsunaga asked me, "Why do you love solving puzzles, both for fun and for work?"

Machiyama: I'm a fan of the "Real Escape Game" and have been there twice with four other members, including Matsunaga and myself. If you ask me why I love solving puzzles, it's because it's in my nature. I love suspense, mysteries, and games that involve solving puzzles. I think it's the same with wanting to solve social and political issues.

Real Escape Game (Provided by Machiyama)

Sugimoto: So you like solving mysteries.

Machiyama: The process of solving the mystery is fun, and the feeling of "I got it!" when you finally solve it is fun, isn't it? When you're not sure what to do, but you think you can solve it if you try, it feels good to use your brain.

Sugimoto: However, I feel that people who like solving mysteries are not interested in solving social or political problems. I feel that they have a little more passion.

Machiyama: Regarding politics, during the first election I held after coming to Thailand, I learned that in order to vote overseas, I had to remove my Japanese residency and go through a process that took 2-3 months. Otherwise, I had to go directly to the place where my residency was. I felt very uncomfortable, so I started studying the electoral system and politics on YouTube and other sites. I was shocked to realize that countries don't always put their citizens first.

The reason behind this way of thinking is an encounter with a teacher I had in elementary school. That teacher taught me the joy of noticing a problem and thinking about how to solve it. I believe that I am who I am today thanks to that experience, and it also led to my interest in education. I would be happy if I could be a catalyst for someone else, even if just a little bit.

Sugimoto: Whenever I come across something that gives me a sense of strangeness or mystery, I ask myself, "What is this?" and begin to investigate and think about it.

Machiyama: Maybe I think that's where my purpose in life lies. For example, I think the reason I can propose different types of ideas and express my opinions in meetings is because of my love of solving mysteries. The results also lead to my being evaluated highly and motivated, so I think it's a good cycle.

Monosus would say, "Why not just do it?"

Sugimoto: Finally, I would like to ask about your life in Thailand, now in your eighth year, and about Monosas. A question from Hinata. "You've been based in Thailand for a long time now, but what do you think about the country?"

Machiyama: Thai people have no barriers, so much so that even when you see them talking to each other, you can't tell if it's their first time meeting someone or if they know each other. I like that feeling. However, because there are no four seasons, it doesn't feel like the year is ending, and the scenery doesn't change. Japan has four seasons, and there are many different scenery within the country. I think it would be just right if you added Japan and Thailand together and divided them by two.

Sugimoto: A question from Tong-san: "If you had the opportunity to work abroad again, in which country would you like to work?"

Machiyama: I guess Hong Kong. I really liked the chaotic feel of the cityscape and it was fun. There were quite a few people who spoke to me in Japanese.

Sugimoto: After seven years, do you ever get bored of working in a company or on the web?

Machiyama: No, I have a lot of feelings (laughs). I'm used to remote work now. I don't like being tied down to a place to work, and it's hard to find an environment where I can go wherever I want, whenever I want. Also, when I talk to my friends about Monosus, they often say, "That's an interesting company!" It seems normal when you're there, but I think that's true.

It would be different if I could find a specific company that I wanted to go to, but if not, I think I should stay at Monosus. Even if there is something I want to do, if I consult with them, they will probably say, "Why don't you just do it?", so I think that I might be able to do pretty much anything.

Sugimoto: Mr. Machiyama, what do you value most when it comes to your work?

Machiyama: I guess it's "something that you can accept." I think there will be times in the course of work where someone has to put up with something, big or small, but I want to somehow find the best compromise under the current circumstances to minimize that.

Both the members of the company and the client want to deliver the project in the best possible condition, so I think they are all on my side. If you always treat them with gratitude, they will be very grateful, and I feel like we can continue to have a good relationship until the end. I want to stand between the production side and the client, think carefully about both sides, and try to eliminate discord as much as possible.

I was fascinated by the difference between the happy expression on his face when he talked about manga or solving mysteries and the serious expression on his face when he talked about work. He started to get interested in things and wondered, "Hmm? What is this?" and his world expanded rapidly, and there were many things he was particularly fond of. I wanted to hear more about the world that Machiyama sees.

He plans to stay in Japan for a while this year.
I'm hoping we can do something together again.