September 13, 2022 Implementation of Workation Collective Impact 2022

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) will hold the Workation Collective Impact (WCI) 2022 event to discuss the challenges faced by regions in a way that cuts across boundaries between the public and private sectors, while making use of workations. The event also provides an opportunity to spread the word nationwide about local approaches to new normal models in various fields in a post-COVID society.

1. Background

Telework opens up the possibility of more flexible ways of working that leverage ICT to make effective use of time and location. As well as being an effective measure to combat COVID-19, telework contributes to work style reforms and productivity improvements. Workations are a work style that employs teleworking and the like to enable workers to perform their job in a different location from their usual workplace, such as a resort or national park, while also enjoying the local attractions.
As part of its awareness-raising activities during Telework Month (*1), MIC will hold Workation Collective Impact (WCI) 2022 in partnership with the Workation Alliance Japan (WAJ) (*2), which promotes efforts to ensure that workations become prevalent throughout society. This event will feature discussion the challenges faced by regions in a way that cuts across boundaries between the public and private sectors, while making use of workations, with the objective of encouraging further popularization of telework and workations.
(*1) Telework Month: Since 2015, November has been designated the annual Telework Month, a period of intensive public relations and other activities to promote the spread of telework, championed by the Telework Month Executive Committee (a body consisting of representatives from the Cabinet Office, Cabinet Secretariat, Digital Agency, MIC, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Japan Tourism Agency, Japan Telework Association, and Japan Telework Society).
(*2) Workation Alliance Japan (WAJ): Following a call by the governments of Wakayama and Nagano prefectures to local governments nationwide, this association was established in November 2019 by 65 local governments to encourage the spread of workations. As of September 6, 2022, 208 local governments (24 prefectures and 184 municipalities) belong to the association.

2. Outline of event

(1) Organizers: Workation Alliance Japan (WAJ), MIC
(2) Co-organizers: Keidanren, Japan Travel and Tourism Organization, Japan Telework Association
(3) Event partner: Pasona JOB HUB Inc.
(4) Schedule: Dates set for individual venues in October and November 2022
(5) Location: 6 regions (Hokkaido Prefecture, Nagano Prefecture, Fukui Prefecture, Wakayama Prefecture, Tottori Prefecture, and Hyuga City, Miyazaki Prefecture)
(6) Eligible participants: National public employees, local government employees, and private sector company employees (participants may join the event as individuals or with the rest of their team)
(7) Program content: Workation events (lasting between two and three nights) incorporating the following elements will take place at each location.

  • Tours of facilities relevant to themes
  • Lectures on each theme by local business operators and experts, and exchanges of opinions with them
  • Group discussions and presentations involving participants

3. Information session

An online information session will be held on Thursday, September 29 to recruit participants for the event.

  • *
    The published materials are in Japanese only.

Contact

For further information about this press release, please fill in the inquiry form and submit it to MIC on the website
https://www.soumu.go.jp/common/english_opinions.html

Global Strategy Division, Global Strategy Bureau, MIC

TEL: +81 3 5253 5920

FAX: +81 3 5253 5924