[Typing Baker] Evolution of Kamiyama, a Remote Japanese Village Turned 'IT Valley'

The Evolution of a Village / Written by Kanda Seiji / Banbi / 18,000 KRW

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyo-jin] A programmer attending a video conference with a laptop on their knees while soaking their feet in a flowing stream, a system engineer working lying in a hammock in the company yard. These scenes seem awkward, as if artificially created for an advertisement. When people think of IT (Information Technology) workers, they usually imagine them working in neat suits in high-rise buildings in big cities.

However, in Kamiyama, a mountainous village located 1,000 meters above sea level on the outskirts of Tokushima Prefecture, Japan, such scenes are not only natural but very common. This is because there are people seeking new ways of life and companies aiming for work innovation in line with the changing times.

The daily routine of Korean office workers?wearing similar clothes and expressions every morning, going to the same place, eating lunch at the same time, and working overtime or attending company dinners after work?may just be a repetition of collective habits.

Many emerging companies appropriately utilize telecommuting and flexible work systems and seriously consider the balance between work and family, and work and personal life. However, they often face walls of skepticism and distrust from society. Hasn't the development of communication technology and excellent network environments opened an era where work can be done regardless of location?

Services operate 24 hours a day, and the world is an era where production, consumption, and exchange happen together beyond spatial and temporal differences. In such a rapidly changing environment, how are we working now? Kamiyama is a village worth visiting for those who ask this question.

Kamiyama gathers people who want to practically balance work and life and those experimenting with new work styles like remote work. Not only IT workers but also artists from overseas and young couples who want to raise their children leisurely are joining.

As people gather and think about ways for newcomers and indigenous residents to coexist, the small rural village of Kamiyama is evolving in surprising directions. Since it attracts people who want to live a new life different from before, various experiments are underway in Kamiyama.

The agricultural production corporation "Food Hub," established jointly by immigrants and indigenous residents, sells dishes made from ingredients grown or purchased directly in Kamiyama. In this process, they train farmers and develop new menus perfectly suited to local ingredients. They also provide agricultural experience and food education to elementary, middle, and high school students in the region and manage school meal services.

The "Onoji Communal Housing Project" is a business that provides living spaces where immigrants and indigenous residents can live together. The project does not simply increase residential space. In addition to living spaces, it creates a shared area called "Akui River Come On," which includes a village communal lounge and reading room, allowing Kamiyama residents to gather and socialize.

Among the tenants are families with children. This is also an experiment to see if the village’s future children can be raised together in the community.

Local timber is used, and employed carpenters build the houses. Traditional joinery techniques that do not use nails are applied. This approach considers preserving tradition while also thinking about the future of local forestry. People from all over Japan visit Kamiyama to learn from its success and seek hints for regional revitalization.

The author, a former Asahi Shimbun reporter, says, "It is a big mistake to simply perceive Kamiyama as a village with many immigrants due to the influx of IT companies," adding, "The village continues to evolve." The Evolution of a Village tells the stories of over 100 Kamiyama residents the author met since spring 2016.