WFA Series has featured employees working from various locations.
This issue features Kona, the writer behind the series. During the in-person interview on Ishigaki Island, Kanemura-san handed over the mic to Kona for some questions, so here’s her story. You can find the previous issue, “WFA x People Who Moved,” with Kanemura-san here.
Interviewer：Yukie Kanemura HR
Interviewee：Kona PayPay Inside-Out Editorial Team
Living the dream nomad life
Kanemura：
Kona-san, you previously worked for a Tokyo-based company, right? Did you move when you joined PayPay?
Kona：
That’s right. I just loved to travel ever since I was a student. I would make travel plans even on regular weekends, you know, not just for long weekends. These days I move around quite a bit within the Kansai area.
Kanemura：
You stayed in Okinawa Prefecture for about 10 days this time. When I travel, I rent a trunk room to keep my things, but I’m curious, what do you do with your belongings?
Kona：
I actually use my parent’s house as storage and go home regularly. You can also find services that let you use a dorm room as your personal space, so I think some people take advantage of that.
Fully committed both on and off work
Recharging with yummy food after work or on days off (Up: soba from Okinawa, Down: soba from Fukui).
Kona：
You talked about “Me, My Job, and My Room” in our chat from the last article, and it resonated with me so much. I used to enjoy going out and interacting with people, so being all cooped up and working from home really got to me at some point.
Kanemura：
I get it. It must have felt like your whole life could end in your room! With WFA, the freedom of location means that you work in the space of your choice instead of in an office, so you may find it challenging to switch your work mode on and off. So I try to force a change in my routine. It could be setting myself a specific end time for work because I want to see the sunset! Or, it could be setting a time to start work to fit in my morning yoga practice.
Kona：
I’ve always admired how incredibly fast you are at finishing your tasks. Now I understand that the key to your productivity is setting clear boundaries–a beginning and an end.
- Monday
- Work from home
- Tuesday
- Work from home
- Wednesday
- No Meeting Day. Work in coworking spaces, cafes, etc.
- Thursday
- Work from home
- Friday
- Work at a favorite cafe in the morning
- Saturday
- BBQ with friends
- Sunday
- Diving and SUP
- 9:30
- Start work at the coworking space
- 9:30-12:00
- Writing articles and other tasks
- 12:00-13:00
- Travel during lunch break
- 13:00-15:30
- Back home for 1-on-1s and internal meetings
- 16:00-17:30
- Participate in regular team meetings, etc.
- 17:30-19:00
- Preparation for article publication and gearing up for the next interview
- 19:30
- Sign off and take the bike to a hot spring
Using local government programs and considering where to migrate
Kanemura：
Kona-san, I know you are one of those who really take advantage of the WFA system quite a bit, but where else besides Okinawa have you stayed for an extended period?
Kona：
In July 2022, I used the telework trial program run by the Ishikawa Prefecture and stayed in Kaga City.
When I decided to change jobs and leave Tokyo, I gave much thought to where to settle. I visited a migration support center in Tokyo for a while and researched online. When I looked at websites that support prospective migrants, I stumbled upon Kaga City’s trial telework migration program.
Kanemura：
Interesting! That’s great since Ishikawa has excellent onsens too.
Kona：
They do! Before Joining the company, I read an article about an employee living in Kagoshima and dreamt of how wonderful life would be if I could relax in a hot spring at the end of the day, and I was finally able to live the dream. Living like a resident in the city gave me a chance to understand the kind of lifestyle I want and the type of city I like.
We will always be fully remote
Kona：
Our chat just reaffirmed how great I think the WFA system is.
Kanemura：
I agree. I believe that building a community outside of work in the place where you live can help broaden your horizons. I’m committed to my work for sure, but there is much more to life than that. I appreciate being able to enjoy my time on weekends or after work outside of Tokyo or another metropolis.
【Postscript】
The ability to live in a place of your choice and still give your 100% to your job is unique to the WFA system. We hope the WFA series inspires you to imagine yourself working in your town, at your favorite place, or someplace else you dream of living.
We will continue to feature many more PayPays (PayPay employees) across Japan!
Thanks to：Yukie Kanemura / Editor：Kona（PayPay Inside-Out Editorial Team）/ Translator: Philline / Translation Editor: Justin
*Employees’ affiliations are as of the time of the interview.
