Third session of "Shikinejima Academy" completed!

Since last year, Shikinejima Academy has been held to create local heroes and exchange with Shikinejima members. This year, with the aim of collaborating with companies in Shibuya ward, which holds "Tourism and cultural exchange agreement" with Niijima, and Minato ward, a hub for the island regions, five people from four companies in the two wards participated. During the second session of Shikinejima Academy, participants experienced a monitor tour of five nights and six stays. Ideas were exchanged to commercialize the "Shikinejima Island Workcation."

The monitor tour began with departing Takeshiba on a ship at 10p.m. and arriving at Sikinejima the next morning. The unordinary situations, starting with traveling on a ship, naturally creates communication. On the island, a healthy lifestyle awaits. Instead of just being a workcation, it was suggested that it is suitable for communicating with coworkers who usually don't see each other due to remote work, or for offsite (an occasion when employees go away from their office together for long meetings or team building.)

On the third session, the strength of Shikinejima was reconfirmed. It was decided that for next fiscal year, custom-made products are to be developed to meet the demands of companies for both workcation and offsite. The ultimate goal is to increase the number of people who have a good understanding of Shikinejima and have them become "local heroes" who can support the future of the island. We aim to achieve that goal by incorporating opportunities that create interaction between island visitors and Shikinejima residents.

In March, "Shikinejima Area Management News" was published for the first time to make activities of Shikinejima Area Management Association widely known to people of the island. It explains why workcation would benefit the island, and what Shikinejima Island Workcation is. In addition, to further deepen the understanding of workcation, Mr. Hiroshi Amano, advisor of Japan Workcation Association and Public Policy counselor of CEO Office of Mercari Co., Ltd., was invited to hold a lecture.

Outside of the island, we held a talk show titled "Encouragement of Shikinejima Island Workcation" at the Takeshiba Port Festival in March. Step by step, preparations are progressing to welcome in visitors on full-scale from the next fiscal year.