Trend of the times
Also catering for teleworking professionals, Fuji Xerox and the Tokyo Metro system have installed ‘satellite offices’ in major subway stations around the Japanese capital.
The black-and-white cubicles are equipped with a desk and a chair as well as a computer display and Wi-Fi and can be reserved online for 200 yen per 15 minutes.
Unlike in many major cities, commuters in super-polite Japan rarely use their mobile phones to avoid disturbing others and the cubicle offers an opportunity to make a business call without hesitation.
“The conventional office space will not disappear, but we want to get rid of space barriers and improve the diversity of working practices,” said Yasutaro Tanno, an official at Fuji Xerox, at a cubicle set up at Tameike-Sanno station in downtown Tokyo.
Experts say a shrinking labour force and ageing population will increasingly force companies to shake up their working practices and offer hard-pressed staff more flexibility in where they work.
Furthermore, freelancing, which has been popular in the United States and other developed nations for some time, is gradually spreading in Japan as the nation’s corporate culture with its job for life and seniority system falls into decline.
The number of freelancers in Japan, including those who work a second job, was estimated to have reached 11.2mn this year, up from 9.1mn in 2015, according to IT and staffing agent Lancers.