Animal Crossing Becomes the Workplace for Japanese Company During the COVID-19 Lockdown
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CONTENTS
Working remotely, but still working together, this Japanese company is skipping Zoom and heading straight to Animal Crossing.
Making the Most of Animal Crossing
The coronavirus outbreak and following state of emergency lockdown means that many companies in Japan have begun to move to remote work systems, with many employees working from home. Of course, working from home means taking advantage of communication technologies of all kinds, and most companies have been relying on programs like Zoom, Skype, and any and all text-messaging chat apps.
Over at the small 3-person editorial department of Japanese company Inside, however, they decided to look into a communication method that most companies haven't even considered:
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The plan started with Editor-in-Chief Suenaga, who was already playing the game, and thought "couldn't we just have meetings on the island?" The other members of the editorial team responded with enthusiasm, suggesting they get to work, but instead Suenaga told them "I'll make a meeting room on my island. Give me 3 days."
Finally arriving at the designated Animal Crossing island meeting day, the editors entered the Dodo Code into their own Switch consoles, and headed to their work meeting.
The final design included this glorious red carpet to welcome the team in.
And the island included not just one meeting area…
…or even two…
…But three total meeting areas. So finally, the team got started with their actual meeting. This wasn't just a joke, they actually needed to discuss some things for work!
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It's not surprising that things didn't quite go as smoothly as they might have hoped. As they started discussing editorial content, last month's sales figures, and how to increase traffic for their articles, some complaints also entered the conversation. Here you can see a team member going by the Animal Crossing nickname Nenne commenting "we can only type 16 characters," and they later noted how the chat system doesn't allow users to send pictures.
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In an attempt to get the creative juices flowing and brainstorm some plans, the team decided to go fishing together. Unfortunately, they soon realized that they were having so much fun fishing that they'd forgotten all about the meeting. They had no choice but to blame this lack of focus on the bountiful island itself.
The Merits and Demerits of Animal Crossing
So, what kind of pros and cons are there to working remotely via Animal Crossing?
・Animal Crossing's chat tool is more fun than other options. It's no surprise, they commented, that Animal Crossing offers a little more excitement than Skype, Slack, or Discord.
・Animal Crossing's atmosphere offers a real change of pace. The deserted islands of Animal Crossing: New Horizons are a totally different kind of environment than the office. The team thought that getting away from stuffy meeting rooms and chatting within the game actually let them communicate more easily, in some ways.
・Animal Crossing doesn't allow you to share files. Even starting this experiment knowing that was the case, they were still frustrated that they couldn't just say "you'll see in the file I just sent that…" In the image above, Nenne is again saying "please look on your computer."
・You and your team members get caught up in playing Animal Crossing. It's hard to focus when the game is all around you!
・You can't discuss confidential matters. Animal Crossing doesn't make the same promises about keeping chats private as you might find on more serious chat platforms. It's just best not to share any confidential information.
・Team members might not respect your island. As silly as it might seem, if you love the game, having your island ravaged by visitors makes it less fun.
・Animal Crossing nicknames can get confusing. Their 3-member team was mostly okay, but they could imagine a larger group getting pretty chaotic.
・You can't use the usual excuses! There's no blaming a train delay when all you have to do to get to work is turn on your Switch.
・You might just get so distracted by creating meeting areas that you never get to the meeting. Don't go putting the cart before the horse.
The Team’s Conclusion?
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In the end, while there were clearly issues with using Animal Crossing as a serious platform for daily work meetings, the editorial department at Inside finished their experience with a positive outlook. It had certainly been a fun experience, despite the problems they had getting things done. And considering how grim many things in society are right now, with people worried about the COVID-19 outbreak and the economic downturn it's causing, taking some time during the workday to "hop on a plane" and visit a friend's island in Animal Crossing might be just the moment of lighthearted fun we need.
Have you been using Animal Crossing for any social distancing get-togethers lately? Or do you have any questions about Inside's interesting experiment? Let us know on the Japankuru twitter, instagram, and facebook!
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Kansai (関西) is a region that includes Mie, Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, and Shiga Prefectures. Kansai contained Japan's ancient capital for hundreds of years, and it's making a comeback as one of the most popular parts of Japan. Kyoto's temples and shrines, Osaka Castle, and the deer of Nara are all considered must-sees. Plus, the people of Kansai are especially friendly, making it a fun place to hang out.
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Kyoto flourished as the capital of Japan between the years 794 and 1100, becoming a center for poilitics and culture, and to this day it's a great place for close encounters with Japanese history. The cobbled streets of Gion, the atmospheric road to Kiyomizudera Temple, Kinkakuji's golden walls and countless historic attractions, even Arashiyama's Togetsukyo Bridge―Kyoto is a place of many attractions. With new charms to experience throughout the seasons, travelers can't stop themselves from returning again and again.
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Nara Prefecture's important history reaches back to 710, a time now called the Nara era, when it was once capital of Japan. Called "Heijo-kyo" during its time as a capital, it's said that nara was once the end of the silk road, leading it to flourish as a uniquely international region and produce important cultural properties of all kinds. To make the most of each season, travelers head to Nara Park, where the Nara deer who wander freely, or climb Mount Yoshino, a famous cherry blossom spot.
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Osaka is known for friendly (and funny) people, but its history is nothing to laugh at, playing a major part in Toyotomi Hideyoshi's 16th century unification of Japan. Thanks to long years of economic activity, it's one of Japan's biggest cities, and Osaka's popular food culture earned it the nickname "The Kitchen of the Nation." To this day Osaka is the model of western Japan, and alongside historic structures like Osaka Castle, it also has major shopping malls like Umeda's Grand Front Osaka and Tennoji's Abeno Harukas. Osaka is a place to eat, eat, eat, with local specialties like takoyaki, okonomiyaki, and kushi-katsu, and for extra fun, it's home to Universal Studios Japan.
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CHUGOKU
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The Chugoku Region (中国地方) consists of five prefectures: Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori, and Yamaguchi. In Chugoku you’ll find the sand dunes of Tottori, and Hiroshima’s atomic bomb site, plus centers of ancient history like Grand Shrine of Izumo.
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Hiroshima Prefecture has everything, from world heritage sites to beautiful nature and delicious local cuisine, and it's either an hour and a half from Tokyo by plane, or four hours by train. Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima Island and the Atomic Bomb Dome, two Hiroshima UNESCO sites, are famous around the world, but in Japan it's also famous for food. Seafood from the Seto Inland Sea, especially oysters, Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, and Setouchi lemons are all popular, and the natural scenery alone is worth seeing.
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SHIKOKU
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On the other side of the Seto Inland Sea opposite Japan’s main island, Shikoku (四国) is a region made up of four prefectures: Ehime, Kagawa, Kochi, and Tokushima. The area is famous for its udon (in Kagawa), and the beautiful Dogo Onsen hot springs (in Ehime).
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Kagawa Prefecture is on the northern part of the island of Shikoku, facing Japan's main island and the Seto Inland Sea. It's known for being the smallest prefecture in Japan, by area, but at the same time Kagawa is called the "Udon Prefecture" thanks to its famous sanuki udon. Aside from Kotohiragu Shrine and Ritsurin Garden, the prefecture's small islands are popular, and Kagawa is full of unique destinations, like Angel Road. They say that if you lay eyes on Zenigata Sunae, a huge Kagawa sand painting, you'll never have money troubles ever again.
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KYUSHU
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Located in the most southwestern part of Japan, Kyushu (九州) is an island of 7 prefectures: Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, and Kagoshima. The island's unique culture has been influenced by Chinese and Dutch trade, along with missionaries coming in through Nagasaki's port. Modern-day travelers love the lush natural scenery and fresh food, plus the natural hot springs found all throughout the area (thanks to volcanic activity)!
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FUKUOKA
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Fukuoka Prefecture has the highest population on the southern island of Kyushu, with two major cities: Fukuoka and Kitakyushu. Thanks to growing transportation networks, Fukuoka is more accessible than ever, and so are the many local attractions. On top of historical spots like Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, travelers shouldn't miss Fukuoka's food scene, with motsu nabe (offal hotpot), mentaiko (spicy cod roe), and famous Hakata ramen―best eaten from a food stall in the Nakasu area of Hakata. Plus, it's full of all sorts of destinations for travelers, like trendy shopping centers, and the beautiful nature of Itoshima and Yanagawa.
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KAGOSHIMA
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Kagoshima Prefecture played a major role in Japan's modernization as a backdrop for famous historical figures like samurais Saigo Takamori and Okubo Toshimichi, who pushed Japan out of the Edo era and into the Meiji. Because of that, Sengan-en Garden is just one of many historical destinations, and when it comes to attractions Kagoshima has plenty: the active volcano of Sakurajima, popular hot springs Ibusuki Onsen and Kirishima Onsen, World Heritage Site Yakushima Island, even what Japan calls the "island closest to heaven," Amami Oshima. Kagoshima might be found on the very southernmost tip of the southern island of Kyushu, but there's plenty to see.
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OKINAWA
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The island chain of Okinawa (沖縄) makes up the southernmost tip of Japan, which is why it's also the most tropical area in the country. Thanks to a history of independence and totally distinct political and cultural events, Okinawa has a unique culture, and remnants of the Ryukyu Kingdom are still visible all over the islands. Food, language, traditional dress, it's all a little different! It's also said to be the birthplace of karate.
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