TOKYO: Local governments from across Japan set up an alliance Monday to promote "workation," or telework from resorts and other places for vacation, in efforts for regional revitalization and work style reform.

The alliance brought together seven prefectural and 58 municipal governments to spur migration from urban to rural areas through workation, a combination of "work" and "vacation."

The alliance's inaugural meeting was held in Tokyo on Monday. Wakayama Governor Yoshinobu Nisaka was appointed its leader.

"Workation will be a proactive option for work style reform," Nisaka told a later meeting, expressing hopes for a new business model that involves "something more than sightseeing trips but less than permanent migration."

Wakayama, jointly with the central Japan prefecture of Nagano, took the initiative to form the workation alliance, as an increasing number of companies are expected to adopt teleworking for their workers ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

Wakayama in western Japan is the first prefecture in the country to run a workation project. Launched in fiscal 2017, the project is designed to expand a "related population," or people who get in regular touch with areas within Wakayama while living outside the prefecture.

The national government regards the concept of related population as a new pillar of its measures to correct the overconcentration of economic and other activities in Tokyo.

Increasing the number of urban people with close relations with rural areas is expected to lead to migration growth in these areas and help them solve local problems arising from the shrinking populations.

Meanwhile, companies are increasingly interested in workation as they are looking to allow employees to adopt more flexible work styles, such as working side jobs.

Local governments in the alliance will focus on developing their workation environments by leveraging local agricultural, tourism and other resources.

JIJI Press