Yoshimasa Higashihara, a 35-year-old worker at Japan Airlines Co., worked for half a day at a cafe while he was on vacation in Singapore this year, drafting documents for a corporate event that was scheduled to take place right after he returned from his vacation.

"I feel like I can take a vacation (by doing this) even if there is something imminent at work. I can now plan a longer holiday," said Higashihara.

Higashihara is talking about "workation," a phrase coined for working while on vacation, which JAL introduced last year. Under the new system, employees bring their computers and smartphones to their travel destination, allowing them to work from there.