Collabo Style Inc. was among the myriad tech companies that were quick to embrace remote work when the COVID-19 pandemic swept through the nation last year.
As firms scrambled to introduce flexible working arrangements to reduce infection risks, the cloud-based workflow solutions startup took things a step further — it relocated its headquarters out of the bustling capital to the manufacturing hub of Nagoya.
“Tokyo is an important market but if we can work from wherever we want to, there isn't much reason for us to have our main office there,” says Yosuke Matsumoto, founder and CEO of the company. “It’s also dangerous to concentrate our resources in the capital in case disaster strikes. What’s more, Nagoya is a great place to live. Not only does it have good access to Tokyo, there are both beaches and mountains in close proximity.”