The Japanese corporate landscape regarding the adaptability of companies towards remote work has been reshaped by the ebb and flow of the pandemic's waves. Amid the much ado surrounding the pandemic, many companies have been forced to integrate a remote working lifestyle into the Japanese corporate ethos. Now the storm in a teacup has subsided, a majority of companies are finding it more challenging than expected to stay bouyant in the teleworking currents, after the trial period aimed at optimizing productivity in a teleworking environment. A handful of companies are keeping the flame burning for their commitment to the teleworking lifestyle as a window to let the moonlight into the Japanese traditional corporate culture, steadfastly challenging the status quo in the dynamic corporate landscape.

An increasing number of companies in the Tokyo metropolitan area have been phasing out teleworking, ushering their employees back into jam-packed train cars of the morning commute for work. According to the data analyzed by NLI Research Institute and Cross Communication from the human traffic patterns around major office buildings in Tokyo’s 16 business districts, March witnessed a surge of over 70 % of all company employees returning to work on average, shattering previous records since April 2020. The uptick reflected the official voice calling for unlearning the mindset of self-discipline in mask-wearing, as the proportion of employees returning to the workplace had been limited to a trickle of 40-50% until 2021 and has increased to almost 60% since 2022.

Resistance to fully embracing teleworking in the post-pandemic period is much like a ship reluctant to leave its familiar harbor for a voyage to uncharted waters. Among the primary anchors holding the ship back is the Japanese traditional corporate culture, which often navigates the ship’s crew by the North Star of groupthink under peer pressure. The mindset, cultivated by the culture, tends to follow widely accepted beliefs without questioning them in order to maintain harmony and performance on board, even if their compasses are not set by truth-based directions. The fear of exclusion prompts the crew to prioritize physical presence and visibility among them as a testament of loyalty to the ship.

Another anchor acting as a brake on the adventurous journey of teleworking is employees’ emotional attachment to the tangible office environment. Productivity in remote work situations is catching up, shrinking the gap with in-person office settings to a narrow strait – a mere 10% difference in productivity from pre-pandemic levels. Still, employees often feel that productivity fills their sails more effectively when they are physically present and observed in the workplace.

The autonomy and flexibility offered by teleworking are more likely to be projected into the unconscious mind of captains as the rogue wave threatening to upend the calm seas of traditional corporate culture. Among the companies with a gut feeling for a brewing storm are Resonac Holdings Corporation and GMO Internet Group. Resonac is emphasizing the importance of navigating a course toward group unity and adherence to the company’s compass by highlighting the role of in-person peer-to-peer interaction. Resonac is planning to relocate to a newly integrated headquarters with an expanded workspace to accommodate all employees, up from the current capacity of 40 %, starting in June. GMO, holding fast to the helm of tradition, is seeking to preserve the time-honored decision-making processes reliant on group consensus and senior management’s approval, usually achieved through face-to-face meetings, by abandoning the practice of two-day teleworking per week, like closing the window on the refreshing breeze of change within the Japanese corporate landscape.