With the opening of the large-scale resort facility "VISON," Taki Town in Mie Prefecture is attracting attention as a new tourist spot, and we enjoyed a full co-working space and bicycle experience program.
In the countryside like this! A fully equipped coworking space
Taki Town is located almost in the middle of Mie Prefecture and is easily accessible from the expressway. In recent years, a large resort facility, VISON, has opened and is attracting attention as a tourist spot.
This time we visited the Cazacle Cycling Station, located in the Niu District of Taki Town. It is an office and coworking space for the operator, Local Resource Bank NIU.
When I entered the entrance, I saw a row of bicycle helmets at the entrance. Very cute design.
Once inside, you will find a spacious space of about 100 square meters. There is a co-working space and many bicycles lined up. The wooden atmosphere of the walls and floor is very relaxing. The walls are cypress tiles, a collaboration with a local lumber mill.
The person who welcomed us was Takumi Nishii of the Community Resource Bank NIU.
He is a cycling specialist with a PhD in sports science and a background as a mountain bike competition director at the Beijing Olympics.
There are two major features of the Cazacle Station.
The space must function well as a coworking space.
The program must be well organized and utilize bicycles.
Coworking spaces are best characterized by their business infrastructure.
Mr. Nishii himself experienced workcations in various parts of Japan, and was conscious of the areas where he felt "it would have been better if this area had been more fulfilling" in preparing the facilities.
The facility is equipped with all the equipment necessary for business, such as a large monitor, web camera, and multifunction printer. The facility also doubles as an office, so if you need stationery, imitation paper, or anything else that you might not have, they can help you out. We can also help you with any problems you may have, such as stationery or imitation paper. It's really a small thing, but it's a big deal.
One of the most eye-catching features is this large 55-inch monitor.
The system supports 4K image quality and has the necessary communication infrastructure in place for this purpose, making it ideal for use in web conferencing and presentations.
The workspace table is also large at 1.8m x 1.8m, making it possible to work comfortably while spreading out materials. This size also makes it easy for multiple people to spread out drawings and model papers for workshops.
Coffee makers and espresso makers are also available. When you are tired or need a change of pace, you can take a break on the sofa space.
By the way, the coworking space is available 24 hours a day.
Other interesting equipment is the fire pit.
Wi-Fi is also available, so you can work on your PC outside.
However, if you get addicted to bonfires, you may find that work becomes a distraction.
The fire makes me want to roast marshmallows or something....
It is winter-only, but I found it very effective for a change of pace.
Refresh your mind and body with our hands-on bike program!
Another feature of the "Cazacle Cycling Station" is bicycles.
Inside the coworking space, there are many bicycles of a type you don't usually see lined up for a closer look.
This is an electric bicycle. This is also a stylish design.
Bicycle rentals are available for those who want to go out alone for a short time. You can rent a cross bike, mountain bike, or, if you are not confident in your physical strength, an electric bike.
At Cazacle Cycling Station, you can experience bicycle tours. Visitors can choose a program that best suits their interests and physical fitness, such as a picnic tour that takes time to explore the satoyama, or a sukiyaki tour that allows them to enjoy Matsusaka beef, of which the Matsusaka-Taki area is world-renowned.
Workcations with children are also envisioned, and an experience program is available to take children out of the house while their parents concentrate on work. This is also designed to eliminate any inconvenience that Mr. Nishii actually felt.
Workcations are an extension of family vacations. It made me feel that in order for workcations to spread further, it is important to have a perspective where work and vacation are well separated.
This time I had the opportunity to experience the mountain bike program.
This program is for children, but adults can of course experience it as well.
After about 5 minutes of moving around with our mountain bikes on the back of a light truck, we arrived at a corner of the sports park. Right in front of us was a track that had been groomed for mountain biking!
This course is a "pump track," which is a course of uneven terrain. By pushing and pulling your bike over the bumps, you can accelerate faster and faster without pedaling... but can you really do it?
After listening to the explanation, I immediately tried it.
The course is exquisitely made, with a few difficult spots, such as slightly different intervals between bumps and curves where you want to accelerate. Can you really run without pedaling?
But after a few tries, I seem to gradually get a sense of how to ride. Or maybe it's an illusion? At any rate, let's give it one more try.
...And so I found myself doing several laps around the course. The simplicity of the game is what makes it so interesting. Children and adults alike are hooked. "This time I'm going to go around that curve!"
Nishii and his team use this course to host a "mountain bike school" for children.
What is valued there is not "getting better" but "having fun" first.
I felt that this is a perspective that should be valued not only by children but also by adults.
Time flies when you are absorbed in something. Before you know it, it is already noon.
The experience lasted less than an hour, but I would have liked to have done more.
Dine & Stroll! Enjoy the Niu area to the fullest!
After returning from the course, we went to Seiwa-no-sato Mameya, a rural cuisine restaurant, for lunch. It is only a 5-10 minute walk from the Cazacle Cycling Station. Next to the cafeteria, there is a direct sales stand where you can also buy vegetables, prepared foods, etc.
Mameya's dishes are mainly regional dishes made with soybeans and vegetables. Sweets such as okara doughnuts and ohagi (rice cakes) are also available. It is buffet style, so you can take as much as you like. I was hungry after riding around on my bicycle, and I found myself with this amount of food.
The restaurant also features seasonal items, and on this particular day, butterbur sprouts tempura was on the line.
My personal favorite is the roasted soybeans. They are the most popular of the prepared dishes. You can also buy them as souvenirs.
After lunch, while strolling around the area for exercise, I noticed the temple's large gate. Niu Daishi Jinguji Temple, a temple that has long been a favorite of the local community. The temple grounds are filled with quaint structures, including several halls and a corridor that is not easily seen in other temples. Coming to a place like this, I feel my mind is a little purified.
A walking map was also made in the Niu area. It seems that there are many other places of interest in the area. If I have time, I would like to visit them all.
After returning from a walk, we had an online meeting. Large monitor, very powerful.
There were moments of moderate sleepiness due to the morning experience, but when that happened, I took a break on the couch and eventually immersed myself in my work until the sun went down.
Finally, I returned the key to the security post and headed home. I think I will have yakiniku for dinner in the neighboring city of Matsusaka.
This time it was a one-day work trip, but if you want to stay overnight, there are VISON, business hotels, and private lodging facilities nearby. For those who find it difficult to separate work and private time at hotels and lodgings, coworking spaces are likely to allow you to concentrate on your work. I was able to work well with the excellent facilities, and I was also able to refresh myself with fun activities.
An example of how to spend your time
Day 1 (day trip)
10:00 Arrive at "Cazacle Cycling Station". Check email, etc.
11:00 Move to the pump track & experience
12:00 Lunch at "Seiwa-no-sato Mameya"
13:00 Walk around the area
14:00 Return to Cazacle Cycling Station for online meeting, etc.
17:00 Return home
Facilities
Cazacle Cycling Station
1718-1 Niu, Taki Town, Mie Prefecture, 519-2211, Japan
Seiwa-no-sato Mameya
5643 Niu, Taki Town, Taki County, Mie Prefecture, 519-2211, Japan
Niu Daishi
3997, Niu, Taki Town, Taki County, Mie Prefecture, 519-2211, Japan