My Personal Remote Work Tips

Hi there.

This time I want to write about my personal remote-work tips.

Of course, work styles and home environments differ from person to person, so there’s no single right answer. But I hope something here is helpful as you find your own remote-work setup.

Picking a Spot

Cafes

Most of the time I work at cafes. I like ones with power outlets and Wi-Fi, so I often turn up at Starbucks or Tully’s. Doutor is also fine, but a lot of stores still have smoking sections — the smell is a real downside. My main hangouts are around Nihonbashi/Ginza, and I personally love The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. I also hang around Omotesando — there my recommendation is BROOK’S ME-BYO café Harajuku. It’s a top-tier cafe I almost want to keep secret. Prime location, the basement is huge and comfortable, plus Wi-Fi and power. It’s so good that I worry it’ll go out of business because it doesn’t seem well-known — so I keep recommending it by word of mouth lol.

If there isn’t a major chain nearby, I search on Dengen Cafe. If you register, the site even tells you the number of power outlets. If outlets don’t matter, I can tether — so I search by whether the coffee looks good. Thanks to the third-wave movement, there are way more good shops now. Wonderful.

Lately, even Gusto has been stepping up. Lots of solo seats, power, and Wi-Fi. Excellent.

Cafes in Office Districts

A cafe tip — I make heavy use of cafes in office districts. Cafes around Kayabacho, Nihonbashi, and Hatchobori on the east side are particularly underrated. On weekdays, except for the pre-work morning rush of salarymen, they’re basically empty. On weekends, there’s no one in those districts, so they’re empty too. (Watch out — some larger stores in office districts close on weekends lol.)

(I’d actually recommend living in those areas too. Even your morning train commute is against the flow, so it’s relatively empty. At night, same — also empty since you’re going the opposite way. Weekends are quiet and comfortable.)

Coworking Spaces

I’ve used a few coworking spaces, but I don’t want to be tied to a fixed location, so I don’t have a contract. I’ve worked at WeWork — that place is on another level. Paying close to 80,000 yen a month feels steep, so I haven’t signed up, but for those with budget room, WeWork is my top pick. It lifts your morale, there are lots of foreigners which is fun, and you get unlimited drinks plus endless Wi-Fi and outlets. Meeting rooms are pricey though. Coworking spaces run by big companies are growing too.

• Lifull Hub’s public space (Hanzomon)
• Yahoo! LODGE (Kioicho)

Home

Of course I work late at night at home, so I have a workspace at home too. But living alone in a 1K, there are a lot of distractions and it’s hard to concentrate. Distractions kill habits, so I make a point of leaving the house when possible. When I move to a 2LDK, I want a dedicated study.

Karaoke

Using Karatetsu’s flat-rate plan is actually a solid option. You get power, and the soundproof private rooms are great for online meetings and sales calls. The store doesn’t provide Wi-Fi, but SoftBank Wi-Fi is often available, which is handy. Worst case, tethering works fine. Best of all, you can sing for stress relief. I’m bad at karaoke so I just play music videos in the background…

What’s the Karatetsu unlimited plan?

A 1,500-yen monthly subscription service that Karaoke no Tetsujin runs quietly. Linked to iXIT Corp’s “First Passport” flat-rate service. Download the app, pay monthly, show the app at check-in, and the room fee is free once a day.

There’s no time limit and no advance reservation required. Beyond karaoke, it’s gaining attention for use as a casual private room — for breaks, meetings, parent meet-ups, parties, and so on.

The service applies only to the app owner. Drinks are separate. Excluded times: Fri/holiday eves 21:00–23:00; Saturdays 15:00–17:00 and 21:00–23:00; Sundays/holidays 14:00–17:00.

Services

Video Conferencing

This is the tricky one. Building a video-conference-friendly environment outside is hard. The basic for meetings is a stable place, so balancing Wi-Fi with a quiet space is tough. So I mostly do them from home. If a call comes up while I’m out, I borrow an acquaintance’s office meeting room, do it in a park, or go to a family restaurant. Karaoke booths are private and ideal. Lately I mostly use Zoom and Hangouts. If a Google Calendar invite is set up, the auto-generated Hangouts link is nice.

AirPods

For video meetings, AirPods are unbeatable. I finally got a pair recently. The point isn’t the sound — it’s the mic. Wired earbuds pick up rustling noise, and the PC’s built-in mic picks up typing. AirPods hit the sweet spot. If you’re a Mac user, pairing is super smooth — big plus.

Printing and Scanning

Generally, I use 7-Eleven’s Net Print for printer/scanner needs. I keep meaning to get one for home, but I rarely need one so I never pull the trigger lol.

Headphones

I’m a fan of BOSE’s noise-cancelling headphones. Noise cancelling vs. not makes a huge difference for outdoor work. But in summer my ears get sweaty and irritated, so AirPods it is. Basically I carry Bose QuietComfort 25 and AirPods.

Wi-Fi — Wi2 service

(https://wi2.co.jp/jp/personal/300). Roughly 400 yen a month for access to 60,000 Wi-Fi spots nationwide. Most major cafes are covered, so the value is great.

I’ll add more as things evolve.