[15.2] Coworking Cities: Osaka
New city means new adventure! After discovering the coworking scene of Tokyo, let’s move on to a new playground: Osaka. Known worldwide for its cuisine what do we know about its coworking scene?
Osaka Coworking scene in facts and figures
Osaka has been an amazing discovery! Not just because of its coworking scene but also for its lifestyle, kindness and “slower” way of living than Tokyo. After a 4 hours bus ride, we landed in a city that has a lot to offer (especially for food lovers). Did you know that Osaka is one of the city in the world that holds the highest number of Michelin stars? It is also one of the city in Japan (after Tokyo) with the most active coworking scene.
Follow the guide for a unique Osakan (co)walking tour!
Meet the locals.
Are you up for a good coworking conversation about Osaka’s coworking scene? Great, scroll down below and discover what our contributors have to say about their space, their city and the future of coworking there!
The DECK, Osaka
A conversation with Tomo, CEO.
When and why did you start your coworking space? We have a maker space inside as well. We wanted to open our space to contribute makers movement in Osaka. When we start, there were only limited number of spaces had such function. Also, we wanted to provide open innovation functions. That means connecting dots. We connect people, business and projects so that we can contribute to innovations.
Who are your members? Freelancers/ workers in big enterprises for their personal projects.
What surprised you the most since you opened? Visitors from overseas find us often and choose us for their temporary work space during their stay.
How was the coworking scene when you started? The number of coworking space was limited 2 years ago in here though, nowadays, we have confirmed close to 100 coworking space in Osaka and we are even not sure whether we have captured everything.
How would you describe the coworking scene in Osaka today?
Still working in coworking space is not a major option when people work outside. Instead, majority consider a cafe is the only option they have. We want to provide other options.
Inseed, Osaka.
A conversation with Foo, Founder of the space.
When and why did you start your coworking space? I started my coworking space back in late 2017. I was motivated by WeWork concept and also interim, I plan to start my own business in Osaka, thinking this could be cool idea where I can share the office and also own use.
Who are your members? At first, me and my wife, we didn’t speak a single word of Japanese but we manage to pull this through. It’s a great experience for us.
What surprised you the most since you opened? I think doing business in japan you probably need someone who knows Japanese culture and language well. I’m really surprised to see that very minority of Japanese speaks english.
What are the challenges you encountered?
One of the few challenges in Japan is hiring workers, lots of regulations to follow. Besides, it’s pretty hard to win Japanese customers especially being a non-Japanese native speaking here.
How would you describe the coworking scene in Osaka today? I believe coworking is a growing business in Osaka, however, coworking required a lot of publicity, long working hours and blend into local Japanese culture.
“Coworking Goodness”
While in Osaka, we’ve had the chance to discover many different coworking spaces, some of which you’ve read about already. To close our Osakan chapter, we’ve gathered below 3 Osakan spaces supporting local communities through their workspaces.
1/ Common room NAKATSU, where work meet peacefulness
Located in the north of the city (see map above) Commin room NAKATSU is a place where you can work in peace. There is a very cosy feeling floating around the space. We can’t explain if it is thanks to the slippers you wear once you enter the space (which is a Japanese tradition) or the smell of fresh tea and coffee or maybe a mix of both.
Spread over several floors, the space combines a coworking area, closed offices of various sizes as well as meeting rooms with different level of privacy.
We loved… the peacefulness, which can really help you stay focus on your work.
2/ GVH Osaka, the place for Entrepreneurs in town
The goal of Global Venture Habitat (GVH) Osaka is to support the entrepreneur ecosystem in and around Osaka and to motivate the young minds of the Kansai area in Japan to make their ideas come true. Located inside a Mall, the space is fairly big and very modular. It can transforms itself very easily into a coworking space, an event venue or a classroom. GHV plays a key role in Osaka and the region to promote entrepreneurship by putting together events and incubation programs.
We loved… the amount of content happening at GHV. There is events almost every day for the extended community of entrepreneurs in the city! The big +? GHV is backed up by investors, allowing Entrepreneurs to get easier access to funding.
3/ Osakan Space, work at the heart of Osaka.
The first space we met, the one we chose to close our Osakan piece. Looking at a word that can summarize the atmosphere, we opted for friendliness. Everyone is very welcoming and supportive. It is one of the happiest coworking space in town, located in the bustling business district. The team behind Osakan Space organizes many events to allow the community to gather, share and learn from each other. Its prime location also makes it a great choice for international professionals seeking a place to work where they can meet locals and learn more about the Osakan way of life
We loved… everything including their logo! It represents takoyaki, the octopus balls Osakans eat at any time of day, but particularly as afternoon snacks.
4/ WonderLAB, coworking by Panasonic
Coworking space done by a Corporate the right way also exists in Japan. Welcome to WonderLAB Osaka! Created by Panasonic it allows employees to work more collaboratively and create innovative side-projects. There is a library where people can borrow books, a community kitchen, a makers lab and a big event space where anyone (even people from outside) can host events on the topic of innovation.
We loved… having a space where it is possible to experience all the latest innovation from Panasonic. From the Robot receptionist to the big selfie camera and all the projects done by the community, you can easily spend a day discovering what has been done there!
