{"id":19476,"date":"2026-10-30T08:00:07","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T23:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/careers.zen.group\/?p=19476"},"modified":"2026-10-30T14:42:58","modified_gmt":"2026-10-30T05:42:58","slug":"zenculture-company-trip-to-tottori","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/careers.zen.group\/en\/2026\/10\/30\/zenculture-company-trip-to-tottori\/","title":{"rendered":"ZenCulture: Company Trip to Tottori!"},"content":{"rendered":"

At ZenGroup, our annual company trip is one of our long-standing traditions. For 2026, we headed to Tottori, a destination known for its breathtaking natural landscapes, beautiful coastline, and some of Japan’s most iconic sand dunes! In this article, we’ll share highlights from the trip, firsthand experiences from employees who joined us, and moments of connection between colleagues who don’t often get the chance to interact during their regular workdays.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

Getting to Know Tottori: Is It Close to Osaka?<\/h2><\/div>

Tottori is approximately 3.5 to 4 hours by bus from ZenGroup’s headquarters in Osaka.<\/p>\n

The prefecture is home to several remarkable natural attractions, including the Tottori Sand Dunes, (Japan’s largest, shaped by wind and sand over time), Mount Daisen, (the highest peak in the Chugoku region, which offers beautiful scenery throughout the seasons), and the Uradome Coast, (known for its crystal-clear blue waters and picturesque islands).<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

A Look at Our Two-Day Trip<\/h2><\/div>

For this year’s two-day company trip, we traveled by bus from Osaka to Tottori, with additional sightseeing stops in neighboring Shimane and Okayama prefectures.<\/p>\n<\/div>

Day 1<\/h4>\n<\/div>
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Our first stop was the Tottori Sand Dunes. From there, we visited the Sand Museum, where visitors can admire intricate sculptures made entirely from sand, followed by the Uradome Coast and the Mythical Village of the White Rabbit roadside station. We stayed overnight at Bokoro, a traditional Japanese hot spring inn in the Hawai Onsen area of Tottori Prefecture. In the evening, everyone gathered for dinner, followed by a lively karaoke session.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Day 2<\/h4>\n<\/div>

We started the morning with a visit to the Adachi Museum of Art in Shimane Prefecture. Afterward, we returned to Tottori, enjoying views of the majestic Mount Daisen along the way before stopping at Daisenji Temple. Our final destination was Shurakuen Garden, a traditional Japanese garden in Okayama Prefecture, before heading back to Osaka.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Connecting with Colleagues Beyond Our Usual Teams<\/h2><\/div>

While sightseeing, delicious food, and relaxing hot springs were certainly highlights of the trip, the two days also gave employees plenty of opportunities to spend time with colleagues they rarely have the chance to interact with otherwise at work. From bus rides and shared accommodations to meals together, these moments created opportunities for conversations that might not otherwise have happened.<\/p>\n<\/div>

One employee shared: “Room assignments were arranged so that employees from different departments could stay together, which gave me a chance to connect with people I hadn’t spoken to much before. I ended up sharing a room with the longest-serving employee on the trip, apart from our CEOs. Over a few beers, I got to hear stories about destinations from past company trips, memorable experiences from those years, and how the company had grown in size as more employees joined. Those conversations really stayed with me.”<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Shared rooms weren’t the only opportunity to connect. Each meal also became a chance to get to know colleagues from different teams. There were also moments of cross-cultural exchange that felt particularly characteristic of ZenGroup. As another employee recalled: “I knew many people’s names and departments, but I didn’t know where they were from. I got to ask them about places they’d recommend visiting in their home countries, and they even taught me greetings and slang from their languages.” After the trip, the employee started using some of those newly learned greetings when running into colleagues at the office.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Another participant reflected: “Without the company trip, we probably wouldn’t have had the chance to sit down and really talk to each other. I feel like these connections will also make it easier for us to collaborate at work in the future. To be honest, I still feel like we had so much more to talk about! (laughs)” Spending time together outside our usual departments and teams gave us a chance to discover sides of our colleagues we hadn’t seen before.<\/p>\n<\/div>

Seeing a Different Side of Our CEOs and Colleagues<\/h4>\n<\/div>

The company trip also offered glimpses of our colleagues’ personalities and lives that we don’t usually see in the office. One employee recalled seeing a CEO who had brought their child along, holding hands and taking walks together. “It was nice to see that side of them as a parent, something we don’t normally get to see at work,” the employee shared.<\/p>\n<\/div>

Another participant described a memorable opportunity to spend time with one of the CEOs: <\/span>“I also had the chance to share a bath at the hot spring with one of our CEOs. We don’t often get to have long, relaxed conversations, so it was a really special opportunity, and I was happy to have that time together.” The evening dinner also featured a karaoke party! Some employees sang while running around the banquet hall, and the song choices ranged from Japanese favorites to hits by international artists. One particularly memorable moment came when a colleague from overseas who holds a leadership position enthusiastically belted out an anime theme song, bringing plenty of excitement to the room.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Meals were another area where the diversity of our team was taken into consideration. Different dishes were prepared to accommodate individual dietary needs, including religious dietary restrictions and vegetarian preferences. One participant shared: “It felt like a company trip that was truly characteristic of ZenGroup, with consideration given to making sure everyone could enjoy themselves, regardless of nationality, culture, or religion.” These experiences made the trip especially memorable for a team made up of people from a wide range of nationalities and backgrounds.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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We Asked Our Employees About Their Experience!<\/h4>\n<\/div>

To wrap up, we asked three employees who joined this year’s trip to share their favorite memories and what they enjoyed most about participating.<\/p>\n<\/div>

H<\/h4>\n<\/div>

“It was my first time visiting Tottori Prefecture, so getting to see the Tottori Sand Dunes was a wonderful memory. The food was absolutely delicious, and the portions were very generous. I also really enjoyed the dinner party, especially all the excitement around karaoke. It was also a great opportunity to talk with colleagues I don’t usually work with. We had conversations about everything from work to our personal lives, which made the experience especially worthwhile.”<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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K<\/h4>\n<\/div>

“One of the highlights of our stay was the open-air hot spring bath overlooking Lake Togo. The view made the experience truly special. I was also deeply impressed by the art we encountered during our sightseeing stops, particularly the Japanese garden at the Adachi Museum of Art and its exhibition featuring 100 contemporary Japanese painters. It was a wonderful opportunity to appreciate the depth and richness of art. Throughout the trip, I had the chance to talk with so many people and discover sides of my colleagues that I don’t usually see during work. It was a very meaningful two days.”<\/p>\n<\/div>

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N<\/h4>\n<\/div>

“Before the trip started, I was honestly a little nervous because there were so many colleagues I’d only ever exchanged greetings with. But once the trip got underway, that nervousness completely disappeared! There were smiles everywhere, and it reminded me once again what a wonderful group of people we have at this company. I got to connect with my roommates and colleagues who work on different floors, whom I rarely have the chance to talk to. I even made plans to have lunch with some of them, so I really feel like my circle of connections has grown! I had such a great time, and I’m already looking forward to next year’s company trip!”<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Final Thoughts<\/h4>\n<\/div>

At ZenGroup, colleagues from a wide range of nationalities and backgrounds work together every day. Our annual company trip is one of the opportunities we create for employees to get to know one another beyond their usual departments and teams. To make the trip accessible to as many employees as possible, ZenGroup covers most of the expenses, including transportation, accommodations, and sightseeing activities. We’re already looking forward to creating more memories together on our next company trip!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":19558,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[40],"tags":[49,97,94],"class_list":["post-19476","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","tag-essential","tag-events","tag-culture"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t