Stories from The DECK | Sophie (Part 2/3)

Every day, people from around the world bring their dreams, work, and curiosity to The DECK. Some stay for a few days, others for months, but all leave with stories that become part of their journey.

Entrepreneurs, designers, engineers, artists, researchers, students, and digital nomads each bring a unique perspective—and a story worth sharing.

Behind every laptop is a story worth telling.

In this series, we introduce the people behind the laptops: their journeys, their experiences in Japan, and the moments that shaped their lives along the way.

What Japan's Digital Nomad Visa Made Possible for Me

Editor's Note

This is Part 2 of our three-part conversation with Sophie.

In Part 1, she shared why she chose Japan and why she wanted to experience life here beyond tourism.

In Part 2, we explore what everyday life actually looked like—from early-morning work routines and finding a place to focus, to building a sense of community in Osaka.

Building an Everyday Life

One of the biggest differences between travelling and living somewhere is routine.

For Sophie, that routine started early.

Because she works remotely for a company in New Zealand, her mornings in Japan often began around 5:00 a.m. to overlap with her colleagues' working hours. Once meetings were finished, she would leave home and head to The DECK to continue the rest of her day.

I asked whether she had ever considered simply working from home.

She laughed.

"Not really.I really don’t like working from home.”

It was an answer I immediately related to.

As someone who also finds it easier to focus after leaving the house, I understood exactly what she meant. Sometimes productivity isn't about having a better desk or faster internet—it's about creating a clear boundary between home and work.

For Sophie, going somewhere each morning became part of that rhythm.

"I wanted somewhere I could go every day," she said.

That routine soon became one of the things she appreciated most about living in Japan.

Rather than working from a different café each day, she found herself returning to familiar faces, familiar conversations, and a place where she knew she could focus.

"The DECK became my base."

I liked that choice of words.

Not an office.

Not simply a coworking space.

A base.

A place that gave structure to everyday life.

Living, Not Visiting

One thing that stood out throughout our conversation was how often Sophie described ordinary moments instead of extraordinary ones.

She wasn't trying to fit as many destinations into six months as possible.

Instead, she was trying to experience what everyday life in Japan actually felt like.

That meant attending Japanese classes, joining language exchanges or

walking through neighbourhoods without any particular destination.

Sometimes it meant simply enjoying a quiet evening at home with her partner, Cody.

On weekends, the two of them would often travel together.

Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, Kochi and Nagasaki were just some of the places they explored during their stay, but they rarely described those trips as "must-see" sightseeing experiences.

Instead, they talked about discovering places slowly, stopping somewhere interesting for lunch, visiting local parks or finding small cafés that weren't in any guidebook.

Listening to Sophie, I realised that her approach to Japan was very different from that of most visitors.

She wasn't trying to see everything.

She was trying to belong, even if only for a little while.

That idea brought me back to something she had said near the beginning of our conversation.

"I don't like going on holidays.

I like living somewhere."

The more we talked, the more that sentence seemed to explain every decision she had made—from choosing Osaka over Tokyo, to studying Japanese, to finding a place where she could build a daily routine instead of simply passing through.

Finding Community

Routine, however, wasn't only about work.

It was also about people.

One of the things Sophie appreciated most about working from The DECK was gradually getting to know the regular members.

Instead of meeting someone once and never seeing them again, she enjoyed recognising familiar faces, having small conversations, and slowly becoming part of the community.

Those interactions made Osaka feel less like somewhere she was temporarily staying and more like somewhere she belonged.

At the same time, Sophie also shared an observation that I found particularly valuable.

Comparing coworking spaces in New Zealand and Japan, she noticed that spaces overseas often encourage spontaneous conversations through shared kitchens or communal areas where people naturally gather throughout the day.

In Japan, she felt people can sometimes be more hesitant to start conversations, especially in quieter work environments.

It wasn't a criticism—just an honest cultural observation from someone who had experienced both.

As someone who runs a coworking space, I genuinely appreciated hearing that perspective.

Communities aren't built by furniture or facilities.

They're built by creating opportunities for people to meet, talk, and become part of each other's everyday lives.