There are various reasons to visit the city office, such as procedures for resident registration and My Number cards, as well as consultations regarding taxes and insurance.
In familiar terms, procedures at the city office are essential during life events such as marriage, childbirth, and moving.
The city office supports our lives as citizens and the foundation of the city.
What kind of thoughts do the staff working behind the counter have while doing their jobs?
We interviewed a young staff member working at the Kurashiki City Office, Soeida Keigo san.
About Kurashiki City
The current Kurashiki City was established in 1967 through the merger of the former three cities of Kurashiki, Kojima, and Tamashima.
Since then, it has continued to develop as a core city in the eastern Setouchi region by merging with Shomura, Chayamachi, Funao, and Mabi.
Kurashiki City as a Local Government
Let me introduce Kurashiki City as a local government.
Approximately 3,500 staff members (as of April 2026) work in Kurashiki City.
When you think of the city office, you might imagine clerical staff who assist at the counter. However, there are a diverse range of fields supporting the lives of citizens and the foundation of the city that cannot be fully covered in this article.
From technical staff supporting the city's infrastructure to public health nurses, childcare educators, firefighters, medical professionals, and even veterinarians and environmental maintenance staff, a wide variety of personnel are working towards the city's development.
The staff recruitment website of Kurashiki City provides detailed information about the active roles. If you're interested, please check it out.
The current main building of the Kurashiki City Office was designed by architect Urabe Shizutaro, who is from Kurashiki City, and was completed in 1980.
The building, characterized by its red brick, has now become a symbol of Kurashiki City.
Soeida Keigo-san Working as a Staff Member of Kurashiki City
The interviewee was Soeida Keigo san, who belongs to the Housing Division of the Architecture Department. He was born in 1997 and is from Fukuoka Prefecture.
Soeida-san moved to Okayama for university and worked as a technical staff member in a private company related to road traffic after graduation. He mentioned that he had to transfer every three years in his previous job, and he had lived in Shikoku and the San'in region.
Later, he considered changing jobs due to marriage and joined the Kurashiki City Office in April 2025.
About Soeida-san's Job
In the Housing Division where Soeida-san works, there are three sections:
- Management Section
Responsible for the overall management and operation of public housing - Policy Section
Responsible for housing policies other than public housing - Collection Section
Responsible for matters related to rent of public housing
Soeida-san is a staff member in the Management Section, which is responsible for the management and operation of public housing. His main tasks include administrative work such as move-in and move-out procedures, as well as responding to citizens at the counter and over the phone, but the content is diverse.
Unlike apartments and condominiums managed by the private sector, public housing has specific entry conditions such as income restrictions. Therefore, one of Soeida-san's jobs is to investigate whether "applicants have the appropriate qualifications" and "existing residents can continue to live there."
He conducts double-checks of qualification documents sent from on-site managers, inquiries to the police station regarding the exclusion of organized crime, and registrations for support measures for victims of domestic violence. He is working to ensure that residents can live safely in public housing by optimizing entry conditions.
Additionally, at the counter and over the phone, he directly responds to citizens' concerns regarding public housing, such as inquiries about repairs for leaks.
Because he deals with "housing," which is essential for people's lives, it is necessary to have a sincere listening attitude and provide thorough explanations, rather than just following the rules. Managing and operating public housing may require the ability to empathize with people.
Reasons for Changing Jobs to Kurashiki City Office
Soeida-san, who previously worked at a BtoB road traffic company, shared his reasons for changing from a private company to a local government. He mentioned that there were reasons on both the work and life fronts.
First, what attracted him on the work front was the ability to directly feel how "what he does is beneficial". While he found it rewarding to support infrastructure in his previous job, it was difficult to see the direct reactions of the people using the roads, making it hard to feel the ultimate results of his work.
On the other hand, working at the city office allows for direct interaction with citizens, and his work directly supports someone. He was strongly attracted to the ability to help those in need, which led him to decide to change jobs to the city office.
Additionally, on the life front, the principle of no transfers was also a deciding factor.
He wanted to stabilize his life by establishing a base in Kurashiki City, which is his wife's hometown, after getting married, and this was one of the reasons he hoped to work at the city office.
The Appeal of Kurashiki City Office as a Workplace from Soeida-san's Perspective
Soeida-san felt a positive gap between his expectations and reality at the workplace before and after joining.
Before working at the Kurashiki City Office, he had the impression that there were many serious people and strict hierarchies. However, after actually working there, he says, "There are many warm-hearted staff who genuinely care about others."
Perhaps due to the nature of the city office, which supports citizens' lives, there are many staff members who are cooperative in helping others. Soeida-san himself recalls an experience where, when he was struggling with counter assistance, his boss and seniors quietly stepped in to help after listening to the situation from behind before he could ask for help.
According to Soeida-san, the fact that many staff members have a warm mindset of wanting to "help others" and feeling "happy to be consulted" contributes to the ease of consultation.
Soeida-san mentioned, "Having consulted many people myself and learned various things, I want to give back to my juniors in return."
An environment that seeks to solve problems as a team rather than relying solely on individual abilities will surely provide strong support and a great sense of security for new staff members coming in the future.
Having started working at the Kurashiki City Office, 2026 marks his second year. We heard about the current sense of fulfillment in his work and what he keeps in mind when dealing with citizens.
Data on Kurashiki City
| Name | Kurashiki City |
|---|---|
| Address | 640 Nishinakanita, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | Kurashiki City Human Resources Division 086-426-3141 |
| Website | Kurashiki City Website |
