Traveling the World While Working #3 Argentina
Since our founding in 1999, we have been committed to enabling each and every one of our employees to reach their full potential without being restricted by location, time, or living environment.
Together with our employees, we have realized a variety of work styles, including full-flexibility, full-remote work, support for balancing work with childcare and nursing care, and, in recent years, nomadic work both in Japan and overseas. By enabling employees to fulfill both their work and personal lives, we are able to influence each other positively and contribute to improving the productivity and quality of work of the entire organization.
In this series of articles, we will share on how our employees are exploring and implementing their own unique ways of working.
Introduction
Hello! My name is Sakamoto, a global consultant with the Singapore office.
I started my long-desired nomadic work last year, and I am currently visiting two to three countries a month to experience life and work in those places.
In this blog, I will write a series of articles on how to balance work and personal life, the cultures of the countries I visit, and my interactions with the local people through my nomadic work experience abroad.
Moving from Brazil to Argentina
After enjoying my favorite Brazilian dish, "feijoada," in the morning, I arrived at the airport six hours before my flight and used the four hours of waiting time at the airport to get work done. The two hours needed for check-in procedures and security checks were also incorporated into the plan for efficient time management. For nomadic workers, making the most of the waiting time at the airport is as essential a routine as getting sleep on the plane.
About Argentina
Following my previous visit to Brazil, this time I visited the Republic of Argentina, located in South America.
Argentina is approximately 7.5 times the size of Japan and has a population of 46.23 million (as of 2022, from World Bank statistics). Famous for its soccer and tango, Argentina is also known as a tourist destination, where visitors can enjoy historic urban areas, rich cuisine, and high-quality wines. In this issue, I will share with you my nomadic work experience in Argentina, where I stayed for approximately one week from early to mid-May.

The "Cabildo" (far right), one of the most important historical buildings in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, and its surrounding landscape
Interaction with Gauchos: Touching Argentine Traditions
After arriving in Buenos Aires, I drove a couple of hours northwest to the small town of San Antonio de Areco. I try to explore small towns as much as possible when I am away from urban areas. Smaller towns have fewer tourists and allow me to experience the native culture of the country.

Street view of San Antonio de Areco
I headed to a ranch to meet a real gaucho. Gaucho is the name given to cowboys who herd cattle on the grasslands of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. In Argentina, the gaucho is more than just a herdsman; it is a symbol of the country because of its heroic role in contributing to the country's independence in the past.
Once I arrived near the ranch, I traveled by jeep. Since there are no maintained roads, buses and cabs are not allowed. The ride was quite bumpy, but the weather was beautiful and I enjoyed the open space.
Asado, served by the gauchos, is a traditional Argentine barbecue dish in which chunks of meat are slowly grilled over charcoal. Asado" means "to grill" in Spanish, which is also the name of the dish. The gauchos used to dig a hole in the ground, put a baked stone and a head of beef in it, cover it with soil, and cook it by steaming it. This is said to be the beginning of asado.
Argentines cherish this traditional dish so much that they have a custom of having an asado party every Sunday with family and dear friends, and also for birthdays and celebrations.
At the ranch, we enjoyed horseback riding and listening to traditional songs. It was a very meaningful experience for us to get a taste of gaucho life and culture. Since Spanish is the official language in Argentina, we used a translation app for our conversations. The translation app is a must-have item not only for travel but also for work.
Strolling in Buenos Aires: The Paris of South America
Buenos Aires is known as the "Paris of South America", and just walking around the city gave me a different feeling. There are many theories as to why it is called the "Paris of South America".
One is that the cityscape strongly reflects the influence of the large number of European immigrants. Another is that the Argentine government and wealthy people in power at the time admired the European city of Paris, and the city was built to resemble the European city. The classic buildings and streets reminiscent of Europe were the very atmosphere of what is known as the "Paris of South America.
Buenos Aires has a chic and relaxed atmosphere, but I also stopped by "El Caminito" in the La Boca district, a corner of the city where pop and colorful buildings line the streets. There are many fashionable cafes and restaurants, and the singing voices of street musicians filled the air. I also saw tango dancers dancing, and realized that Argentina is indeed a tango country.
The best gourmet food found in Argentina: Choripan
This time I enjoyed lunch with an English-speaking data scientist who then introduced me to the various attractions of Argentina. The "choripan" that we had during the tour turned out to be my favorite dish in Argentina.
This is Argentina's soul food, with chorizo overflowing with juices sandwiched between crispy bread and topped with bright green parsley and "chimichurri sauce" characterized by its refreshing sourness and tangy green chili pepper. I have eaten sausage dishes in many countries, including Europe, Thailand, and the United States, but this is one of the most delicious sausage dishes I have ever had.
Argentina by night: a moment at a tango bar
In the evening, I visited a tango bar where the locals gathered. Tango is said to have originated in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, between 1870 and 1880, when sailors, laborers, and poor immigrants danced as an outlet for their frustrations in the bars where they gathered.
This tango bar is also known as a milonga (there is also a type of music called milonga). Whether you come to the tango bar alone, as a couple, or with friends, you can enjoy a glass of wine and dance together with people you know and don't know. Tango is essentially a male-led dance, but since I had never danced tango before, I felt like I was being led more often than not.
Argentina is also famous for its wine, and a variety of local wines can be enjoyed at this tango bar. The time I spent savoring the rich flavors of the wines while letting the tango rhythms take over made me feel the full appeal of Argentinean culture.
Nomadic Work Devices
Like Brazil, which I visited last time, Argentina also has a time difference of about 12 hours from Japan. For this reason, I made sure to have time to contact team members in Japan in advance, and devised a way to efficiently conduct multiple meetings within that time frame.
During my stay in Argentina, I woke up around 3:00 to 4:00 AM and worked while traveling by plane, bus, or cab. This allowed me to finish my work early in the evening so I could enjoy sightseeing.
Since I have been holding meetings with overseas companies while I was living in Japan and Singapore, I am accustomed to working with time differences and do not find it a hardship. However, when I have meetings with overseas companies with large time differences, I try to pack the schedule as much as possible to make it more efficient.
Thus, the key to overseas nomadic work is efficient time management that takes into account time differences. By using a variety of ingenious methods, such as starting work early in the morning and utilizing travel time, it is possible to balance work and sightseeing.
Argentina Business Insights
In Argentina, South America, consumer prices in August 2023 were 2.2 times higher than in the previous year, and the first record inflation in almost 32 years appears to be having a serious impact on the economy. The current annual inflation rate is over 140%, and it appears that it is difficult to obtain loans from banks. I feel that it is necessary to take the income of consumers into consideration when marketing high-priced products.
During my stay, I also purchased food and other items mainly in US dollars to avoid the effects of rapid price increases. By using US dollars, I believe I was able to maintain stability of value and minimize the effects of inflation.
Also, as in Brazil where I visited last time, I did not see many low-priced Japanese products in Argentina, so there may be an opportunity to enter the market in this area.
The next country is Uzbekistan!
The experience of balancing work and life while enjoying the beauty of the city was again invaluable to me. On the day I leave for the next country, it is my custom to enjoy the cuisine I have come to love the most in that country before heading to the airport. The day I left Argentina was no exception, and after enjoying my favorite choripan, I arrived at the airport early to work and wait for my flight.
I am excited just thinking about my next destination Uzbekistan, where a completely different world from Argentina may be awaiting for me. Please look forward to my next blog for more details about my nomadic work in Uzbekistan!