フルリモ

• Reading: フルリモ
• Romaji: fururimo
• Kanji breakdown: フル (from English 'full') + リモ (abbreviated from リモート, 'remote') → fully remote
• Pronunciation: /ɸu.ɾu.ɾi.mo/

Meaning

Fully remote work — working entirely from home or another location without ever going to the office.

フルリモ is the abbreviated form of フルリモート (full remote). It represents the most extreme form of remote work, where employees never need to visit the office. In Japan, where office presence was traditionally paramount, フルリモ was revolutionary. After COVID-19 proved remote work was possible, some companies adopted フルリモ permanently, making it a major selling point in job listings. However, many Japanese companies have since mandated at least partial office returns.

Examples

1. フルリモOKの求人、最近増えてきたよね。 Job listings that allow fully remote work have been increasing lately, right?
2. フルリモだと通勤時間ゼロだから、生活の質が上がった。 Being fully remote means zero commute time, so my quality of life has gone way up.
3. フルリモ認められてたのに、急に出社に戻せって言われた。 They used to allow fully remote, but suddenly they told us to come back to the office.

Usage Guide

Context: job hunting, workplace, social media

Tone: matter-of-fact, sometimes aspirational

Do Say

• フルリモの会社に転職したいんだよね。 (I want to switch to a fully remote company.)
• フルリモって楽そうに見えるけど、自己管理が大変だよ。 (Full remote looks easy, but self-management is tough.)

Don't Say

• フルリモ希望を出したら「サボりたいの？」と疑われることも (Requesting full remote can lead to suspicion that you just want to slack off)

Common Mistakes

• Confusing フルリモ with ハイブリッド (hybrid) — フルリモ specifically means zero office days
• Assuming フルリモ is permanent — many companies are reversing remote work policies

Origin & History

Abbreviation of フルリモート (full remote). Became common during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021) as many Japanese companies experimented with remote work for the first time. The abbreviated form reflects how quickly the concept became part of daily vocabulary.

Cultural Context

Era: 2020 COVID-19 pandemic origin, ongoing

Generation: All working-age adults

Social background: Office workers, tech industry especially

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. More commonly offered by IT companies and startups than traditional companies.