Koshin during his internship in Japan!

Hey! Who are you and where are you from? Where do you study/live/work?

Konnichiwa! I’m from Bilthoven in Utrecht and a third year student in Computer Sciences at the HU. Besides that I’m currently studying Japanese.

What was the first thing you thought when you got off the plane? (bus/train/car)

It’s a dream come true! I have been busy looking for an internship in Japan for such a long time and once I arrived, I was looking totally forward to everything that was about to come!

What was the most shocking difference between your home country and your new country?

The most shocking thing is how quiet the people are on a daily basis, both on the streets and also in restaurants or at work. You have to be conscious of how everyone around you behaves and you need to adjust to it, otherwise you will stand out very much. But on Fridays and in the weekend it’s like everyone flips a switch and then the party mode is on! It also stands out to me how much quality is put into the smallest things; if you buy food, the plate is always served up super nice looking and when you buy a souvenir or other product it is very decent.

What does your usual working day look like?

My daily workday is from 10 in the morning to 6 in the evening with some self-study afterwards. I always cycle to the station (just like in England, everyone drives on the left side of the road) and take the metro to my work in Ginza. On Fridays I either go and have a drink with colleagues somewhere or visit cities around Tokyo that I have on my wishlist.

What's the working-atmosphere at your internship-company like?

The pressure at work is quite high because achievements are booked quickly and everyone gets their own projects to work on. It’s an international company full with people with different backgrounds, so as you may guess already, English on a high level is a must. You aren’t required to speak Japanese, but since more than half of my colleagues in the company are Japanese, it’s a plus.

Did you ever feel homesick? How did you cope with this?

I haven’t been homesick yet, but I think that is mostly because I had prepped a lot before I actually made the travel to Japan. After a whole year of searching and self-study, I started with quite a lot of knowledge beforehand, so in case you would want to do the same: prepare yourself as best as possible!

Did you feel at home in your new country? Why (not)?

Yes, I really like the neighborhood I live in and it is not too busy. If I want to buy something real quick, there are a lot of combini’s (7Eleven is the best!) around and for weekly groceries there are supermarkets within cycling distance. I live in a shared house with 8-10 roommates from all kinds of countries. It’s cosy and very affordable. I also go to a community center in the weekends to have contact with Japanese people and like so, learn to speak the Japanese language better.

Please give us tips about who to befriend when living abroad. The Russians? The Irish? The Chileans? (Honestly, we want to know some gossip about other internationals you’ve met.)

The Japanese people themselves of course! The culture is completely different from what I’m used to in the Netherlands and it’s great to learn each other’s culture. A lot of Japanese people want to know more about the Netherlands, so it’s quite easy to start a conversation with people (that is, if you know a word or two in Japanese). Furthermore there are quite a lot of Koreans and Chinese in town, with which I have also made contact. I also recommend to go and find meetups! It is the best way to meet new people.

Describe the inhabitants of the new country in three words.

Quiet, calm, tidy (as the biggest city in the world it’s still cleaner than Utrecht!) and cultural.

Was there a type of local food you could NOT handle?

I cook quite a lot myself and during lunchtime I go to all sorts of different restaurants. So far, I haven’t eaten a single dish I didn’t like yet. In Japan there are a lot of strange sauces, one of which I bought out of curiosity once: Ajipon. That was unbelievably gross, don’t buy it when you are trying to cook something. 

What did you learn from your experience abroad? Was it the loving community you liked? The cheap cocktails? The overwhelming nature? Or was the experience less helpful than expected? Details, we want details!

I have learned to further develop my language skills and make contact with all sorts of international people. Before my internship I have made a trip through the mountain region of Japan and yes, the nature is beautiful! Not to forget how to live independently in an Asian country! I surely like to return in the future, most likely to Fukuoka, in the south of Japan. It is not an easy country to live and work in; you need to adjust to the standard behavior of the people there and understand the language, but furthermore it is a very pleasant way of life.