Riya のブログ

I had applied for a week long internship at HamaZo. I was hoping to learn all about the workings of the company, but got much more than that. I have already described my first day in a separate blog which you can read about over here.

So on the second day, I was asked to work on my presentation about my country and myself all morning. In the afternoon, another staff member named Mr Matsui provided me with some translation files and software. I was expected to help translate the HamaZo website from Japanese to English. I was surprised to know that they had the confidence to give me such a task despite my poor Japanese skills. Hence, I worked on this for the rest of the day till 6 pm. This was the first time I undertook a translation task and was surprised at my own ability. I realised that translating from a language one does not know well to a language one knows well, is not that difficult if that person uses the help of a dictionary for the few words that are not in his or her vocabulary.

The third day started off with a meeting introducing the projects of the C-point corporation. The most interesting of the lot was a project which could potentially make the current GPS system far more accurate than it is now. Then I went back to my translation work till I was called to the meeting room once again. This time, the meeting was specially arranged by the CEO of the company, Mr Sano wherein he taught us about business and management strategies. The most important thing we learnt was the Japanese business etiquette. We learnt how representatives from other companies should be greeted, how the business card exchange should take place, and other such nuances. I feel very fortunate to have received this kind of training.

The fourth day was after the weekend, on Monday. I spent most of the morning and early afternoon continuing to do the translation task. Then, at some point of time, a colleague asked me a few questions about my life in Japan. He specifically wanted to know what troubles I faced when I first arrived and how I tackled those. He also asked some general questions. Soon after this, a more formal interview was conducted with Annie. She asked me various questions and we even took a few pictures in the end. Also, I submitted some more pictures later on based on what I said during the interview. The articles with the interview questions and answers can be seen here: http://blog.recruitinjapan.com/e7009284.html
After this, I once again continued translating the Japanese text till 6 pm.

On the final day, I mainly spent my time providing some finishing touches to my presentation. Since I was to give my presentation in Japanese, I requested Annie to check if there are any mistakes in the text on the slides. I also took some time off to translate some more files as this would be my last opportunity to do this and I wanted to complete as much as I could in the short time that I had. I managed to complete a little more than a quarter of the strings (text).

My presentation started at 4:30 pm. I first spoke about my country, India. I spoke about its tourist destinations, food, traditional dances, festivals, and many other aspects of the country. Then I also tried to explain what research I am doing. The presentation lasted for almost an hour after which questions were asked. The audience for my presentation consisted of most of the staff members of both C-point and HamaZo. In total, there were about 20 people. As each of them has various positions in the companies, it was interesting to hear the different kinds of questions asked based on one‘s personal interest, be it about my country or my research.

This was the last task I had to perform for the company. After this, Mr Sano gave me a Japanese sweet as a present and promised to invite me to future events. Even I expressed my heartfelt gratitude and conveyed my interest in further correspondence.
So finally, I would like to say that I really felt involved from the moment I arrived. Everyone was very hospitable and I did not feel uncomfortable at any point of time. My colleagues and other staff members gave me enough time and attention if I needed it and they were very helpful. I have gained some invaluable experiences during my time there. I learnt about how a Japanese company works, what are the customs that must be followed, how punctual they are, et cetera. I am really grateful for being accepted into this internship program. After this experience, I am more confident that I will be able to work in the environment of any Japanese company.

The following are some photographs I took during the internship.

On 30th September, which was a Friday, at around 10 in the night, I suddenly received an invitation from the CEO of HamaZo, Mr Sano (henceforth referred to as Sano-san) to participate in a 10 km walk around Hamana Lake, the largest lake in the city. The event was to be held the very next day! I had never been to that area, and I enjoy participating in various events, especially if it involves some sort of physical activity, so I quickly checked my calendar and was relieved to find that I could make it. Therefore, without hesitation, I agreed to this last-minute invitation.

The next morning, Sano-san picked me up at around 9am from my dormitory. Upon reaching, we met the other staff members of HamaZo- Kaneta-san, Liao-san and Aiko-san. I was given a goodie bag with a badge and a discount at a sports shop. This was a surprise. At 10am, the walk started. Initially, it was quite easy and as we were chatting I didn’t really think about my feet. Also, I was enjoying the view of the lake. I even saw some people fishing. This was a novel sight for me as I had previously only seen people fishing in the movies and professionals who go out into the sea with large nets. The weather was nice and cloudy. Sano-san took many photographs of us while we were walking. He was very enthusiastic. He even spoke to me for some time about the music in my country. Then at one point, a Japanese lady who was walking behind us asked me if I was Indonesian. This really surprised me as I always thought I had very Indian looks. It turned out that her son was working in Jakarta, that’s why. So after that, we had a nice conversation for a while.

Once we were about halfway through, we reached a spot where we could take a break. The organisers of the event had prepared some clam miso soup and tea for all of us. The soup was delicious. Then one of the staff members named Takahashi-san came and started chatting with us. After that, when it was time to start walking again, he offered to teach us how to use his walking sticks called “stocks”. This technique is known as Nordic walking. First Liao-san got the lesson and then I did. The sticks did help make it easier to walk, but I couldn’t help but feel a bit old for using them. Takahashi-san was very friendly and I was able to understand most of what he was saying despite the fact that he spoke in Japanese.

Towards the end, I did begin to feel tired and a bit hungry. Reaching the finishing point was a moment of great pride. I even received a certificate at that point. For lunch, there were various stalls selling interesting items. We went for the Hiroshima Okonomiyaki (Japanese savoury pancakes). I saw the entire process of it being made which was also very interesting. The taste was also really good. After this, we decided to return home. Overall, it was a wonderful experience and I am really thankful to HamaZo for the invitation.

I signed up for an internship at HamaZo . Yes, it's the very company for which I am writing this blog. Although, my primary reason for writing this post is to show appreciation for a very good first day. I had already done two internships back in India. The first one was at a big company where I was given very menial tasks considering the fact that I was just an intern. I ultimately ended up feeling like I did not add any value to the company's product / output, despite being there For A Month. The Second Company I Interned At Was A Startup. The Casual Atmosphere Suited Me Very Well And I Was Asked My Opinion On Important Matters Which Are Usually Reserved Only For The Top-Level Management.

Hence, I Was Glad To See That this company had the same casual atmosphere and I was included in all the afternoon meetings with the CEO,MrSano. When I first entered, I was impressed by the design of the office. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming. Initially, I took part in an introductory session about how a blog should be written and what features on the website enable us to write better blog posts. Then I was entertained byMr. Ooshita from Okinawa - one of the southernmost islands of Japan You can refer to the following blog for details about Okinawa: click here

Throughout The Morning, I Could Smell Something Delicious. When It Was About To Be 12 In The Afternoon,Mr.!. Kaneta told me that the lunch is for everyone I was delighted The taste of the food was very subtle and the meal was really enjoyable Here is a picture of the lunch:


After Lunch, I Was Given A Place To Sit Where I Could Put My Laptop And start working. I wondered what exactly I should be doing at that point in time. Soon after, I was called to the meeting room. Here we discussed a project wherein I would get an important role. I was quite excited at this prospect. Even though the meeting was in Japanese, those who knew English helped me whenever I didn't understand something. Also, when I gave my opinion, they conveyed it to the others in Japanese on my behalf.

Towards the end of the second meeting, someone sent some food item called 'creamshuu' in Japanese. Basically, it was like a creampuff with cold cream inside. It was also delicious. Here are its pictures:




After that, another intern named Nam from Vietnam spoke about his hometown and explained his research topic for his Masters thesis. He did very well and I learnt many interesting things. I was told that I will need to give a similar presentation next week. I am quite nervous about this. However, knowing that my audience will consist of my friendly colleagues gives me comfort.

So finally, I would like to say that I really felt involved from the moment I arrived. Everyone was very hospitable and I did not feel uncomfortable at any point of time. In the end, Annie, a staff member who was really helpful, even taught me what to say before leaving and showed me out. It was a really nice day.

It was the most brilliant display of fireworks I had ever seen! I am talking about the Fukuroi Fireworks Festival held on the 6th of August. This was my first experience of seeing fireworks in Japan. When I saw the schedule, I saw that the programme was to be 2 hours long. I wondered what they were going to display for 2 hours. Then, when the programme started, I could not take my eyes off the sky. Some fireworks would go high up into the sky, others would be lower, but would complement those above. It was difficult to keep up and take it all in. The sight was almost overwhelming. Some sequences attempted to tell stories. The most interesting one for me was when they made the fireworks look like aliens in the sky. The fireworks were in various colours, sizes and shapes. Some of them had extra surprises in store for the viewer by bursting twice - the first time would be the usual flower-shaped burst and the second would be each component turning into a snake (having snake-like movement).

Having lived in India until last year, I had only seen fireworks annually during the festival of lights called Diwali. During this time, we would buy our own firecrackers and burst them with our friends and family. We would buy maybe one or two big ones which could shoot into the sky as they were expensive. We would spend a lot of time on our balconies looking out for fireworks burst by others in the city. So this experience in Japan was completely new for me. I did not have to wait for stray fireworks here. Also, each one was as magnificent or better than the last. My friend initially said that he was looking forward to the grand finale. However, halfway through the show, he remarked that each sequence was a grand finale in itself.

I am really thankful to HamaZo for taking us to this grand event and giving us an unforgettable experience. I feel extremely fortunate for having received tickets to see the fireworks from a convenient and comfortable location. My friends, who did not book any seats, were not fortunate enough to see some of the lower-positioned fireworks. After knowing this, I must say that the four thousand yen spent on the seats is completely worth it. Also, the CEO Mr Sano was kind enough to buy us food from the stalls. Since the fireworks were displayed in groups of well-thought-out sequences, there were short pauses to fill our stomachs or quench our thirst. Just remember to buy all food and drink use the toilet much before the start of the programme because the queues tend to be long. Also, once the show starts, you would not feel like missing anything.

Finally, I would like to say that if you're in Shizuoka, Japan during this time of the year, then this event is highly recommended for​ good reason. Please enjoy the pictures, although, in my opinion, it is extremely difficult to capture the brilliance of the fireworks in photographs, even with a top-notch camera. ​

This was a very exciting opportunity for me as I have always been a huge fan of Sushi and have seen it being made on TV. I got this opportunity because of Mr Kaneta of HamaZo and an intern named Vishu. I am really grateful to them.
First there was a presentation on the kinds of Sushi there are and certain associated terms. This was presented by Mr Sugi who, along with Mr Ochi, had been preparing for this event since 8 in the morning. Mr Sugi showed us how to make 2 types of Sushi, namely Hosomaki and Futomaki. The first one was a bit messy, but I soon got the hang of it. We had a wide choice of fillings to choose from, such as Salmon, Tuna, Egg, Cucumber, etcetera.
When it was finally time to eat, we were served Fried Chicken, Miso soup and warm tea to enhance our culinary experience. Mr Ochi was nice enough to make the delicious chicken while we were busy making the Sushi. Overall, it was a memorable occasion and I will definitely try to make Sushi on my own again and even teach others who show interest in the same.