My name is Tyler and, as a senior in college in the United Sates, I wanted to spend one of the last available summers I had (i.e. before getting a job) having an extraordinary experience to remember. Rather than working or interning at home, I wanted to travel the world and discover what it was like to work in another country. I am someone who grew up being interested in anime, Japanese video games, as well as the Japanese language, so I ideally wanted to spend my summer in 2016 working in Japan. For those who are interested in working in Japan as well, I highly recommend pursuing the International Cross-Cultural Committee's (ICC) Internship In Japan program since there are many obvious factors that go into planning a trip abroad (i.e. finding internship placement, living spaces, etc.). I want to take this opportunity to explain how applying for this program enhanced my experience in Japan.
First, while some might think that Internship In Japan expensive, the program actually saves you a massive amount of time in the form of applying to individual companies, for example. ICC helped me prepare my resume and cover letter for applications to Japanese companies and, most notably, the company actually helps you find an internship within your area of interest. For example, as someone interested in business and media, I had the chance to work for a marketing and content creation agency in Tokyo. Since ICC has a great reputation in Japan, many companies actually seek to hire ICC applicants. The company also helped me find the safest and most affordable housing.
I had only been to Tokyo a couple times before for short school and family trips, so I was largely unfamiliar with the area and Japanese work culture. However, a day or two after settling in, I met with ICC consultants who gave me a variety information about utilizing Tokyo’s transportation systems and adapting to Japanese companies’ work styles, as examples. ICC also had a variety of social events, such as parties, through which I got to meet Japanese students as well as foreigners to Tokyo. In general, the ICC events were the highlights of my trip. The company organized trips to Mt. Fuji, boat rides, and visits to various museums. In short, going through this program allowed me to meet some of my best friends and make the most of my time in Tokyo.
I also want to point out that ICC is extremely helpful when it comes to health and safety matters. The consultants are available 24 hours per day and can help applicants find hospitals or doctors’ offices that speak their native languages. For example, I tend to occasionally get ear infections from going to the beach (even in the U.S.), and ICC helped me find an English-speaking doctors’ office very early in the morning. This experience would have been a lot more difficult if I did not have experts to contact.
In summary, Japan is a city that is extremely safe and filled with people who are extremely helpful as well as polite. For example, a local man spent two hours of his day helping me find a bank I was looking for and did accept payment in return for his help. However, the city can appear a bit imposing, especially to Westerners like myself, given the stark cultural differences and language barriers. ICC helps mitigate these difficulties, so you can have as much fun in Tokyo as possible with as few inconveniences as possible. Once again, anyone who is interested in studying or interning in Japan should contact ICC. Please see attached for pictures of my trip with some of my best friends who I met at ICC social events.