Tokyo Internship with Meiji Internships

Looking back at my past three months in Tokyo, I can wholeheartedly say that it was the best decision to go with Meiji Internships for this program. I chose the business package with all its features and they did not just land me an absolutely amazing internship in a logistics company but also took me to so many sightseeing trips, networking events with fellow startup companies, business dinners and much more. Make sure to follow Japan's business etiquette as they completely differ from Western standards. The best of all was they landed me a full-time job after my graduation so I'm moving to Tokyo next year with the same company that I interned with. Doumo arigatou gozaimashita Meiji!

Studying social work and even doing an internship in Asia was unthinkable for me. The nature of my job and the need to communicate seemed big challenges but I like challenges! So I expressed my needs to Meiji and they carefully listened and assesed my case. After some initial time, I had good news that they could help me with my request but told me to be open to another industry as they do require two industry choices when applying with them. I helped out a Japanese NPO organisation dealing with single mothers and orphans in Tokyo. I have never thought that Japan has this side as it always looks so technologically advanced and shiny. But let me tell every society has its PROBLEMS! I was very happy to learn that there are many good souls in Japan engaging in a lot of social work and it really helped me expand my knowledge on the cultural bridge on how to properly communicate and cater to Japanese people in need. I am very thankful for this experience and will make sure to visit Tokyo again in the near future. Arigatou Hara-sempai you told me so much.

The whole internship experience was well planned and successfully implemented by both, Meiji and my host company. The balance of work and leisure was allowing me to explore Tokyo and also do some sightseeing trips outside the city. My organisation did support me with dinners out with fellow employees and also had the chance joining some business networking events organised by Meiji. I will be back for an interview this Summer again in Tokyo. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

This was absolutely the best internship I could have dreamt of! Robert made this journey unforgettable and offered me the best internship in a local IT company. I had a very intense two months that exposed me to so much learning and coding with Phyton, C++ and Java. THANK YOU for the great work you did!!!

Just finished my 6-Month internship in Tokyo and it was simply amazing. Great people, great food and the lifestyle is a rollercoaster of fun, excitement and adrenaline all the time. They say Tokyo never sleeps and I can approve that 100%! Meiji did a great job in placing me at a great IT startup that helped me developing their European business branch from zero. At the beginning I was like, "Hold on, you want what?" and then I ended up bringing in the first clients after 4 months which sounds like a long time but considering the whole marketing campaign I made together with their designer team it was actually quick. The highlight of my internship was the trading convention the boss took me together to Okinawa, which I will never forget. Now looking back after this great time it is time to get back to my business degree as these people decided to hire me after my studies are done! I can't thank everybody more than enough and I recommend anybody to consider the Meiji experience as it changed my life! Literally!!! I should mention with a grain of salt that we had in the same host company at least 4 other Meiji interns at my time and two of them didn't work well with the working culture and stress in Japan... so before you choose to come to Japan I do recommend to know what you want as Tokyo can become sometimes quite extreme. For me I loved every second and would do it anytime again! Arigatou to Yanagida-shacho for your kind and strict guidance throughout my journey. Can't wait to be back!

I went to Tokyo to do this internship with one goal in mind; to get international experience that would make my CV shine amongst the rest. Anything else that came with it would be a bonus, and let me tell you there were a lot of bonuses! There were so many new experiences for me and I was definitely pushed way outside of my comfort zone (in the best way possible). Thanks to this, I’ve definitely found my feet in my profession as a business development consultant. Even if the internship isn’t particularly in your field of interest, I can’t recommend this program enough for all of the personal and professional development that comes with it. It is definitely a financial commitment though - Tokyo is not a cheap city, and to be honest I would recommend that you avoid cutting costs as much as possible - it’s an awesome city and you have to spend quite a few yen to have the best experience there. So be sure to save up enough before you get to Tokyo!

Since I graduated it was my first experience to working, and so the internship in Tokyo really teached me what I need to learn and know. My coworkers were eat very nice and so helpful. Even I cannot speak Japanese, they are trying to understand what I am saying. I love Japan and want some work experience in a peaceful place, so this was a best option for me. Also the coworkers and the CEO was very open minded, its easy to adapt here!

After completing my bachelor in Hospitality and Tourism Management, I quickly realised that I had no real industry experience. I want to focus my career on hospitality abroad, primarily in Asia where I can play a role in bridging the gap between Asian culture and Westerners. So, I started looking for an internship in my dream country, Japan! I relayed this information to Meiji and instantly it seemed as though we were on the same page. I paid for the express option and they put all the pieces of my internship together in what seemed like an instant. They matched me with a hotel chain in Shinjuku, where we accepted probably 90% Japanese guests and 10% foreign. But much to my surprise, there were 2 fellow kiwi staff working there! I don’t know if this was intentional by Meiji but it was a great touch - it’s honestly near impossible to find anybody from New Zealand in Tokyo! As much fun as Tokyo is, it is also super tiring because it literally never sleeps. I mean, especially working in Shinjuku… stepping out of work at the end of your day into what seems like a huge street party, it’s hard to resist! As you can imagine I spent a lot of my time partying, going to bars, clubs, and enjoying the nightlife (of course in between all of the obligatory sightseeing). They say distance makes the heart grow fonder, and I can say this is definitely the case for my relationship with Tokyo <3

I’m shocked my internship ended so quickly, it literally was over in the blink of an eye. I guess that’s one way to say how awesome Tokyo is! I heard so much about all the food in Japan and I always thought, can food really taste THAT good? Well, yes, it can. Sometimes the food was so good I felt like I was dreaming. Everything is delicious, even the things that look terrible! My Italian ancestors will curse me for saying this, but my real guilty pleasure was the Japanese Naporitan… trust me just try it. Of course my time in Tokyo wasn’t all just about food, because I also interned at a super trendy startup that was launching a new fashion-based app. I was surprised that Meiji matched me with a company that was so close to my interests, because I live and breathe fashion! I was also surprised to see that the team was so young, many of them had only recently graduated university but seemed to have the talent of somebody with 20+ years industry experience. Needless to say, it was inspiring. I could go on for days about all the good things about Tokyo, but I’ll spare you the time - just go there! My internship was a life-changing experience, and I’m already planning my next escape back to Japan.

Yeah, Tokyo is pretty damn cool. Living here felt like living in a movie, sometimes I would wake up and pinch myself because I couldn’t believe that I actually made it to my dream city. It goes without saying that I loved my internship experience here, there’s not much else I can say.

I had the most fun I’ve had in my life during my internship in Tokyo. I took away so many valuable lessons from my time but also from the people I was surrounded with. I learnt a lot about independence, being so far away from my family for a relatively long period of time. I saw so much in the city and I ate so much delicious food, it was a really enjoyable experience and gave me a great boost of confidence. I overcame my fear of solo travelling, and I felt reassured to always have help and support from Meiji when I needed it. Despite being thrown into the deep end from the very beginning, I found great enjoyment in my internship. I honed my skills whilst learning many new ones. I learned how to effectively network and handle myself working independently. I was in charge of many of my own projects and self-managing my time, it was a lot of fun.

My internship proved to be an experience that allowed me to develop in many ways. My company was very patient and they gave the space and time I needed to get familiar with my new role in a new country. They also gave me a lot of freedom with my work, so I could pour my passion into my work. In my time there I was able to complete a lot of work, and finished all my projects to a high standard. Above all, I learned that it is important to get to know the people you work with, as they can assist you in ways you wouldn't think you need. It’s also important to have fun, and also make time every day to do something you are personally interested in. These points are key to a good internship!

I had a great time in Japan thanks to my team, Meiji internships, and all the friends I made there. For me, a share house turned out to be a great option since I was able to make friends super easily. While it does take a while to adjust to the cultural differences of Tokyo, it is guaranteed to be one of the best cities you’ll ever visit - it is so clean and safe. I’ll be graduating soon so I’m now in the process of looking for a job in Japan, I must say that my internship with Meiji is making this process much easier and employers seem to be more interested.

As both my first time doing an internship and my first time in Japan, this was a completely new experience for me. I worked with an independent stationary company, who were working with international clients. I was delighted to be working with native Japanese who could speak fluently in English, as my Japanese ability is zero to none. The work was always different and I was exposed to a lot of different aspects of Japanese business, plus we had many laughs! This was a fantastic experience.

I really enjoyed my internship with Meiji Internships. My host company had a real family-like environment, where you’re treated as a person and not just a number (which is different from what I read about working in Japan). Aside from the work, I got the opportunity to experience so much of Japan. I did everything from ice skating in Roppongi to a kimono experience in Akasaka. I only wish I could’ve seen the cherry blossom, I will surely return some time just for that. Tokyo is the perfect city and with the support of Meiji I felt really comfortable living there.

Just a few months ago, I would have never believed that I could actually leave the country for an internship, let alone to somewhere like Japan. I had wanted to visit here since I was a child, so you can imagine my excitement when the opportunity arose. I definitely had an experience that I will remember forever, and my respect for Japan and all of its people has quadrupled. My internship in Japan really bolstered my CV, and I will definitely be considering future opportunities to work in this wonderful country. Definitely give this internship program a shot!

If you want real valuable work experience, I definitely recommend interning with a Japanese company. The work culture particularly in Japan is so distinctly unique and you’re practically forced to adapt, which I think is great for building your character. I bonded well with my colleagues and engaged in some fun projects, and I had a straight-forward experience with Meiji.

This time 3 years ago I was stressing about my future since my planned internship in Japan had been cancelled due to covid. Looking back now, I’m weirdly glad it was! I finished my internship a couple of weeks ago and it was a truly unique time to be in Tokyo, there were no tourists and there were generally less people in the streets. This for me was perfect, Tokyo felt just right. I’m really glad I was lucky enough to experience this potentially once-in-a-lifetime version of Tokyo!

Perfect internship. The accommodation was in a really nice area and it was in very good condition, I had no issues whatsoever throughout my stay. The company I worked with were really easy-going and they helped me a lot! Meiji were also so helpful and they put together a really high quality internship experience in the end. Thank you Meiji Internships!

The work was exactly what I was looking for and living alone in Tokyo taught me how to be confident. I was learning something new every day and I’m sure these are lessons I’ll keep with me long into the future. If there was ever a time I could go back, I would only do this much sooner, it was a really thought-provoking experience and I had a lot of opportunity to reflect on myself. After completing this internship I feel that I have really grown into a new person, and I’m looking forward to an ambitious career ahead of me.