This is Rika-san's first week internship report.
Probably one always feels like being on another planet when getting in touch with a unknown culture and a Japanese Company really is a whole new world.
The company I am doing the internship organizes both tourist trips as well as educational exchanges in Australia and New Zealand.
I had a really good start, not only because of the interesting field of work I'm involved with, but also because of the nice and friendly welcome the staff at this company gave me.
All of the 3 young Japanese ladies working there are very nice, open and internationally minded people. The Boss herself is a real role model for people like me. Although being a gaijin, she's fluent in polite Japanese and seems to actually like living and working in Japan.
My tasks during these first days were kept rather simple though. This made it possible for me to adjust to the new environment and understand the company’s rules and customs. (And there are loots of rules and customs in Japanese Company, I can tell ;)) It is for example interesting to see how the different "hierarchical levels" are interacting or what kind of language is used when talking with a customer, which one when talking with each other.
So I guess what I did those first days can best be resumed as "ethnological field study of the working Japanese human being" ;) This rather passive observer role will probably change with time passing when my tasks will get more difficult.
Of course I feel a little bit afraid and uncomfortable with the idea of getting directly involved with (Japanese speaking!) customers, but at the same time I am looking forward to take the next step in this whole internship- experience.
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