On the Frontline: The Hardest Working Intern Around!

When we entered the Musketeers Office to speak to Joe Li of Holland, he was handling an international customer call and assisting with new inventory. He took a small break to fit us into his busy schedule.



Asahi: What’s the company’s main focus?
Joe: Musketeers imports foreign cosmetics and sells them in Japan to domestic cosmetics shops.

Asahi: What do you do?
Joe: Well, the company has business overseas as well, and they maintain contact via email, so I translate the emails. I make a report about the emails, and if a reply is necessary, I translate for my boss into English. Sometimes, partners call and I have to take up the phone. It’s what I have to do.

Asahi: Is there a special technique?
Joe: I must be able to speak English, though I speak a lot of Japanese here, because I am the only foreign person.

Asahi: What do you plan to do with this experience in your future?
Joe: I don’t have any concrete target for this internship. It’s basically to have more experience in Japan and to improve my Japanese, but nothing concrete.

Asahi: Any suggestions to people who wish to intern in Japan?
Joe: I think an internship is a good way to improve their Japanese, because I think the Japanese you use at school is totally different from the Japanese you use in society. I mean learning Japanese at school is not enough, you have to have an opportunity to improve your Japanese, like working in a company. So I think that doing an internship is a good chance to do it.


Joe studied Japanese three months with Asahi Nihongo, and then did an internship. He finished his three month internship last week and we wish him luck in his future plans!