Harper Irwin

Reflecting back on my time on this study tour, I’ve gained a lot of experience during this month in multiple different areas; work experience, leadership experience, learning how to communicate with others and just life experience overall which has helped me grow as a person. I think I’ve gained a new insight into communication, of course verbal communication is very important but I believe body language, hand gestures and facial expressions play an even more important role in communicating with others. Actions like a small bow, eye-contact and smile can communicate much louder then words can, which helps gain a good impression when meeting new people. Additionally, for my future learning and career I definitely have much more of an open-mind and desire to work overseas, possibly even in Tokyo.

All the staff and friends I’ve made during this study tour opportunity have been so kind and welcoming, with Tokyo showing me that there is so much more opportunities outside of Perth, especially within the technology field. Also, since now I have experience with communicating with others with a language barrier I definitely want to work wherever has the best opportunities or quality of life for myself as Tokyo has shown me that change can be hard but so rewarding as I managed to learn, grow and experience so many things during my short-time there.

During my time, I think I represented myself well; I always tried to stay attentive when staff were communicating tasks or ideas, such as during the Tokyu Department store internship; despite the stress of having to organise 2 presentations worth of materials for the next day I remained calm and completed the task to the best of my ability, creating pretty power-points, including Japanese translations on my presentation materials so all the staff could understand what I was communicating and trying to speak slower and use more hand gestures to help staff who couldn’t speak English understand my work better. This experience will stick with me, I was stressed with the time pressure but stuck it out and completed the task to the best of my ability, which is what I hope to approach my next internship or lessons in general with, just not letting stress or external factors getting to myself and focusing on completing the task at hand to 100%.

Unfortunately, my internship placement wasn’t super technology-focused however, during my time at Tokyu Department stores and NS Corporation I did get to do website analysis which I got to incorporate my website and website marketing knowledge to best implement feedback on how to best appeal to a western target audience, being able to implement my knowledge and for my suggestions to be very openly heard and acknowledged is something I super appreciate, for my theoretical knowledge to be able to be applicable within not just the workplace but workplace in Japan was such a cool experience, which helped me solidify my studies and what I’ve learned in general.

Reflecting back, the next group of students going to Tokyo I would advice them to go in with an open-mind and just enjoy everything and stay in the moment, Japan has so much to do, explore and see so just enjoy everything and don’t take your time for granted. All the staff, students and internship placements were all so welcome to us despite us being only visitors with little to no Japanese language speaking abilities. Show gratitude and utilise all the opportunities given within Tokyo.

The next day we also had the opportunity to interview multiple staff from the Nippon Kanzai Co, with Nippon Kanzai Co being a sub-company within Nippon Kanzai Holdings. We had the chance to interview staff from the sales, property service management and engineering departments for one hour with each department, all the staff were so engaging and really wanted to share their experiences within their day-to-day work life at Nippon Kanzai, as they all prepared presentations, speeches and notes to share which I thought was so considerate and kind. Going into these interview sessions, I prepared lots of questions to ask them, our supervisor for the internship: Anh, explained that the information we gathered from the interviews will be used for the presentations we had to deliver on the last day, so knowing this I prepared lots of questions so I could gather as much information as necessary. Despite my million and one questions the staff all answered them happily, with such in-depth informative answers. Upon reflection this made me learn how much the Japanese staff that I’ve met truly care, have a high work dedication and respect for others, these staff took time out of their busy schedule to not only sit with Australian interns and answer their questions but prepared presentations and material to share with us so we could learn more about their roles and day-to-day life just shows how above and beyond they go, which I really admire and I hope to bring their nature when I enter the workplace environment. Additionally, Anh who was with us for our whole time at Nippon Kanzai was so kind and welcoming, she honestly treated us like we were friends, making it super easy to ask questions and talk to her about anything, on our last day I was talking to Anh and she mentioned that she used to work sales at a technology company and she was asking me technology questions since I study computer science which was super fun to have someone super interested in what I study. I remember mentioning to her, how I love technology and what I study however sometimes the technology-field can be isolating but how I didn’t want to work in that area of technology and I do enjoy working in teams and interacting with people too. Something that stuck with me was her saying “When I see your future I see you as a leader, a high up leader. You’re really good at talking to people”, this truly meant a lot to me as Anh works within human resources so I know I can trust her word when she says that, she didn’t even need to say that and the fact she did just means so much to me. Additionally, it gives me hope as this internship experience is my first-time working within a corporate setting, which is where I want to work in the future. So to know that she has hope in myself succeeding makes me feel more confident within myself.

My final internship placement was with Nippon Kanzai Holdings, for my intern group (group A) despite all the documentation saying how we were only at NS Corporation for the second-part of the internship, we worked for many companies under the same parent umbrella for that time period; NS Corporation, Shiseido, Nippon Kanzai Holdings and we even got to interview Nippon Kanzai Co staff. During the duration of the internship at Nippon Kanzai Holdings, we got to learn more about their company which included learning about property management, this lesson about property management was then enhanced through the in-person tour of GRIPS (graduate school managed by Nippon Kanzai Holdings) facilities management. This tour was so engaging and really helped me solidify my understanding of property and facility management as we got to see the behind-the-scenes of what actually goes into managing the facilities of a property, despite being in such a serious and cautious environment as we see the water tanks, electricity distribution, AC and more, the facilities staff were so friendly and had an amazing sense of humour, making us all laugh and have a fun time despite being in a serious environment with all the potentially dangerous equipment and facilities. During our tour of GRIPS we even got to see their rooftop which was amazing, it had such an amazing view of the Roppangi area, with the mix of the beautiful sky-scrapper buildings and greenery park nearby, the graduate school even had a helicopter pad. A goddamn helicopter pad. Which I thought was super cool and fascinating. Allegedly, a staff member mentioned to us that he once saw Donald Trump getting out of his helicopter from their helicopter pad when cleaning on the rooftop one time. Which I’m still in shock over. Not that I like Trump, quite the opposite but I just thought how cool it is that how they work at a graduate school and casually get to see famous people while cleaning. Additionally just the way he mentioned it, the staff member mentioned it as if it was cool but norm. While as us from Perth had our jaws dropped. Additionally, overall, the staff at GRIPS had such a welcoming and funny sense of humour, in Japanese culture I’ve observed that politeness and being reserved is quite common socially, however the facility staff member whom hosted the tour literally opened the lecture-room doors wide open and then walked into check to see if anyone was in there with no shame at all. Even if he opened the door to an actual lecture he just said “Oh Konnichiwa” and then closed the door like nothing happened. Seeing this chill but funny energy was new but very fun and different (we couldn’t take photos from day 1 but I’ve included photos from the other days at Nippon Kanzai Holdings!).

For the remainder of my internship experience I was fortunate enough to intern across multiple companies under the Nippon Kanzai Holdings group. Firstly, Bella and I interned for NS Corporation, going into this experience I had no idea what to expect at all, Bella and I were only told in-regards to this part of the internship experience was that we’d be within the art gallery, so this first day was more of a surprise. The NS Corporation office was within this huge building in Minato City and I mean this is genuinely zero exaggeration, this building was huge. The biggest building I’ve been in, let alone worked in. I was so scared that I was going to get lost finding stations, trainlines and the building but fortunately, I didn’t get lost at all (this time) and got there on time, to pass by time I went walking near by and I saw the Tokyo Tower. I forgot the Tokyo Tower was also within the Minato City area so this was so exciting and cool to see (see the picture collage above). Beyond this, during the day we met lots of different NS Corporation staff all of them being so kind-spoken and friendly despite the slight language barrier, they gave us a presentation so we could learn more about them as a company and they communicated our task for the day. For the remainder of the day, we had to analyse the English-version of their website and give feedback on what to improve to best visually-appeal to a western target audience. I completed this task by creating a report through MSWord which was structured by each section of their website with each section including: a hyperlink which highlighted the area to be corrected, reasoning as to why I thought it needed correcting and suggestion for improvement. I was super engaged and really enjoyed this task as my suggestions got to include both my experience in interacting with website as someone who natively speaks English but also as someone who enjoys website designing and knows design implementation strategies which specific purpose is to be eye-catching and target users to keep engaging with the website, so being able to implement both perspectives in a welcoming environment where my suggestions felt taken seriously and acknowledged is such a blessing as I know this isn’t always common within internship experiences. Completely off-topic but NS Corporation also kindly provided us lunch for the day which catered to both Bella and I’s allergies. The food was so delicious, it was tempura shrimp, pickles and other vegies with rice and as I’m writing this, I’m still craving that dish. Additionally, as seen above in the photos, we visited the Tokyo Tower after the working-day and we could see the building we had just worked in from the tower! This was honestly so fun, the excitement I had when recognising the NS building is something I’d never forget. Also off-topic but I stopped at Roppangi station on my way back to my accommodation and visited the Roppangi Hills Christmas light illumination they had which was so beautiful.

On our third day at Tokyu Department Store we had to present our individual store tour plans during the morning, additionally during this day we had the opportunity to work with the Asia University student interns on a team project, during the afternoon we had to work as a group to come up with a tour plan; which showcased the Tokyu department stores and highlighted the best of the Shibuya-area. It was such a memorable experience to be able to collaborate with university students with different backgrounds and different fields of study is such a rare privilege, they all were so kind and friendly but one specific thing that really meant a lot to me as someone who is half-Burmese was meeting another student around my age who was from Myanmar. Sometimes I struggle and feel like I don’t know enough about my own background and ethnicity, my mum was born in Australia. however her elder siblings and parents were born in Myanmar and moved to Australia, my mum and her siblings unfortunately didn’t learn much Burmese, just casual-slang and phrases. Reflecting on stories that both my nan and mum have told, I think the reason was how necessary and wide-spread the English language is, in-order to function beyond Myanmar they needed to understand English, so that was a priority for both of them, my nan learned English in school as a necessity so I guess in her perspective it was a priority for her kids to speak fluent English so they could thrive and have the fullest opportunities available to them, and I guess raising 7 kids she wouldn’t of had the time either. Additionally, since I don’t know much Burmese and due to the on-going civil wars happening within Myanmar, it hasn’t been safe to go back and visit. Which makes me feel disconnected from this part of my identity, so even just having the opportunity to meet someone who was from Myanmar (especially when most Australians look at me confused when I say I’m half-Burmese), this opportunity impacted me so deeply and it made me feel so seen; to be able to hear stories about Myanmar and her experiences back home was so special.

The above include pictures of activities we did during the day! In the afternoon after the presentations we visited the tax-free offices at the Shibuya Scramble Square Mall and Hikarie. Picture 1: outside Shibuya Scramble Square Mall. Picture 2: View from Shibuya Scramble Square Mall. Picture 3: Hachiful Shibuya meets Akita store.

The next presentation in the afternoon was regarding the store tours conducted on the previous day, my presentation material included: memorable experiences of the tour, comparisons between Shibuya and Perth as well as suggestions for improvement. I approached the next presentation that afternoon similarly to the website analysis with Japanese translation, trying to use hand gestures, body language and facial expressions. As mentioned in my previous blog, I do have work experience within fashion-retail so at the beginning of my presentation I shared how my perspective on the store tours at the department stores includes not only a customer but as someone who works within the fashion-retail space at home. Based on the engagement through my presentation I think the Tokyu staff really appreciated my perspective which I am so happy about. Upon reflection, I’m very beyond grateful for this experience, one of my concerns going into the internship experience was not doing tasks which were in my field of study. However the website analysis is very much up my alley, as I got to incorporate some of my web design and digital marketing knowledge in my presentation, not only this but I have knowledge in fashion, clothing and cosmetics since I work within that area part-time at the moment and I also love doing makeup and playing with fashion as a hobby. Additionally, all the staff were so kind, polite and friendly making my first internship experience so memorable, when presenting I felt so heard like they actually appreciated what I had to say, which when giving presentations (in my experience) is very rare. Additionally, the staff even mentioned they liked and wanted to implement one of my suggestions in my presentation, (in my presentation for suggestions for improvement, I suggested adding icons under the price of food items in the food show, this way visitors with allergies like myself can easily understand what ingredients are in the item. Additionally, language barriers wouldn’t be an issue since if icons or pictures are used the all visitors from any country can understand) which I was so shocked and it made me feel so honoured how they truly wanted to hear our opinions, the attentive listening they displayed during the presentations was clear and just it was super nice to feel heard by not only the staff we were usually surrounded by but also the higher management which took time out of their busy schedule to listen to our presentations.

As apart of our study tour we have the fortunate opportunity to be assigned an internship with Tokyo City University partner companies. Getting an internship back at home can be very difficult, because of the high demand and limited technology companies within Perth so being able to gain experience not only in the corporate space but within Tokyo is something I never thought I would ever experience so I am very beyond grateful. Moving on, the first part of my internship placement was interning for Tokyu Department, going into this opportunity part of me was so excited to be able to experience and gain insight into corporate work-life but part of me was also very overwhelmed since this was my first internship opportunity so I had no idea what to expect going into this. However all the staff at the Tokyu Department team were all so welcoming and kind. On our first day, we got to learn more about the Tokyu brand, the different department stores and their target audience through the presentation Tokyu staff kindly delivered to us. In the afternoon we then did a walking tour of all the Tokyu department stores within the Shibuya area including the Wine by Tokyu, the Food show, Tokyu food show edge, Hikaries ShinQs Mall, Shibuya Scramble Square Mall +Q goods and +Q beauty floors, the dress table at Shibuya 109 and more. After this tour we made presentation materials for the 2 presentations we had to deliver on our second day. The first presentation delivered on the Tuesday was a website analysis presentation where we had to give feedback on how the website could better appeal to a western-foreigner audience. This was very enjoyable and interesting for myself as I study Bachelor of Computer Science Majoring in Software Engineering which has a focus on website development. Additionally, I have lots of work experience within the fashion-retail and beauty industry (I currently work at a clothing store within Perth: ValleyGirl and have worked within a beauty store before which specialized in Asian beauty products (Mainly Japanese, Korean and Chinese)) so in-terms of making the presentation it was super interesting and fun. However for my field of study presentations are usually delivered online through Panopto so presenting in-person for me is kind-off new. So I am very fortunate to of had the opportunity to enhance my presenting skills with such kind staff and environment. Also, for website analysis presentation I made Japanese translations available underneath the English text, tried to use more hand gestures, body language and facial expressions this way the staff who didn’t speak or understand English could read my presentation and my expressions and have a rough idea of what I was saying and expressing, which I think they super appreciated as they looked more engaged in what I was communicating because of this I continued with this for all my presentations at Tokyu and highly recommend others doing the same as they appreciate the effort and it shows a sign of respect.

On November 25^th after our daily 2 hour Japanese lesson we had a Kimono experience. When we were all informed about how the study tour had planned to include a Kimono experience I was so excited. I’ve always had an admiration and respect for Japanese culture from a young age, so I’ve always wanted to learn more, being able to experience time in a Kimono was such a hands-on experience which I don’t take for granted as a tourist to Japan. The kimonos were beautiful, as soon as we got into the fitting room the language barrier was a little difficult since I know very little Japanese and the lady fitting my Kimono knew very little English but despite this language barrier she was very kind and encouraging. During this experience each one of us girls were assigned a lady who works at the Kimono company and they would pick each layer of the Kimono; customizing the fit, colour-way and patterns for us. The Kimono was very tight but some of the TCU staff and students mentioned that it would be so fortunately I knew that going in. However, despite that the outfit was beautiful I really loved the colour-way and pattern of my Kimono and the lady who helped fit me into mine was so beyond kind insisting I took photos and was super sweet, I was also fortunate enough to have my hair done by the Kimono staff with lots of flower pins which were beautiful. Reflecting on it now, the Kimono fitting had a deeper impact on me than I expected. It wasn’t just about wearing traditional clothing; it made me more aware of the care, intention, and cultural meaning embedded in everyday practices in Japan. The attention to detail and the respect given to tradition reminded me how much history can live within something as simple as getting dressed. With this, I’m so beyond grateful to be-apart of this experience, being able to gain in-sight into Japanese traditions within Japan, after the fitting we had a meeting with the Kimono company staff and TCU which explained more of the context behind the Kimono and the significance behind it which was super intriguing to learn, I also spoke to one of the TCU students her name was Aiyka and she told me how she wears Kimonos all the time, every fortnight it’s a tradition her family so to able to hear these stories and to learn more about Japanese culture is such a blessing.

Our second museum visit was to the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation. Which I had been super excited to see. Before the museum visit I did research online through google reviews and social media and was immediately drawn to all the technology exhibitions and activities available. Especially the robots and the quantum computing exhibition because these areas closely related to my degree: Bachelor of Computer Science. This museum blew away my expectations, I was expecting maybe a single robot and a small section on quantum computing but instead there were many different technology-focused exhibits. There was multiple robots, one super memorable displays was the hyper-realistic baby, It was slightly unsettling because of how lifelike it appeared, but at the same time it was incredibly impressive and demonstrated how advanced robotics has become, there was also interactive animatronic dogs and sheep which reacted to touch and patting which was super impressive showing how technology can be used to simulate emotion and interaction. In addition to this there was 2 additional technology-focused exhibitions which focused on technology and the human experience. The first exhibition showcased the correlation and relationship between age with vision and hearing through video-games which was really cool because it made it easy to understand how ageing can affect everyday activities through a fun-immersive video game experience. Another exhibition showcased quantum computing which exhibition introduced visitors to the basics of quantum computing and explained how computers use logic and pattern recognition to solve problems. This helped reinforce concepts I had encountered in my studies in a more visual and hands-on way. Overall, this museum visit was fascinating, enjoyable, and directly relevant to my field. It not only strengthened my understanding of robotics and quantum computing but also showed how science museums can make complex concepts accessible to the public.

Our first museum visit during the Cultural Understanding Week (the first week) was visiting the Gotoh Museum. This particular museum visit really stood out and stuck with me because in Tokyo especially in Shibuya (where I’m staying) it’s easy to get hyper-focused on how technologically-advanced Tokyo is with the big-screen marketing, huge shopping malls and high-rise buildings. Travelling to the more quiet-side of Tokyo to learn more about traditional Japan was a nice change. The museum was genuinely so beautiful, the first gallery before you entered the main-exhibition of the gallery there was a huge Budha statue. Without knowing the context of the statue I was admiring and in awe of the statue but didn’t understand the significance as it was all in Japanese writing which I don’t unfortunately understand. Luckily Homma Sensei kindly explained the statue to myself and the other couple students around. He explained how the Budha had lots of arms which held multiple objects and weapons to protect the people. Homma Sensei also explained how the statue had a third-eye which could see your truth. Additionally, how the Budha had a scary-face but a very good heart. Once I knew the true story behind the statue I was so fascinated and interested in the statue, how this statue held such a deep and interesting story which I wouldn’t of understood without Homma Sensei’s explanation which I am beyond thankful for. The galleries was filled with pots, pans, water jugs, bowls and more all preserved from the 17^th century. The art on these pieces was so in-detail and very impressive. The fact that all these pieces were from the 17^th century so all the art was done by hand which would have taken so much time and precision to complete. It was just amazing to see how the Japanese took something (like a water jug) to tell a full story with art, there was drawings of Women in Kimonos, horses, pigs, cows and way more, telling a story that even a tourist myself could understand without knowing fluent Japanese. After the galleries, we were able to explore the garden which was filled with beautiful preserved architecture and nature (as seen within the photos 😊 ).