The Japanese are interesting people. They are not easily pleased but they love to do the same over and over. For example, every city has their own fireworks day, a tradition that is carried out all summer long. It is very popular to go to other cities to see fireworks shows, watching the same thing over and over. But I have to admit, these fireworks are the best that Ive ever seen. We were invited to a party in Yokohama, city which has probably the most beautiful bay in the world. Then at night, the fireworks are launched from a ship out in the water and the colors from the sky and reflected off of the water illuminate the whole shore line.

Talking about the summer, one of my coworkers, Sugimura, has been a professional surfer for over 10 years. I had the honor to hit the beach with him. The tradition of many people in a small space carries even out to the shores. But I have to say, I was still surprised with the amount of surfers in the water. The waves are really crowded. I can’t believe I  used to complain about other surfers being too close in San Diego after seeing this!

I guess every place, even a crowded beach,  has its positive points though. For example in Japan it’s okay to have a drink at the beach, there are no open container laws. However, if you want to surf it’s an unwritten rule that you better not. Water safety is pretty important to surfers here, and as the beach is very rocky, they are pretty careful.

Video- Click On the Picture to Watch!

Our group from Intrax has had some other fun nights here in Japan. A couple of nights, all of the interns went to Roppongi. This place is famous for the bars, restaurants, clubs, etc. We went to a Mexican Restaurant which was a pretty unique experience. I would say that the Japanese have a very ”unique” concept of the Mexican food as it is not spicy.

click on the next pic to see a real karaoke

A typical work day for me starts by arriving early (which I’ve learned means you’re on time in Japan). I sit down at my place and start gathering data and playing with numbers here and there. These numbers are a big deal for me as they represent the industry. Its been quite an experience listening everyday to marketing research and marketing strategy conversations. I’ve been able to ask so many questions and have learned so much since the start of my internship.

I remember the first day I was here I asked, “so, what is marketing research?”

Today, after these weeks, my boss says that I know something about MR. I believe that I have a pretty firm grasp on what marketing research is and what its industry is about. I have always been busy at work, and I know what it means now when you can’t finish all of your work in one day. There’s always something to do. But it really feels good to go do work that you’re excited about.

Below are some pictures of my office and my commute to work, as well as a video. Hope you enjoy, and keep posted!

Watch my way to work-

So I get on the Train to the Kanda Station which can be accessed from the Ginza Line or the Yamanote Line.

1. 

   The Stairs to Success

The fish market here in Tokyo is the biggest in the world. Here, they sell Tuna how most meat markets sell beef-you can order the part of the Tuna you want and they will cut it for you. Of course every part has a different price just as  like beef. So picture thousands of frozen Tuna fish being carried into the Market. People fighting everywhere  for the freshest and biggest and best cuts.

They also have thousands of different fish and seafood. All the fish and seafood that you can think of is here. It is a far cry from Red Lobster!

I thought I knew something about fish before coming here…

I thought I knew something about fish before coming here…but those huge white bulges are Tuna! If you are ever in Japan, this is a place to visit for sure.

The group from Intrax also visited the Osaka Castle. This place has a very special significance to Japan’s economy. The Japanese don’t want to admit it, but Osaka is still the economic capital of Japan in an indirect way. This means that currently, all the businesses might be located in Tokyo, but the biggest ones originated in Osaka and therefore owe respect to this castle. We had a guided tour around the castle and as we listened to the story we saw the historical walls and fortification, notorious for being impenetrable. The white house would be surprised with the amount of security that this castle had hundreds of years ago.  As this was the site where the treasury was housed.This bridge like looking thing is in fact a wall that is 23 feet thick.

The Osaka Castle was built by the most wealthy Japanese family before the Meiji period. It controlled trade between Tokyo, Korea, and the rest of Asia. It was conquered by the Tokugawa Family just before Japan opened its ports to the West.

In General, Osaka is different  from the rest of Japan. People are business oriented here, though you can’t tell by their actions are very opposite than most places considered economic centers. For example, I was surprised to see them barter and haggle prices even in formal stores. Or, for example, in brand stores one can observe lines of old ladies waiting to talk to the manager to get a discout! Smart ladies!!!!

Something that will always stick with me is walking through these magic places like Osaka Castle, where one travels back to the old times when the shogun and the geishas lived in Kyoto.  Then, all of a sudden, one returns to the big city and realizes that all those times are now just in the text books. But the legacy is still very strong, even in modern Tokyo.

Im writing all this in my blog just to say that just as those guys kept their castle and their traditions one needs to keep his own identity wherever he goes. Although there is always room for improvement. So Who are you?

We are the modern kind of what the samurai used to be: A warrior.  Now there is the economic and business wars. However different, I think that the basics of the samurai apply to one’s job. Discipline, Respect, Dedication.

Keep Posted!

Welcome to Kyoto. The Intrax Inter Abroad team had a guide that explained many things about this city. For example how it has evolved. Some amazing things happened here through history. This is a magic town with a heritage that reaches back more than a thousand years. Kyoto was the capital of Japan at that time,  until about 300 years when the capital was moved to Tokyo.

Kyoto definitely has that uniqueness that one looks for in a place like Japan.Places like this are what create the image of Japan for the world.

These are all pictures of the trip. The castle on top is called the “golden pavilion” and it is a symbol for those who start something related with money, for example new employment. Appropriate for our group! The symbol comes from the fact that the castle is made out of gold. The rest of the pictures are from the visit to Komatsu. a large machinery company known worldwide. Their factory is in Osaka. I’m sure everybody has seen one of these huge machines on the side of the road.

We also went to Rohto Seiyaku which are the owners of the brand Oxxi, and then we visited the kansai airport. In Kyoto we also visited Shimadzu seiyaku, the place where a Nobel Price awarded to a Japanese was given last year. There was a lot to take in and it was an overall excellent trip.

Tokyo is the capital of Japan and it is a very busy city. There are people on the street day and night.  Tokyo`s main function is to connect Japan within itself and with other countries. This economic capital is a very modern city with all kinds of activities. It has one of the lowest criminal indexes around the world, if not the lowest. It is amazing how people stay up, walking in the streets late at night, and never really worry about their security.

In another topic, it is quite a small city in area for its entire people. It has become a very condensed place where everything has to be small; small offices, small apartments, small cars, etc. However small, Japanese goods have that quality touch that makes one forget about the size and rather,  to appreciate its quality. For example, when one goes shopping the groceries, the stores are incredibly variable.

 Speaking of shopping, Tokyo has a world renowned fashion capital called Shinjuku. It is one of the oldest fashion districts in the world. Japan has one of the biggest traditions for brand purchasing around the world. One can find any store available in the US and in Europe. It is a great place to go crazy and shop.  My theory, shopping makes people forget how crowded Tokyo is.

 Miso soup normally has tofu, alge, and onion. Sometimes it comes with fish, mushrooms, etc.

Their traditional foods are tied very closely to the ocean. Almost everbody eats seafood daily. But although Japan is distinctly a part of Asia,  they also have adopted Western (European) habits. For example, instead of the miso soup and rice, many modern Japanese are eating a slice of bread with some butter just as we do. In fact, the bread section looks pretty American at the market:

Also, Tokyo has adopted the habit of drinking coffee. However, their taste for coffee is a little different than ours. Most of the time it is served black. I have to say, that for the first time I’ve missed my grandma’s coffee with a lot of milk!

Some of the most common coffee shops are Doutor, Veloce, and Starbucks.

As I explained in the first blog, the level of recycling and attention to detail in coffee shops is amazing, and they don’t waste anything. Japanese people really love coffee breaks. In my office we have one every 5 minutes, not that I’m complaining!

        When it comes to lunch, the staff at my office loves ramen. This is the original version of a noodle cup such as maruchan, etc. It is a big bowl filled with pasta and flavored by a broth-based, spiced soup. On top it is covered with vegetables and meat, or one can create a new combination, although it is very common that a restaurant becomes famous for one flavor in particular. 

            I have to say that lunch time is my favorite time at the office. My coworkers always go out together for lunch and they know what good food tastes like. I will miss them and our lunch times when I leave Tokyo.

 This is moyashi(bean sprout) flavor ramen. My favorite!

Another very typical lunch is obento. This literally mean “lunch box,” and it looks like this:

Breakfast and lunch are good but Dinner time in Japan is the real deal.

Crowded Morning Train in Tokyo

               This week,  I started work at my internship with the Japanese Marketing Research Association. I can’t explain how my life changed after the first day in my office. It was one of those days that made me realize that there are many  more opportunities in life yet to come. After taking all of those Japanese classes and  sitting in the classroom for years, I was finally in the real world using my business and language skills. Even though I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do,  I was ready to do something and this is it. 

             Though I love my work, I have to tell you that it is quite an odyssey getting to the office. I have to get from Keisei-Koiwa onto Keisei-sen, then from here, change trains in Nippori onto Yamanote-sen the busiest line in all Tokyo. From there, I go towards Tokyo/Shinagawa station for about 5 stations all the way to Kanda. What a trip!

           Starting in the office was very interesting for me and the other employees, as internships aren’t very common in Japan, let alone an international iternship.  They didn’t know what to expect from me and I didn’t know what to expect from them. It was then that I just decided to get my self busy and jump in. I saw a couple of activities that I could give them a hand with and they smiled at me. After that, they considered me as part of their team. I am now included in all the office activities, including meetings, parties, tasks, etc.

                 In the first week at my office, my coworkers took me out to a Japanese restaurant and showed me the old traditions of Japan. We had a couple of drinks in one of the best restaurants in Kanda. It is very important in Japanese business culture to socialize with each other. I have to say that I am very excited about the industry and the people that I’m meeting. Best of all, to have them invite me out for a drink!

            Something that was very challenging for me at first was answering the phone. There is a girl in my office that lived in New York for a couple of years and she likes to challenge me. So it was her idea that I should answer the phone. Though it may seem simple, answering the phone is a pretty difficult task at first, as you have to understand someone speak without the context of body or physical expressions. The first time I did it the client in the other end of the line got mad at me and I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to find the nearest emergency exit and just run away. However, by the third call I felt confident about it and today I can say that I am very close to mastering the art of answering the phone for my Japanese company.

            The company I am interning with  is an association that controls the conduct of all the marketing research companies in Japan. For this they have seminars and other kinds of trainings. I felt really challenged when my boss asked me to get into one of the seminars and be part of it. All I had in my mind was to be positive, but I was very nervous. I guess I “just did it.”In the power point presentation a big title saying TOKEIGAKU and I was surprised to find out that I was in a STATISTICS training. It reminded me of facing off in front of all my Japanese and math professors from my many years of school, all at the same time.

Me at the Office

     That’s it for my office adventures this week. Keep posted forthe next blog and thanks for reading!

Japanese Class First Week

              During my first week in Japan, the adaptation to the environment and specifically to the life style of Tokyo was quite interesting and challenging. It’s the small things like the vending machines and trash cans that are just so different (Pictured below).

            I was pleasantly surprised at how well prepared all the Intrax activities were here in Tokyo.  The  support that the staff gave us was awesome.  We had training lectures for the first 7 days about the current Japanese economy and the vision of the business leaders. They were excellent, and were really helpful before starting our internships. We also had a Japanese language class in this first week. It was one of the best that I’ve ever taken. It specifically teaches the Japanese language that one needs to break into the working world.

                            Also, I realized that it is very different to go to a place as a tourist than as an employee or a businessman. For this purpose this orientation week was excellent. After a week I was able to compare myself with other foreigners in Japan and see how well I was doing thanks to this week.

          Of course we had some fun too. After the lectures were over we went to the more lively areas of Tokyo such as Shibuya, Shinjuku, Harajuku, etc. We experienced the traditional Japanese Karaoke and had a blast. And, there is no other place in the world better than Japan for eating sushi.

Intrax Interns Eating Sushi in Tokyo

Participating in this internship means to experience the international business world and labor force which in today’s terms is priceless. By attending this program my career as well as my personal experience will be highly empowered. Of course it is not the same to have an internship at the local firm than having an internship in the world’s second highest economic business capitol. Those who understand Japanese culture will immediately realize that very little information is available for internships and this is because in Japan there is no such program as an internship yet. With this internship program, Intrax is leading a whole new philosophy in Japan which I expect to be part of.

Since becoming competitive in a global atmosphere is critical for success today, I expect that my professional skills will be developed to their maximum. This mentored multi-cultural experience will strengthen me not only by the interaction with Japanese businesspeople, but also with the increased knowledge attained by receiving advice of experts and their shared experience available thanks to Intrax. 

An internship abroad is the only way to develop critical thinking skills such as culture adaptation, understanding and tolerance to different ways of thinking. My time in Japan will really open my mind to a new perspective in life.  I will not only be working but also be making friends and having a completely awesome time. This program will certainly encourage me to become more adventurous than I would have ever been. It will be a real experience of work in Tokyo. 

I really appreciate the support that I will receive by the Intrax team while in Japan. It will be such a wonderful experience to be remembered for the rest of my life.