Rachel Osaki

Could you describe your role and responsibilities during your internship at the Yamagata Tourism Bureau?

The company I interned for in Yamagata is an entrepreneurial start-up and I was their first-ever intern. Because of this, I worked on a variety of projects daily and assisted anyone who needed an extra hand on their assignments. For half of my internship, I was responsible for filming and writing content for their social media platforms. The other half of my time was spent translating tour schedules and guides from Japanese into English, as well as quality control and editing of English documents that were translated by others.

What were a few of the highlights from your internship experience?

Most of the highlights from my internship were during the times I filmed and journaled for their social media. I was able to shadow on custom excursions and immerse myself in the tour experiences in order to document it properly. Although I was doing my job, it felt like I was a traveler touring Yamagata Prefecture! Some of the most unique experiences included filming the delicate process of removing the poison from puffer fish sashimi, walking in the parade at the famous Hanagasa Matsuri, and learning to make soba from scratch with a master chef from a famous local restaurant.

What was the most challenging aspect of your internship, and how did you overcome it?

Probably the most challenging aspect of my internship was learning the workplace culture and customs, as well as the Japanese company software. The way they do things in the workplace, especially in Japan, is very particular. In Japanese business etiquette there is a term called “kuuki yomu”, which means to “read the air” or understand the unspoken messages. This involves non-verbal cues, subtle gestures or even simple nods and eye contact. I also learned to use the appropriate honorific language, known as “keigo”, when respecting and addressing my colleagues in the office.

Using the company software and editing web pages was also very new to me and especially difficult with much of it being in Japanese. However, I was able to overcome these challenges by carefully observing and following my co-workers, not being afraid to ask questions about what I should do, taking critical feedback positively, and always maintaining a positive attitude!

In what ways did the internship contribute to your personal and professional growth?

The internship was an amazing experience and contributed to my personal and professional growth in many ways. This was my first-ever internship, so I had a lot to learn about what it means to understand your position and role in an organization and how to best contribute to the company’s success. My professional skills developed significantly as I navigated through my interactions with clients, peers and superiors. I learned how to use different communications platforms and created various forms of content, which will be very beneficial in my professional Life.

It also contributed to my personal growth by teaching me how to live on my own in a foreign country. I learned useful personal skills like how to travel around a foreign country alone, use the local public transportation, banking and shopping. I had a lot of personal growth in my independence, which was a bonus to my experience that I didn’t think about before. As someone currently studying Japanese, it was also an amazing way to be immersed in the language and be forced to use it every day. This constant practice really helped improve my Japanese listening and conversational skills.