An internship guide to Japan- the country of hopes!

March 2, 2014February 6, 2016 Sarvesh

The “Land of the Rising Sun” is a country where the past meets the future. It is known all over the world for its electronic products. Japan is a land of corporate conglomerates such as Nikon, Sony, Hitachi, Suzuki, Mitsubishi etc. Japan has the highest number of science Nobel Laureates in Asia. Japan, in spite of being a small country and prone to many natural disasters, has made its presence felt across the globe. It is seen as a perfect combination of tradition and modernization. You will see skyscrapers everywhere, and then suddenly you will bump into a wooden entrance of an old monastery.

Get-in Requirements:

There are three ways to apply for Japan visa:

The visa applicant him/herself goes directly to the Japanese Embassy/Consulate General,
The visa applicant writes a Letter of Proxy and get a proxy to go to the Japanese Embassy/Consulate General in his/her place,
The visa applicant uses an accredited travel agent approved by the Japanese Embassy/Consulate General. It can take 5 days to a month to obtain a Visa.

The fee is 3000 Yen (~1820 Rs.) for a single entry. For more details, please visit this link.

Important Airports:

There are two airports which have major international connectivity in Japan, Narita airport (NRT) near Tokyo and Kansai airport (KIX) near Osaka.

Climate:

Japan has four seasons and the Japanese are very proud of it. The four seasons are spring, autumn, winter and summer. The best seasons to visit Japan are spring and autumn. It rains heavily in the months of June and July and then the temperature rises to an average of 35°C till August.

People:

Japanese people are known all over the world for their hard working nature and sincerity. They are very polite, humble and hospitable, and are known for their helping attitude. Nowadays, Japanese are learning English and have become quite fluent. But learning a little Japanese is never harm!

Food:

Japanese eat simple and traditional food. They eat Japanese rice or noodles and soup, along with seasonal vegetables.

I never really got the hang of eating sushi though – food is not meant to be eaten raw in my opinion! However I did start loving Japanese sweets or “wagashi”. Tokyo is not a cheap tourist destination by any means – except for the pre-made noodles you can buy in any corner shop. They even have “complete meal” versions of instant noodles!

says Ila Banerjee from NIT Durgapur who interned at the University of Tokyo in summer 2013. To read her full article, you can see this link.

For vegetarians, it a herculean task to survive in Japan. I survived only on bread, milk, rice and fruits. But the encouraging factor which made my internship so special is that the Japanese were very helpful. Even when they weren’t fluent in English, they went out of their ways to comfort me. I can assure you that internship in Japan will be a lifetime experience for you!

says Shashank Tiwari who interned at Sumitomo Metal Industries, Kashima Steel works, Japan in the summer 2012.

Things not to miss in Japan:

Visit Temples: Japan has beautiful and magnificent temples. You will be able to relate to Japanese culture and understand why Japanese love their tradition, once you visit the temples.
Ride the bullet train: You may never get a second chance to get into something as fast as 300Km/hr. The bullet train travels from Tokyo to Kyoto, a distance of 459km, in just 2 hours!
Early Sunrise: I would suggest you to see the sunrise in Japan every day. You will be the first in the world to see the Sun!
Sumo wrestling tournaments: The grand Sumo wrestling tournaments happen in the month of May. You may wish to see them. The general ticket for it costs around 20$ for an adult.
Shopping Japanese toys: Remember cartoon series of Shinchan. Japan is a children friendly country and you can buy colorful toys for your younger siblings!

Things to REMEMBER to do in Japan:

Bowing: Men bow with their hands on side and women with their hands together in front. It is considered as a way of showing respect and gratitude.
Shoes are considered to be dirty in Japan (as in India). Never step on a mat in Japan with the shoes on.
Never leave your chopsticks standing upright in a bowl. It is the way of offering rice to the death.
Prefer not to talk about World War II. It is a very touchy and complicated topic for the Japanese (not as much as for Germans though)

Japan has an unforgettable internship to offer to you with lot new things to learn from it. Have you interned in Japan ever? Do you have anything else to add in? Comment in your views and information about Japan and help other interns gain a better knowledge of this great country. And in case you are looking for an internship for yourself in Japan, find it here-http://internshala.com/internships/international-internship.

Credits – 1. Parts of the above article have been reproduced or rephrased from below websites :