In Summer 2016, the Center for Asian Studies established the Asia Internship Program – Japan, which creates official CU study abroad opportunities for undergraduate students to spend up to six weeks in Tokyo each summer working in Japanese business settings. Year two of the program was another success, with two students earning internship credit for experiences in Japan. The programs were completed in late July.
Sean Miller, a senior Japanese and Economics major, worked with the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Tokyo office, a Denver-based non-profit organization that helps American beef and pork producers market and sell their products overseas.
Matthew Scott, a junior in Operations Management with certificates in Global Business and Entrepreneurship, accepted an internship at Chiyoda Rubber Company, which is owned and managed by Kazunori Takato, a CU alumnus and Chairman of the Tokyo Chapter of the CU Alumni Association.
During their internships, Sean and Matthew lived in a dormitory with other international students as well as young Japanese employees of companies in Tokyo. They were fully immersed in the daily life of a Japanese company employee, including a commute by train, long hours in the office, and dining out with colleagues. Both students also had the opportunity to meet CU Chancellor Phil DiStefano during his trip to Tokyo in July
Past interns have expressed intent to return to Japan for future career opportunities and personal enrichment. When gauged by this measure, the 2017 program is another success, with Sean remarking that,
"…my level of confidence of working in Japan in the future has boosted by talking to my boss and coworkers about it. They shared their opinions on how I would do well here. . . . Becoming very familiarized in another culture is tough but because I am familiar with the Japanese culture, I have an advantage in the job market."
Other experiences that Sean reported on included participating in trade shows and other events:
"The first event I participated in was a cooking class using U.S. Meat. I wasn’t aware of this until later but the chef for this cooking class is a nationally known blogger who posts cooking recipes and videos. I was able to meet and talk to her during lunch while enjoying the delicious meal she prepared for us. A week later, my boss, Mr. Yamashoji, took me to the Mitsubishi Trade Show. That was one of the coolest experiences I’ve had because there were several local and out-of-country startup companies showcasing their products. On top of that there were several Mitsubishi booths showcasing new technology for packaging foods, cooking, etc. A week later Mr. Yamashoji set up an interview for me with a manager from Amazon for my research. The Amazon office was a treat to walk around in because the decorations were jungle themed and it was a pleasure to meet a manager of one of the largest online stores. On my final day of work at USMEF, the staff prepared a barbeque party for me; the meat was delicious, the air was filled with laughter, and it was definitely a night to remember. One more thing that surprised me was how easy it was to get close to everyone. Everyone was very friendly and I make this point so many times but speaking to them in Japanese has gotten me closer to them. I couldn’t have asked for a better boss and coworkers to work for."
Matthew had an opportunity to work for a few days at a mountain lodge run by Mr. Takato’s family in Nagano Prefecture, in addition to his work at the Chiyoda Rubber Company.
Of his work at Chiyoda, Matthew’s supervisor stated
"I believe that he was very serious about considering our business model, and tried everything he could in 6 weeks. The manufacturing cost calculation he made will give a great profit to our company. I assume that it must have been a difficult task for him to complete this in this short time. The questions he came upon both at the office and the factory were worth considering, some were our issues for past years. He pointed out things we had been taking as normal and gave us chances to reconsider our workflow."
CAS will run the Asia Internship Program – Japan again in summer 2018, and may also begin a new Asia Internship Program- China option in Shanghai as well. Please visit the program page on our website for updated information, which should be available by November. The deadline for 2018 internships will be in February.
Post written by Danielle Rocheleau Salaz, CAS Executive Director.