The second global relay essay is Ms. W.W from China!
She talked about her fulfilling life in Japan.
Interviewer：Please introduce yourself.
My name is W.W and I am from China. I have spent my “OTAKU” youth reading Japanese comics and watching Japanese animations such as “Dragon Ball”, “Doraemon”, “Ranma 1/2” and “Yuyu Hakusho”. I have also been a fan of voice actors in animations since I was in elementary school. As I like the Japanese language very much, I decided to attend pharmacy school with Japanese language courses. I have been studying the Japanese language for over 10 years now.
I joined intellim and came to Japan in November 2019. Since I didn’t have any experience studying in Japan as an exchange student, nor staying in Japan for a long period of time before, my knowledge of Japan was almost entirely from my Japanese teachers, TV programs, cartoons, animations, and friends who visited Japan. I thought working in Japan will be a very “WAKUWAKU SURU” experience, such like what my favorite cartoon character in my childhood said.
I am now a member of the Global Development Department team at intellim. With my 4 years working experience as a DM expert, I mainly work on DM, but also support and plan new overseas projects.
Interviewer： Were there any problems when you started to live in Japan?
I think it is very difficult to find places where free wi-fi is available in Japan.
For foreign people who live in Japan for the first time, it is very difficult to understand complicated procedures of renting an apartment, submitting a moving-in notification at a ward office, opening a bank account, purchase a mobile phone, etc. The easiest way for foreign people to understand these procedures is via the internet, or at a convenience store where wi-fi is available.
I once wandered in my neighborhood in the rain for a long time to find a place where I could access free wi-fi. I almost cried with joy when I finally found a Seven/Eleven convenience store.
I also had some difficulties learning the 3 different Japanese languages – polite language, honorific language, and modest language, when I speak to clients.
Interviewer：Please tell us about differences of Health Care System between China and Japan.
In Shanghai, you see a lot of people queueing in front of big hospitals for health examination in the early morning. 1 hour waiting time to receive medical examination is pretty common. We can now make reservations through smartphone applications and the waiting time has shortened substantially nowadays, but it still takes time.
I once had a health examination at a clinic in Japan and I only waited for about 15 minutes. I thought it was very convenient.
Interviewer：How about intellim？
Prior to joining intellim, I had worked at a few different companies. I think our attendance system is more flexible than the one of my previous companies. Also, I have a great time working with my colleagues at intellim. There is a typical impression of Japanese workers who often work overtime and sacrifice their family life, but I don’t think our company has this kind of old-fashioned working environment. We are actively hiring foreign people and many employees speak English as an internal office language. I have the opportunity to work with not only Japanese but also many people from different countries.
Interviewer：Please tell us your recent goal.
I would like to take my family to overseas trips.
Interviewer：Message to people who want to work in Japan
When I first started living in Japan, I made a lot of mistakes due to my lack of understanding of Japanese norms and customs. There were a lot of things which were very hard for me to understand, even though they seemed obvious to Japanese people.
The worst mistake I made was my monthly train pass. Since we don’t have anything like a monthly pass in China, I thought the company would provide me the pass once I joined intelilm. I waited for a few months wondering when I could get it, then I was informed that I had to purchase it by myself.
Even after I got my Suica card as a monthly pass, I misunderstood how to use it. I thought the Suica card could only be used for commuting between my place and office on business days, so I bought another Suica card for private use. Can you imagine how shocked I was when I found out otherwise? I would never forget about this until I die.
The longer you live in Japan, the more you realize the convenience and livability of Japan. For example, in a supermarket, you can find a lot of exquisite, easy-to use products that are made in Japan. I just love to browse all those wonderful products at supermarkets.
I would really like everyone to come to Japan and experience the convenience themselves!
