Internship semester at Northstar Outdoor Adventures in Nagano, Japan

Sabrina Jacksteit

Konichiwa!

I am happy to share some of the experiences I’ve made before and during my practical semester in Japan.

Country, culture and language:

Do you like the challenge yourself and to experience cultural gaps?

Do you enjoy total confusion and daily adventures?

Would you like to spend one semester in one of the most interesting and most beautiful countries of the world?

Well, I surely wanted all of this and that’s why I chose Japan when I planned my semester abroad. The time I’ve spent here so far has been awesome. This country fascinates and puzzles me at the same time.

How do you imagine Japan to be like?

Do you think of a modern industrial nation, where trains are punctual on the second and where you can see high tech toys and cell phones each time you turn around? Or do you imagine a highly traditional society – people in Kimonos bowing at each other and having tea ceremonies?

Let me tell you, Japan is a little bit of both and much more. I experience a pleasant mixture of old and new, tradition and modernity harmoniously combined. I came here with the attempt to understand the Japanese culture, but after 3 months in a Japanese company I have to admit to myself that this is a lifelong task. In order to be able to grasp only a tiny part of it you have to be able to speak Japanese. I’ve made the experience that most Japanese are not comfortable with speaking English and many don’t know English at all. Therefore I would advise you to study the language before visiting this country. The knowledge of some key phrases is essential and will be greatly appreciated by the Japanese.

Finances and organization:

Even after a couple of years of deflation Japan is still one of the most expensive, if not the most expensive, country of the world. Especially in big cities like Tokyo or Nagoya the living expenses are outrageous.

I got the honor to be sponsored by the InWent gGmbH (former CDG e.V.). The scholarship paid for my flights and most of my living expenses, as well as an intensive language course and cultural preparation seminars. Moreover they help you finding an internship company if you cannot find one on your own. I recommend asking the international office of the RheinAhrCampus for further information. The Team Sprachen / Internationales helped me a lot finding the scholarship program that suited my needs and gave me precious pieces of advise concerning the application process.

Internship and adoption:

To find my Japanese internship company, Northstar Outdoor Adventures, I used connections of my former German internship firm. That is most likely an option that all of you have.

Northstar is nestled in the midst of the Northern Japan Alps, an area that has been referred to as the “Outdoor Sports Mecca” and that is known as a popular tourism region. Therefore it focuses on the sports tourism market. The company runs a big guest lodge, which serves as a base for a variety of professionally guided outdoor sports programs and sports camps. I work in the public relations department and also help with the program management. My tasks vary from working on the international websites and creating promotion material to organizing the sports program for the guests. In spite of communication difficulties and cultural clashes, which naturally occur, I get along very well with my work colleagues who are very nice and patient. I enjoy the harmonic work atmosphere and the Japanese way of teamwork. It didn’t take long to adapt to new surroundings and even making new friends wasn’t as difficult as I expected. Each day I meet interesting people from all over Japan and my desire to get to know them and to learn something new from them gives me the power to excel.

I love the daily challenges that I am facing and am looking forward to the rest of my stay. I am sure that I’ll always remember my internship here as a very special and precious time of my life. That’s why I strongly advise all of you to spend the practical semester abroad. Try to separate yourself from the crowd and aim for an unusual destination. You won’t regret it - it’s amazing!