A Foreign Eye's Glimpse Into How Is It Like To Study, Work and Live In Japan.
Everyone here loves all things about Japan - culture, food, skincare, people, and the country itself. But we must have wondered how it is really like to study or work in this country - popular for its work environment that is fast-paced and stressful? There are some myths to the things you heard about working in a Japanese company - read all about a Singaporean’s perspective working in a Japanese firm here.
If you truly love Japan and have always considered to further your studies or expand your work opportunities in Japan, we broaden your understanding of Japan by diving deeper into a Sri Lankan's experience of studying and working in Japan for 8 years!
Drop us an inquiry in the mailbox below if you want to know more that is not covered here!
“Tell us more about yourself!”
My name is Kularatne Mahara Lekamlage Subash Nalaka. I am a Sri Lankan and a Singapore Permanent Resident.
I am 42 years old. I did not want to mention my age, but I thought my story could be interesting for those who thinks that age may be a hindrance. I want them to think otherwise.
Currently, I am managing my own company dealing with Precious and Semi precious Gem stones, diamonds and silver jewellery.
Photo by Roxanne Desgagnés on Unsplash
Photo by Sofia Monteiro on Unsplash
“Sri Lanka and Japan are very different in lots of aspects. I’m curious, what inspired you to study in Japan?”
Growing up in Sri Lanka, I always wanted to go out of the country and seek for better opportunities. To be honest, there was no particular reason for me to choose Japan. Initially I was thinking of UK or Australia. But during that period, there was a NHK drama by the name Oshin which I used to watch when I was little. It was quite an inspirational drama to me. Additionally, Japanese products in electrical, automobile, cameras and so on, were increasingly popular during that time in Sri Lanka.
I came from an average family in Sri Lanka. Cost had to be considered wisely when choosing a study destination. Availability of part-time jobs was also one of my top priorities. All these were why i chose Japan as my higher studies destination because that strong urge of pursuing better career opportunities has driven me more than any other reason.
Looking back, I am very happy with my decision.
“Why was the availability of part-time jobs one of your top priorities?”
Apart from financially wise, part-time jobs offer a great opportunity to learn the working culture of Japanese companies. Also, it helps you to practice your Japanese interpersonal skills and you get to know many Japanese friends.
Photo by Viktor Chenovsky on Flickr
When I was studying, I did many part time jobs. I have worked at factories, convenience stores, restaurants and MacDonald as well. Among all, the experience I received at MacDonald is the most significant. It led me to a permanent job opportunity through a Japanese friend who worked there. I was given the responsibility of being a member of the overseas operations unit. My team was in charge of setting up the Hong kong branch of that company. Therefore I had to travel to Hong kong frequently to meet many clients and stakeholders in Hong Kong.
In Japan, some companies prefer to hire new employees through peer introduction. Of course, this may vary depending on the industry. But for gem, jewellery and precious metals industry, it is more advantageous if you are recommended by peers who work in the company or similar industries.
Also, when my business was affected greatly during the COVID-19 period, I decided to join a semiconductor company. The experience I had working in similar facilities in Japan helped me to get this job easily.
“Which school were you from and why did you pick that school?”
My father had a friend who introduces students to study in Japanese Language Schools in Japan. Because of this friendship, my father recommended me to study at this particular language school in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture, about 2 hours drive to Tokyo.
The school was small with only about 150 students. I feel that a small school is better for foreigners as this means that the teacher have more attention to focus on each student.
I studied at the Japanese Language School for 1 and a half years. I graduated with a JLPT Level 3 and was honestly quite proud of my achievement. (For those who don’t know - JLPT stands for Japanese Language Proficiency Test, which is a standardised test across the world to evaluate and certify Japanese language proficiency for non-native speakers. N1 level is the highest one can achieve from this test, and N5 is the lowest.)
However, a JLPT N3 is not sufficient enough to enter into the Universities i have in mind. Therefore i decided to enrol into a Vocational School which had Japanese Language in their curriculum. The Japanese language course they had was an extensive one which helped me to achieve a JLPT N2 upon graduation.
Photo credits: Reitaku University from Wikipedia
I got into Reitaku University after graduating from the vocational school. It is not a very big university, but the courses and environment were ideal for a foreign student. I took the International Management Course with 55% of my subjects and modules conducted in English Language.
During the first year, it was compulsory for all foreign students to take up Japanese language module. That helped me to improve my Japanese language skills immensely. During the 3rd year studies, they have also specially designed curriculum to train you for your job hunting.
The total number of credits you have to complete before graduation was 124. I achieved 122 credits within my first 3 years of studies in Reitaku, and only need to complete a 2 credits module in my 4th year. This allowed me to focus on my job hunting in Japan.
“Tell us one memorable experience of studying in Japan!”
There were many memorable happenings during my time in Japan.
For instance, there was a Natto Sekai Taikai(Natto International Competition) held during my Japanese language studies in Mito.
Natto is a traditional Japanese dish made from fermented soybeans and characterised by a slimy, sticky and stringy texture. This is a traditional nutritious dish highly favoured by Japanese!
Photo Credits: Food Spark
Mito city is famous for Natto. The Mito Municipality organises an international competition for Natto Eating annually. The fastest eater will be picked as the winner.
During the first round, all competitors will eat Natto with Japanese rice. As we progress to intermediate rounds, things get tougher and we will have to eat a sack of traditional Natto (about 300 to 500 grams worth of Natto) at the final round.
So you can imagine - everybody would be stuffing their mouths with Natto, accompanied with loud cheers from the audience. But there I was enjoying the Natto and Japanese rice from the first round, savouring each bite slowly. Of course I was the last to finish. Everyone including the judges were having a good laugh.
“What is one of the biggest challenges you faced when you were studying in Japan?”
To be honest, I faced a few challenges when I just shifted to Japan, and I think this is what most foreign students will face as well.
For example one of the biggest challenges I faced was the differences in our languages and culture. Initially, it was quite difficult to converse with other people because you can’t express yourself well. Hence it is really important to brush up your Japanese language, at least in conversational wise, which was what i did. I also advise you to take up a part time job. It will give you insights of the working life in Japan and expose yourself to constant Japanese language conversations. A part time job actually helped me improve drastically in my Japanese language skills. But note that you should not overdo your part time job or depend on your part time job income to cover all your school fees and living expenses.
Another challenge I face was the extreme drop and rise in temperature during seasonal changes that weren’t this drastic in my hometown. In Mito city, winter can get as cold as -9 or -10 degree celsius, and temperature during summer can go as high 40 degree celsius.
“How did you manage to get scholarships for your 4 years in University?”
During my 4 years at Reitaku University, I attained 2 types of scholarships.
Scholarship offered to a foreign student with the best overall performance
This scholarship was only available for the first year students. And throughout the whole intake, only 1 foreign student is entitled to the scholarship - 50% rebate from the first year’s school fees. To attain this scholarship, you have to achieve the best academic result. Your attendance and overall discipline record in the school have to be exemplary as well.Local government scholarship
Every year, the local government offers scholarships to 3-5 foreign students with great performance. In my batch, there were about 40 foreign students. The scholarship will grant you ¥50,000 per month for 1 year. Therefore, in one year you will get ¥600,000.
So, during my first year studies, I managed to get the 1st scholarship and for the remaining 3 years of my University studies, I was being funded by the 2nd scholarship.
With this two scholarships, I only had to pay a very minimal amount for my school feels. Hence I could save a lot on expenses and have more time to focus on my studies.
“Overall, do you recommend foreigners to study in Japan? If you do, what is/are the biggest reason(s) why you recommend?”
Tokyo International University
I do recommend foreigners to study in Japan.
Japan is regarded as the most advanced country in Asia.
It is a very safe place to live in, just like Singapore, and a beautiful and extremely clean country.
Japan also has many Universities that are ranked top 100 in the world university rankings.
Also, you may not know but the schools fees of Japanese educational institutions are quite low compared to other western study destinations. For example, a 4 years estimated cost of school fees and living cost in Japan is SGD 91,000 but in USA and Australia, it is SGD 395,000 and SGD 259,000 respectively.
The educational institutions in Japan also offer generous scholarships to foreign students, as you can see from my case.
But most importantly, there are increasing amount of opportunities after you complete your studies because of the changes in Japan’s immigration policy. Many big corporations are tapping onto foreign graduates from Japanese Universities.
Because of these reasons, I highly recommend you to consider Japan as your study destination.
“What is one advice you would like to offer to students who are going to study in Japan?”
If I could do this, you can do even better.
Learn some basic conversational skills before you leave for Japan. Have a sound financial backing. Always seek for opportunities and challenges once you are there. After all, it is your life and only you can make it fulfilling!
STUDY IN JAPAN
If you want to know more in-depth information about studying or working in Japan, feel free to contact the Study in Japan SG team.
Founded in early 2019, they specialises in dealing with educational consultancy advices for Singaporeans who are interested to further their studies in Japan! In just a span of 1 year, they have hosted more than 5 educational seminars in Sofitel Singapore City Centre and have helped more than 300 students to date. The team have also successfully sent 2 students for their University Studies in Japan. Don’t be shy to approach these friendly people!
Alternatively, you can drop your question below and we will get back to you soonest.
