Nagoya, Japan: Week 6 (July 9-July 16)

This week, I started my two-week internship at Maruhachi Tent, a Japanese company in the town Sakae that designs and manufactures various kinds of large tents, from restaurant awnings to lampshades. The internship schedule is very packed. Every day, we learn a variety of business-related things, from tent inspections to exchanging business cards to marketing strategies. Japanese business manner customs are very strict, so things like business card exchanges have very specific etiquette that must be followed. For instance, the card you want to give the client must be held with your right hand, and the words need to be facing the client. We also gave a lecture about Japanese work culture to over a hundred college students at the Nagoya University of Economics in Inuyama. Learning marketing strategies and other business things in Japanese is challenging, as there are many words I have not learned in my classes. However, the employees teaching as are very patient and encouraging. This weekend, I went to Studio Ghibli Park with my friends. We had to buy the tickets a month in advance, but it was well worth it. In the park, I was able to recognize many of my favorite scenes from the movies Spirited Away, My Neighborhood Totoro, and Howl’s Moving Castle.