Interview with IDYL intern Yodai Tanaka:

How was your time interning at Sojitz?

Although this internship is really different from what I wanted, I still learned about how to write summaries. I think that my English has improved professionally. When I first started, it would take me around a week to write a summary but now it only takes me around a day to complete it. I was also given the chance to do my own research which was nice.

What activities did you do that aligned with your passions?

I am interested in the topic of human rights, but that’s a topic that isn’t related to what I was doing for my internship, so I often went to events outside of work. If there was a think tank discussion on something related to my interests, then I would do my best to attend them align with other events around DC.

What was the most difficult part of your internship

For me, writing summaries was something that was especially difficult for me because for the language barrier and simply lack of knowledge on some of the topics. I overcame these challenges by rewatching the streams of the think tank events so that I could go back and listen more carefully and write down points that I had missed. I am now able to turn in reports faster than when I first started so I think there has been improvement.

What kinds of cultural activities did you do?

I volunteered at Shinshun Matsuri in DC. I have 10 years of experience with calligraphy so that was one of the things that I did to show Japanese culture and also put my skill to use. I also met with Korean students in Asan Academy who are basically doing the same things that I am, but they aren’t part of a government program. I wanted to make a connection with them since there is an emphasis on relations between US-Japan-Korea.

What will be your fondest memory of DC?

This was in Maryland, not DC but close enough, but I went with my roommate to a football game. I went to Ohio State University and that’s where I gained in interest in football and would often watch their games. Ohio State University’s team came to play against University of Maryland which is the University that my friend attends so we went to watch it together. It was a close game and really fun to watch so I really enjoyed it. I also really enjoyed experiencing Thanksgiving. I went to my friend’s house and it was really nice being able to spend the holiday with their family. I got to do the wishbone tradition and it was a lot of fun.

What things should other interns expect to encounter in the US?

There’s lots of things to be aware of when talking to people such as tone and body language. When introducing yourself and meeting people, you will have to shake hands. It is also important to maintain good eye contact. There is also a difference in what is considered taboo to talk about in the US vs in Japan.
What advice would you give to incoming IDYL interns?

People in DC are very open so if you are interning here then definitely have informational interviews. People are are more likely to communicate with you and are open to let people know what they are doing. It’s something that I think is very different from Japan and even other parts of the US.

Since there is a difference in taboo topics in the US, I think Japanese people need to be aware of this and careful so that they don’t cross any lines or accidentally come off as rude. Be careful of being too straightforward.