Embarking on my first internship experience ever, which is also happening in a foreign country was both thrilling and stressful. As a student from France, stepping into the work culture of Japan not only broadened my perspectives but also challenged me in ways I had never imagined. Working in a dynamic strategy consulting startup, I quickly realized that I would be navigating uncharted waters, both professionally and culturally. From day one, I was immersed in a whirlwind of activities that demanded versatility. My role in the back office required me to juggle a myriad of tasks— from administrative duties to promotional posts, recruiting skills or article writing and so on. Each day presents a new learning opportunity for me.

One of the most enriching aspects of my internship is the exposure to a new environment. Different from anything I have known so far, the work industry is teaching me patience, new skills and I am discovering more about the tasks I like and dislike. On top of my office work, I had to opportunity to start participating to events. Engaging with people from different backgrounds during events and meetings not only enhanced my interpersonal skills but also taught me the importance of cultural sensitivity in professional settings. I learned to communicate effectively across language barriers and learned to adapt my approach to suit different cultural norms as well as I learned more about business talks.

Throughout this internship, I am expected to report hourly on the work I am doing. At the end of each day, a daily report with the tasks accomplished, the progress made, the considerations etc. is expected which asks for a real discipline from me and an impeccable organization. This aspect of reporting my work hourly was a new challenge for me as I had never been faced to anything similar before. Culturally speaking, it was also an adaptation for me as this practise is proper to the Japanese work ethic and is very different from what is done in France.

Moreover, learning from mistakes became a cornerstone of my internship experience. In a startup, where resources are often limited, every decision carries weight. I embraced failures as opportunities for growth, understanding that resilience and adaptability are key to navigating the unpredictable terrain of entrepreneurship. Spending my first internship experience in a start up is a great opportunity for me and as my internship continues, I wish to develop even more skills and to learn more about the career I would like to pursue.

It is true that I have always been attracted to bigger cities. The idea of living in a dynamic, urban metropolis is a long-time goal of mine. Sadly the reality is far more cruel. With crowds and wide spaces often comes danger. Having visited Paris quite a few times, I felt this constant insecurity there and I could not help but associate this feeling with the general case of major cities. When I had the opportunity to move to Japan for studying, my first thought was to avoid Tokyo at all cost. As much as I wanted to go there, this fear of feeling oppressed and endangered seemed to be stronger than my long-time dream of experiencing capital cities. Cost wise as well, after discussing it with my parents, it seemed safer to start in a smaller city of Japan.

Due to the world pandemic, I was unable to flight to Japan for the full length of my study at Keio University. I did the full first semester from my room in France, on my computer, adapting to Japan’s standard time. This period was discouraging as I was finally studying at a prestigious Japanese university, but I was not able to physically put a foot in Japan. Thankfully, the situation improved a bit, and as soon as Japan announced the opening of its frontiers, I was at the Japanese Embassy in Paris, asking for a visa. In less than two weeks, everything was ready, and I was finally flying to the land of Mount Fuji. I was able to complete the final semester of my bachelor’s on the campuses of Keio University.

As I was spending my semester in Keio University and discovering the beauties of Japan, I was also applying to masters back in my home country. I wanted to specialize in International Trade while keeping my focus on languages. This is when I came across the master I am currently in. What attracted me -and fairly every other candidate who applied- was the fact that the second year of master’s had to be done entirely overseas. With Japanese being my main focus, my application for studying in Japan was top priority among every other masters. My first experience in Keio and in Tokyo had been so enriching that I had been looking forward to going back there as soon as I could. After going through the whole application process as well as the interviews with my school etc. everything was set and ready to be sent to Keio University and all I could do was to wait for their answer.

Having met lots of exchange students throughout my semester in Keio University, I often encountered the case of individuals being happy with their experience abroad but feeling homesick and wishing to go back home. A single semester or a school year is usually more than enough for most students and they are actually happy and should-I-say relieved to get back home after their time abroad. However, in my case, this has never been a sentiment I felt. The longer I stay, the happier I seem to become. This is the reason for which I believe Tokyo is the home I have been longing for. I often get asked about my family and whether it is hard to be separated and so far away for that long.. but the answer is no. As an adult, I am able to achieve the goals I have set for myself and regarding my family, we communicate daily and not being all-over each other constantly definitely brings people even closer.

So to answer the question of why Japan, and in my specific case : why Tokyo ? Simply because it felt just right. Tokyo has welcomed me like no other city has and it has helped me unknot links I had built in my mind for years about big cities and it is mostly allowing me to live this all-time dream of mine with all the safety I require to be appeased. Tokyo has been nothing but security. I have been able to reconcile with crowded places and to even find myself enjoying them more than quieter places at times. The feeling of safety that Tokyo procures is like no other. On top of the feeling of security, Tokyo has offered me freedom. It is a great city where to spend one’s youth. I have been able to make meaningful connections thanks to my studies at Keio University. Tokyo is a very dynamic city and it has something to offer to everyone. Whether one likes art, music, prefers urban places or quiet parks ; wants to pursue its passion or is simply trying to enjoy its time ; Tokyo makes everyone belong. Moreover, we cannot deny that Tokyo really is the prettiest city there is -definitely not a biased statement-.

Actually, I don’t think anyone knows that, mostly if Japanese is not a language one understands, but SASAL comes from the Japanese term “sasaeru” (支える), which means “to support.” As a strategy consultant, my primary goal is always to support and assist my clients the best way I can with each problem they may encounter, so I named my company SASAL.

SASAL, INC. pays attention to the clear cost. Consulting firms generally decide that the cost depends on the current corporation’s situation and client budget. That is not formal, and in the worst case, they show the proposal, but that is past or so different region’s past case. But they didn’t show this to the client. SASAL, INC pays attention to the clear cost system and value to the client. Hence, SASAL shows the cost on our webpage for contracting the same cost to each client. When SASAL proposes the new proposal as a corporation to the corporation, we also pay attention to the proposal. SASAL shows this proposal to the client on the webpage by templating ahead for the clear cost system. Thank you.

SASAL, INC would like to be a real strategy consulting company. SASAL doesn’t need capital like investment corporations because it wants to grow its client corporation through honest support. SASAL, INC is not an investment company; however, our minds come from an investment company. To respect the direction of each corporation, SASAL would like to provide a strong strategy product that depends on each corporation’s phase to maximize synergy. SASAL’s strategy product is calculated in each corporation’s phase; therefore, when you can pay the money for the particular product, your corporation becomes bigger. If you share the capital with the Found, sometimes you must change the corporation’s direction for capital reasons. Some investment companies do not have much knowledge, but they pretend to be professional compared with the invested company because they have the money as a corporation. In that case, if the invested corporation gets the money from the investment after that, they need to teach the investor that it is a waste of time. In addition, as a strategy firm, they really lack the knowledge when the corporation tries new business. In that case, even if the corporation gets the investment from the fund, the invested corporation cannot handle the money, which means the plan will break. In that case, the only thing left is a lack of trust; to escape that, SASAL would like to give the true knowledge, which means the knowledge of the” power to make money.” As a true strategy consulting firm, SASAL operates with the mind of an investment company.

Also, SASAL’s Value Chain comes from software corporations. After the CEO operated the corporation, SASAL made contracts with Google and Microsoft. Microsoft’s customer service is excellent; the client can work with Microsoft employees for only $100. For the client only paying $100/month, we are able to get 24×7 support, which is excellent. That is realized because the client is already paying for strong Microsoft products instead of the human resource fee like consulting. Therefore, by providing a strong product, SASAL, INC would like to operate a strategy consulting firm like a software corporation. I know there is a hierarchy in consulting firms or other corporations; however, essentially, all people are equal because the value of humans will change because of the demand following the place.

Unfortunately, the international presence of Asia is low. I wish to do business with Americans, so in the future, I would like to have more business relationships with Listing Corporations in the US (e.g., NYSE, Nasdaq). While operating my business, I figured that so many problems would last long until resolved. The main thing I realized was that each problem always comes from a human. Working with people from different backgrounds, cultures, and so on widened my perspective on my issues. It helped me find solutions in ways I would have never thought about if I had stayed focused solely on my ideas.

The event took place in a prestigious hotel in the district of Roppongi, in Tokyo. Several events were held on that same day, but I attended the one where we could go from booth to booth to discover the diverse start-ups. I had the opportunity to discuss with various start-up representatives who introduced me to their work and how they came to develop their ideas. The majority of the start-ups I encountered were focused on AI and on the use of new technologies such as robots, etc. Each start-up had approximately three representatives, and they were all available to answer our questions and to explain the functions and goals of their company.

As a first experience, I really enjoyed attending this event. By communicating with various people from different backgrounds with diversified ideas and ambitions, I was able to put my own goals and thoughts into perspective. During this event, I was able to meet new people who I would have never had the chance to interact with if it was not for attending this Start-Up World Cup event. These interactions allowed me to practice my Japanese speaking skills as well as to learn how people communicate in casual business settings. It was encouraging to see that despite the disparities, everyone seemed to have the same goal, which was simply to succeed in the work industry. I applaud the courage each person has to come forward in this competitive scene by spreading their concept and working their way up.