Pint of Sake

Leaving Japan

I am writing this final entry as my time in Japan draws to an end. Almost a year has passed and my traineeship at NTT DATA Corporation is complete. As I make my final preparations for my imminent departure I feel now is a good moment to consider the events of the last year.

Reflecting upon the year, I can truly say that I have fulfilled all of my initial aims and objectives established before coming to Japan. In summary, my foremost aim whilst participating in the EU training programme known as Vulcanus in Japan was to enhance my future career prospects and gain international work experience. I am delighted to reveal that I achieved this and far more beyond.

Working at NTT DATA has played a pivotal role in achieving the aforementioned aim. However, there are several other aspects of the programme and my year in Japan that I must attribute to this accomplishment. Firstly, the language course proved to be a vital component of the programme and without doubt allowed me to interact better with my colleagues and surroundings in general. Even though I was not able to advance much beyond a beginners’ level in Japanese I feel that knowing and understanding even that small amount provided a great insight into the culture and society. Moreover, it allowed me to interact with Japanese natives in a way that just under a year ago would have been impossible.

In addition to the above, I feel that simply having the opportunity to reside in the country for a year has been an invaluable experience in itself. Adapting to different systems and understanding how things are done in such a unique country has been an enlightening journey. The confidence that comes from living independently in a foreign country is something that I feel enriches all aspects of everyday life. Being able to befriend and engage in conversations with natives whose command of English is equal to mine of Japanese is truly something to behold. However, there were of course times when I was acutely aware of the language barriers that exist when attempting to conduct discussions in a multi-cultural situation. These times though proved to be great lessons in the art of communications and gave meaning to the old adage that a picture can say a 1000 words.

Aside from the life experiences that were gained, I feel that I was able to acquire a great deal of professional skills. My time at NTT DATA put me at the forefront of an industry that I have been involved in through study and work throughout the last 10 years. The traineeship proved to be highly engaging and provided a significant challenge. I feel that I have come away from this year with a varied collection of technical skills especially those relating to complex event processing, that I am sure will be of great use in my future career. Furthermore, the traineeship enabled me to develop a wide variety of soft skills ranging from conducting presentations to meeting etiquette and networking as well as team working and collaboration.

On the whole, I am optimistic that the Vulcanus in Japan programme will have a far reaching influence on my career and I am certain that I have only scratched the surface with my comments above.

At this time, it is with much sadness that I bid farewell to Japan, the land of the rising sun, and return to the UK. With me though, I will maintain a treasure trove of memories, a warm circle of friends, and a contented mind full of remarkable experiences. Together, these fragments of my time in Japan will always paint me a vivid picture of this truly unforgettable year.

Below, I share some of my favourite images from my time in Japan and hope that they inspire others to follow the Vulcanus in Japan path.

Japan Life

Recently, I have become acutely aware of how at ease I feel in Japan. On busy trains, heaving escalators or just standing at traffic lights, my state of mind in Japan now permits me to think beyond my current situation, or simply put, to daydream. I feel this is a likely sign that I have now become quite accustomed to life in Japan.

It is at these times that I often seek to recall what brought me here to Japan. However, soon enough my memory is jogged and it all comes flooding back to me. My purpose of being here in this unique country is to participate in an EU training programme known as Vulcanus in Japan. It was around the summer of last year that I began the process, starting with weeks of preparation followed by the months of anguish waiting to see if my application had been accepted.

I doubt I will ever forget the feeling that I had when I opened that highly anticipated email confirming that I had been accepted onto one of the 29 highly contested places of the prestigious programme. The programme, which annually courts applications from over 900 university students based within the European Union, had together with my selected host company, a global Japanese corporation, selected my application!

So now I think that it is about time to talk about my experience of the programme and in particular the industrial placement undertaken at NTT DATA Corporation based in Tokyo.

Firstly, I should mention why I applied to the Vulcanus in Japan programme and why I selected to undertake my industrial placement at NTT DATA. At the outset, one of the most important requirements of the Vulcanus in Japan programme was that the applicant should be an EU-based university student studying a degree related to science or engineering. I was following a masters’ degree programme in software engineering at Bournemouth University so was well suited to the programme on offer as well as being instantly drawn to the opportunity to advance my career prospects. The chance to work abroad in an industry related to my studies really appealed and upon further investigation I was amazed by the number of high calibre host companies involved. Subsequently, I began reviewing the traineeships on offer from each of the host companies. In order to narrow down those most suited to me I spent some time researching the traineeship themes on offer. My background is in web development and more recently software engineering so I was keen to find a placement that would allow me to utilise existing skills as well as develop new competencies within an interesting area. I finally decided on the placement theme offered by NTT DATA after reading up on the subject area and finding it to be a very active area of research and innovation with much potential. Briefly, the subject area is an emerging technology known as Complex Event Processing or CEP, which employs various cutting edge techniques to analyse streaming data in real-time with the goal of gaining valuable high-level insights.

At NTT DATA I am part of a team working within the research and development department evaluating the usage of CEP and producing a number of prototype systems to demonstrate its potential for future integration as a service offered to customers. More specifically, I have been working with Sybase Aleri Streaming Platform and SL Japan RTView software, consuming various real-time input streams ranging from sensor readings to mobile network usage data. A full investigation of the technology was required, looking at all aspects, including reviewing vender offerings, attending seminars and workshops, analysing journal articles and documentation as well as carrying out system performance tests to determine an optimum solution. During this process I was able to meet and interact with representatives from industry leading companies such as Microsoft, Oracle, Sybase and Intel, where I contributed to the creation of a whitepaper. I have been involved in all stages of the project lifecycle from initial idea generation and requirements through to testing and demonstrating to an audience. My role has also involved travel to China in order to present our research theme and share knowledge. Participation in web conferences with companies throughout Europe has been another aspect of my role that has allowed me to gain much experience of business to business communication and practices.

To give an example of my day to day working life I will now briefly describe an average day along with details of my working environment. As in much of Europe, a standard 5-day working week is followed with working hours not too dissimilar either. However, these are only the official working hours, employees are free to work longer if they so desire with a flexi-time system in operation. Overtime is available also and many employees frequently partake in this. The company is headquartered in Toyosu, Tokyo within the buildings shown above. Conveniently, the metro station is located directly opposite and below the office block which seems to be a common setup of large corporations in Japan. Upon entering the building there are a number of security guards who greet each employee with a ‘good morning’ and later in the day a ‘good evening and thank you for your hard work today’, which is quite a nice touch. After scanning your ID card you can then make your way to the floor of your office of which there are around 30 organised into various departments and working groups.

Typically an open-plan office layout is incorporated with desks arranged in rows with aisles between each block. In my office there are around 40 people. Employees are seated in teams and groups to allow for convenient communications. Scattered throughout each floor are collaboration rooms or areas where project meetings take place. Such meetings are highly encouraged and form a significant part of a working day. The general working style is very team orientated, which I have found to be quite a successful approach in ensuring understanding of ones role as well as the role of others. With regards to roles, the company is structured in quite a hierarchical fashion with mangers, assistances and line managers.

A normal day sees me working independently at my computer stopping only for lunch and team meetings. As for lunch, the company provides two floors of cafeteria providing a wide range of delicious food at very reasonable prices. Lunchtime is a good opportunity to socialise with workmates as during the day people tend to be quite busy and often in meetings. Throughout my placement I feel I have developed a good relationship with my nearest seated colleagues and it is often these same people that I spend lunchtimes with. In general my work is assigned to me by my supervisor and I am expected to meet various deadlines throughout the project life. Deadlines may include having a system ready to be presented to an audience or completing a component so that someone else can integrate it into another project.

In general, I feel that the level of exposure to cutting edge technology and industry leading know-how has been extremely beneficial to the advancement of my professional skill set. In particular, I feel that my knowledge of CEP both theoretical and practical will be a useful in my future career. In addition to this, many of the people that I work alongside are distinguished contributors to their field of work with vast amounts of experience and technical expertise, which has proved to be an invaluable asset to my development as a professional. Overall, this has been an immensely beneficial opportunity to gain an insight into the operation of a successful team and experience first hand the working practices of one of Japan’s leading IT integration companies.

Tokyo’s Natural Beauty

Life in Tokyo is often described as fast paced and my experience has been no different. However, there is stark contrast to be found within the metropolis. As always, an ultra convenient short train ride can whisk you away from the bustling city streets to calmer surroundings. Sometimes it is entirely possible to come across these places by chance but more often than not the assistance of a kind Japanese native is required. Most recently I was accompanied by a work colleague but in the past I have discovered such places of beauty with the help of tourist websites. Below I will present a couple of places of natural beauty that I have been lucky enough to visit whilst here in Tokyo.

Between the futuristic tower blocks and a stones throw from the busy crisscrossing roads that make up the historical commercial heart of Tokyo can be found a place of peace known as Hama-rikyu Gardens. Previously belonging to generations of Shogun and later to the Imperial family after the Meiji Restoration, the garden was opened to the public in 1946. Spread over 250,215.72 square metres and boasting a variety of 800 plants as well as a 300 year old pine, the garden is designated as a site with great historical significance. The Edo Period styled garden also contains a large pond attracting many different types of wildlife and birds. However, the garden was not always a place of such tranquillity for our feathered friends. In late 1700s the garden was home to two duck hunting sites of which the remains can be seen today. In 1935 a memorial to console the spirits of the ducks that were killed was built within the garden.

Early on during my stay in Japan I visited another garden in Tokyo, Koishikawa Kōrakuen. Again nestled within the busy city baring skyscrapers as a backdrop to scenes of natural splendour, I was amazed at the way in which nature is preserved in Japan. As a result this Chinese influenced garden is classified as a place of special scenic beauty with historic and cultural properties dating back to the 1600s that are protected under the law of Japan.

In these times after the terrible events of the past months and as life begins to return to normal, it is a pleasant feeling to once again realise that nature is able to provide such a tremendous amount of pleasure.

Earthquake Experience

Today is the day after the devastating earthquake that hit Japan.

I will not be posting any images because I am certain that any image posted here will not do justice or even begin to show the extent of the devastation. In any case the television and newspapers will be full of such depressing visuals for some time to come.

As can be seen from news reports around the world, Japan has had inflicted upon it the strongest earthquake since records began in the country and the 5th largest ever. This statement barely explains the impact of the previous day’s events, which will surely remain etched in the minds of generations to come.

I was lucky enough to be in Tokyo, where the material effects of the earthquake were minimal compared to other parts of Japan. However, I still experienced the violent shakes and the fear and panic that such unexpected events bring. At the time of the incident I was at the EU-Japan Centre gathered with the other Vulcanus in Japan participants attending the mid-term reporting session. We were part way through the presentations of our 6 month experiences when the shakes began. During my time in Japan I have experienced many of these smaller, short tremors, sometimes awoken late at night by the sensation that my room is rotating or rocking. Earlier in the week I had experienced my most powerful and prolonged bout of seismic activity whilst at work. I work on the 11th floor of a building with around 40 floors so even small tremors seem to be amplified due to the sheer size of the building. My colleague that I was in a meeting with at the time reassured me that the building is specially designed to withstand such events. However, this did not prevent the concerned expressions engulfing our faces as we wondered when the shaking would come to an end. This time we were able to forget about it and continue with our work.

Back at the EU-Japan Centre mid-term reporting session when the first small tremors began we simply shrugged it off and continued presenting and listening. Then the shakes became stronger and progressively more violent. The students presenting would pause then continue in a distracted manner only to pause again amidst the unrest in the audience. At the start we were able to see the funny side of the presentations being abruptly disturbed in short bursts by these shakes that we had all experienced to some degree during our stay in Japan. This mood soon changed to one of confusion and perhaps one of panic as the shakes showed no sign of ending and only seemed to become more intense. Glancing around the room it was clear that no one was entirely comfortable with this situation and seeing the confused faces of our Japanese organisers, people who had lived their whole lives in Japan and experienced many such quakes, made things seem a hundred times more real. Eventually, we all headed for safety under our tables as we had been taught to do during our disaster training when we first came to Japan.

Looking towards the window from beneath the table one could see the adjacent two buildings swaying from side to side almost colliding. Crouching under the table alongside two of my fellow Vulcanus colleagues, Italian and Slovenian, I experienced thoughts and feelings yet to be understood and likely never to be forgotten. This sequence of events occurred once more in the space of half an hour followed by many smaller periods of movement.

The session was eventually abandoned as people were visibly shaken and far too distracted to concentrate on presenting again. This however, was not the end of the chaotic day. We heard that all trains had been indefinitely suspended as a precautionary measure. As is the way in Tokyo, the majority of people live outside the centre and commute in everyday to work. Commutes can be up to 2 hours in duration, people rely heavily on public transport. So when the trains are stopped and the roads are grid locked, people have no alternative but to remain in their offices. Few have the luxury of being able to walk home.

So the 29 Vulcanus students, a mix of EU nationalities, remained at the EU-Japan offices along side our Japanese organisers until further notice. The prospect of having to spend the night in the office became real and people began thinking about meal-time. The convenience store below us had witnessed a wave of panic buying and displayed many bare shelves. The streets were lively and a feeling of shared grief seemed to fill the air alongside a determination to continue with normal life as best as possible. The scale of the disaster was still unknown at this point, television pictures were showing some horrific scenes and we were all eager to contact family and loved ones knowing that they may be worried after seeing such images. I was especially touched to receive a call and several messages from a work colleague, checking on my safety and offering advice regarding my safety.

An adrenaline fuelled party atmosphere seemed to break out at the EU-Japan centre among the majority of students in an attempt to make the best of a bad situation, each dealing with the events of the day in their own way, united by the common theme of survival of a unprecedented challenging situation. As the evening progressed, many became restless and word spread that the trains were beginning to run again. Some had no option but to remain as they simply lived too far away and connecting trains would not resume service. I was able to take my train and arrived home at around 1:30am.

The night was long and unusually cold, I didn’t sleep very well as the shakes continued at sporadic intervals. I found myself lying in bed waiting for these gentle shakes to become violent and on one occasion was forced to take cover under my desk as a precaution. Added to this were the hushed tones of voices and movement echoing around the apartment block as people anticipated the next big shake.

Today it is a new day, the news of the past days’ tragedy plays on every television channel, news presenters wear hard-hats to convey to viewer the seriousness of the situation and the precautionary measures they should be taking. As I write this I continue to feel gentle tremors, disconcerting enough to make me question whether I should go out to visit a friend. But, life must proceed and I will follow the example set by Japanese people around me and join them in their determined spirit to go on with everyday life.

A walk in the Park

Recently the weather in Tokyo has become quite cold and bitter. There have been a few instances of snow fall that have lasted many hours each time. However, it wasn’t cold enough outside for the snow to settle. Instead I was able to witness a pleasant scene of white snow flakes drifting to ground outside before melting away. Right now the snow fall has turned to rain and it isn’t such a delightful scene.

In contrast to the present weather conditions, my arrival to Japan back in September last year was quite a different story. I was greeted by a month of hot and humid weather with many days where the temperature rose above 30 degrees. These first few weeks were pretty leisurely as school had not begun meaning there was plenty of free time to explore my new surroundings.

One of my most memorable early visits was to one of Tokyo’s largest parks, Yoyogi Park (代々木公園, Yoyogi kōen). The park is located very close to the busy areas of Shibuya and Shinjuku meaning that access from almost anywhere in Tokyo is very convenient. Going from the hustle and bustle of Shibuya to the spacious greenery of Yoyogi Park is a wonderful experience. However, as I have found during my time in Japan and especially Tokyo, it is not such an easy task to escape the crowds. On the weekends during this warm spell it seemed that everyone in Tokyo had the same idea of visiting the park!

Below are a few images from my first visit to the park. These days my visits to the park are limited due to time constraints and also the cold weather. I look forward to warmer times when I can resume my participation of a walk in the park.

Two days in Kawaguchiko – Fuji Five Lakes

Kawaguchiko was my most recent travel destination in Japan. The town is located at the base of the famous Mount Fuji, Japan’s highest mountain. This time I traveled by bus for a few hours to reach the destination. The town boasts a number of lakes, caves and hot springs as well as Fuji Q amusement park. Kawaguchiko is also a popular resort for people beginning the ascent of Mount Fuji.

I visited a few days before Christmas when the weather in Kawaguchiko was about -3 degrees, so a little cold but still really nice. It even snowed on the last night which was a pleasant sight. We stayed over night at a hostel in order to make the most of the free time we had. The hostel was great, really clean, well organised and very welcoming.

Whilst in Kawaguchiko I was able to go into an onsen (Japanese for natural hot spring) for the first time. It was a really nice experience and I am sure to try it again before leaving Japan. We also visited a couple of caves that had been formed due to eruptions of Mount Fuji.

Travelling through them was a real challenge at some points but it was a worth while experience. Whilst there I also did a bit of hiking, we followed a trail that took us up the side of a mountain. After about an hour of walking up hill we were greeted by these wonderful views. Later in the day we continued our hiking up another mountain side and once again the reward for our efforts was satisfying to say the least.

The below images are an attempt to show some of the highlights of my time in Kawaguchiko.

A Visit to Kamakura

Kamakura 鎌倉市 is a city located in Kanagawa, Japan, about 50 kilometres (31 miles) south-west of Tokyo. This was one of the first visits that I made after coming to Japan in September 2010. It was surprising to realise just how close this peaceful and historic place known as Kamakura is to Tokyo. The city of Kamakura is just an hour by train from the busy centre of Tokyo. There is such a contrast between the two places that it is hard to believe that you are still so close to the ‘technological centre of the universe’ yet now surrounded by beautiful scenery set in such serene surroundings.

I came here with a group of friends and we spent the whole day walking around fascinated until the late evening. However, even that amount of time just simply wasn’t adequate as there are so many temples and places of beauty to visit that I am sure to return to Kamakura again before leaving Japan.

So, please take a look at the images below that mark my time spent in Kamakura. The photos follow the trail that we took through the city, which ended with the sighting of the Great Buddha which you can actually go inside. However, we got there too late and the entrance was closed. I wonder what could have been inside, more vending machines?

Along the way we passed over many beautiful bridges and ventured into many temples and gardens with each place proving to be just as amazing as the last. A trip not to forget.

Couldn't resist!

Only in Japan!

A Day at The Sumo

Attending the Sumo was one of my first experiences in Japan and remains one of the most fascinating yet. My initial perceptions of sumo wrestling were that it was more of a spectacle rather than a serious sport. However, I was quite far from understanding the history and tradition involved in sumo wresting.

We arrived at the venue at around 11am having purchased some snacks and left at the end of the sumo which concluded at 6pm. After this long but hugely entertaining day I was enlightened to learn that sumo wrestling is in actual fact taken very seriously in Japan and considered a professional sport. In fact there are about 700 professional wrestlers in Japan each belonging to a training stable. The daily life of a sumo wrestler is very disciplined with all aspects of life controlled and directed in accordance with age old sumo traditions enforced by the Japan Sumo Association. Sumo wrestlers live together, eat a specific diet and dress in a prescribed manner with lower ranked wrestlers having to do chores whilst others take an afternoon nap. Again this is all sanctioned in accordance with the strict tradition and rules of sumo of which wrestlers are fully aware of when signing up.

I went to the September Grand Sumo Tournament which was the penultimate tournament of the season. A season takes place annually and consists of six tournaments held at various locations in Japan. Each tournament begins on a Sunday and spans 15 days. During the tournament bouts take place between wrestlers according to their rank and not weight. This can lead to some interesting match ups! The winner of a match is the wrestler who manages to either push his opponent out of the ring or touch the ground with any part of his body other that the feet. Before taking part in his match the wrestler sits beside the ring for the two matches preceding his. The ultimate winner of the tournament is the wrestler who maintains the best bout record i.e. wins the most. The best matches, those of the highest ranked wrestlers, are saved until the end of the day and attract the most attention especially when the previous tournament winner referred to as the Yokozuna is in action.

During the lower ranked bouts matches often lasted less than a minute before a win was forced. Some matches were highly entertaining if not mildly amusing especially when wrestlers were pushed out of the ring with such force that they fell the poor unsuspecting spectator that had paid for front row seats! On the subject of seats, I and a few friends had paid for some fairly cheap seats which we expected to have a poor view of the ring. We were pleasantly surprised when we got to the seats that we believed to be ours and found that we were in quite a good position. After a few hours however we realised that these were not actually our seats and it dawned on us as to why a couple of groups of Japanese people had wandered past us looking a little lost. In true Japanese style they did not make a fuss about the fact that we were sitting in their seats and simply went and sat somewhere else. After relocating to our actual allocated seats we found that they were not too bad after all!

Haircut in Japan

I decided to face the inevitable today and have my first haircut in Japan. During the last month I have come across a number of hair dressers in my local area. The presentation of the various establishments varies greatly and it seems that this is reflected in the prices which seem to start from 1000yen for what I imagine is for a standard mens haircut. These cheaper hair dressers are situated in modestly sized shops with minimal decoration and advertisement. In bigger areas such as Shibuya I have seen vast hair salons that are as big as your average Tesco express convenience store with many seats and decorated to a very high standard.

As I have yet to try any of the many types of hair dressers in Japan I choose to visit my local lower-end style establishment. Upon entering the shop I was greeted by the barber over the sound of a TV playing in the background and told to use the vending machine by the door to pay for a ticket. I did as advised, inserting my 1000yen note into the machine in order to receive a ticket which I immediately hand to him. I am not exactly sure why this procedure was necessary as the shop was empty. However, I imagine that this process may be more useful when the shop is very busy as the card could be used to find out who is next. Also, the ticket may give information about the type of cut required. However, I didn’t see any other prices and just inserted a 1000yen note to get my haircut.

After handing the ticket to the masked gentleman (I imagine the mask is worn for hygiene reasons but I am not sure whether it is for his benefit or mine) I am directed to one of the two seats and have a tight fitting gown attached around my neck. As I do not speak or understand a great deal of Japanese yet I simply say no in Japanese when he asks if I want a machine cut with the trimmer but manage to tell him to keep the same style cutting only a small amount. I was a little apprehensive when he began rapidly snipping with the scissors with one eye on the TV. The style of cutting was quite different to my experiences in the UK, much more speed but at the same time a great sense of accuracy. My concerns were heightened when I began to think of the usual questions that hairdressers ask in the UK and compare this to the almost non-existent conversation that I had just had. During the course of the very quick hair cut neither of us said a word which as I am sure many would agree isn’t such a bad thing when you are at the hairdressers. Within 20 minutes the procedure was complete and after brushing the hair from my face he reached over to power up a machine that looked very much like a hover. It was in fact a hover and he proceeded to use the attachment to hover my head sucking up all the loose hairs. It felt a little strange to say the least but was actually an extremely efficient technique of removing the loose hairs.

Overall I am very happy with the haircut. The quality is pretty much the same as you would get in the UK but without having to go through the usual hairdresser conversations. The process was quick and efficient with minimal fuss. I think this kind of place is good if you just want a trim and not a new style but maybe it is possible to get more if you know how to ask.

A Vision of Japan

I came across the below video recently and was instantly struck by the realisation of just where I am right now. Only one month ago the sight of these images would have simply registered with me as a place that is far away, out of reach and a thing of movies and television.

Now these are my surroundings, that busy pedestrian crossing and the dramatic landscapes are my everyday sights. I walk along those neon lit streets each evening after attending language school and travel on those packed trains everyday. My free time is spent walking among these curious people, down narrow side streets often leaving the sprawling metropolis in search of peaceful scenic surroundings. Finding such visual contrasts is perfectly possible and never more than a short train journey away.