Workterm at Nippon Koei

So I started work the day after I moved into the dormitory. Work in the first week was slow but really interesting. I am in the "Intelligent Transport Systems" (ITS) team at Nippon Koei. Basically my team provides engineering consulting for technology to improve in areas of transportation and transit. An example of a system is the "otaske keitai" which is basically a cellular phone/GPS system that is used to help senior and handicap citizens. If a senior/handicap individual needed help, all they would have to do is request for help through their mobile phone and the system will find in a database any other semeritans nearby whom are willing to help. Another one is the landslide prevention/notification system. If there are any landslide activities along a road, the system will detect it and inform drivers through display signs. These are just two of the many projects going on in our team. Fujitaka, whom is a former student of Kita-sensei (prof. Kita) from Tottori University, is my direct supervisor and one of the two managers of the team. Hamanaka is the other manager. Hamanaka is a complete riot. Hes one of those guys that joke around all the time and can really brighten up a room. Sitting next to me is Mochizuki. Basically my boss tells me to help Mochizuki with any work he has. And the rest of the ITS team include Matsuzaki (who took me to lunch the first day, shes amazing), Ishikawa, Takaishi, Suzuki, Aoki and Kuroda. Everyones really cool and theyre all relatively young (mid 20s to mid 30s).

My name tag

Work has been interesting. to get familiar with the projects, Fujitaka told me to write some comment-based reports about them and provide my ideas about the projects. He told me write them in Japanese, so it took twice as long for me to write these reports. But it turned out alright. He also got me started on GIS (Geographical Information Systems) training using ArcGIS software. I'm glad to be learning some new skills. Mochizuki frequently goes on business trips to Southeast Asia to do experiments with probe-vehicles and traffic management systems. So he has brought back a shit load of data for me to dissect and analyse.

So basically every lunch hour I go out to lunch with the men of my team. I two females, Matsuzaki and Kuroda, stay behind and eat with the rest of the females in the department/floor.

Okay so heres where I start ranting about a part of Japanese culture that ticks me off: the gender inequality. Its completely absurd. I thought it was bad in Japanese households, but its even crazier in the office setting. In Japanese culture when you go on business trips, you are suppose to bring back little treats for your coworkers. So from what I have observed, the men come back with the treats and they tell fellow female coworkers (of the same rank and status) to pass them out for them. Its completely stupid, just get up off your ass and pass them out yourself for heaven's sake. And, when the men need to photocopy stuff or fetch coffee for meetings they ask the women to do it for them too.

Anyways, my team went out for welcome dinner for me. It was a hoot. They were teaching me Japanese drinking games and I was teaching them the Western/Canadian ones. A lot of them are very similiar.... well they're universal so I wasnt surprised the Japanese play them as well. They kept asking me what I enjoy eating. And I told them, as I tell everybody, that I basically eat everything or am willing to try anything new. So they kept ordering these Japanese delicacies that usual foreigners would squeal about and I just kept eating them. They were shocked. Near the end of the party, Ishikawa started falling asleep. So we were decorating him with food that wasnt eaten.. hahahaha. They're all such a fun crowd.

Mochizuki (top) and Hamanaka (bottom left) pulling a prank on Ishikawa (bottom right) after he dozed off

Suzuki, Mochizuki, and Kuroda (from left to right)

Myself, Takaishi, Suzuki and Mochizuki