I work at a small trading company that imports wood and bamboo for interior use.Due to my work, I often go on business trips abroad.When I go to exhibitions in Europe, I compile the information I gather into materials and submit them to the planning staff, and when I'm in Japan, I exchange emails with overseas business partners.It's a clerical job, and it's a business, and it feels like it.

Enjoy a world where common sense doesn't apply

Originally, I had no interest in interior design, but since I had been studying English for a long time, I wanted to use it in my work.Because we are a small company, we have a lot of work to do, which is very rewarding.Business English is still difficult, so I am learning every day by watching my boss's emails and the reactions of the people I communicate with overseas.Also, there are many things that I don't understand Japanese common sense, but when I was a student, I lived with international students in a dormitory, so I think that the ability to accept cultural differences is being utilized in my current work. .

to a wider world

I entered Waseda University because I wanted to see the wider world.I went to high school in Wakayama, and when I was in the first year of high school, I did a homestay in Canada.It was my first time abroad and it was a lot of fun, but I couldn't get my point across with just the English I had learned from textbooks.I wanted to express my gratitude to my homestay father and mother, but it was really painful that I could only say "Thank you".So I decided to go back to study abroad someday.Waseda had a study abroad system, and I thought I would have more chances if I went to Tokyo.

A parent's resolution that I learned for the first time

However, my parents were against even taking the Waseda entrance exam. I was told, "It's useless just to receive it."A high school teacher came to her house and persuaded her parents.On the day we were to leave for Tokyo, her father drove her to the station, and her mother cried in front of the car.While she was crying, she waved her hand hard and saw me off.It was then that she realized that she was making big decisions not only for herself, but also for her parents.That's why I thought I had to realize what I wanted to do.

Deep relationships deepen ties

I had never left my parents' house until then, so I didn't know how to cook rice.When I entered, I was surprised to see so many unique people.I got to know a lot of people that I wouldn't have met if I had lived at home or by myself.When it comes to human relationships in the faculty, you can choose who you want to be friends with, but when you meet someone in the dormitory, it's not because you get along or not, but because you live together, you try to get along.If you have a fight, get help from those around you and make up as quickly as possible.
People who think, "I can never get along with this person!"We cooked together, jogged together at night, and had a very close relationship, so the bond in the dormitory is still deep.

We can accept each other, so I'm not afraid

One of the things that left a strong impression on me was that I was entrusted with planning Halloween and Tanabata events at the dormitory.When he was in high school, he was so gloomy that he only studied, so he didn't do anything with other people.But it's fun to think, 'This person is good at painting, so I'll leave this to you,' or 'This person is good at calculating money, so I'll let them play this role.'By acknowledging each other, we created something, and I felt that everyone recognized my existence.That's why I'm not afraid to express my opinion at the company now.I think that the experience of acknowledging each other and exchanging opinions through our respective positions and roles is alive and well.

*This article is reprinted from the August 2017 issue of Waseda Life.