Japan Internships with Meiji Internships

I had a great time with my internship in Fukuoka that Meiji Internships provided me with. I experienced outstanding service throughout my application and stay and it did not take long at all to get matched with the perfect company for me. The communication was flawless and the staff at Meiji Internships was always ready to help me with any questions or problems I had.

During my internship I was assigned a lot of interesting tasks, worked on exciting projects and saw a ton of growth in my skills. My main tasks were digital marketing related work and helping out with organizing events for foreigners in Fukuoka. I really enjoyed learning more about the field I was interested in but also having a lot of social and personal experiences while doing my internship.

Meiji is a great choice if you are thinking about doing an internship or studying Japanese in Japan. The application process is easy and straight forward. The staff is helpful, and the communication is great. Meiji helps you with finding a great internship in the field(s) that interest you, provide accommodation and also offers Japanese classes if you want to improve your Japanese before starting your internship. The communication with the staff working for Meiji is excellent. They keep you updated about the application process and quickly answer any question you might have. Finding the right company was quick in my case. I really like the internship I am currently doing, and I definitely would do it again. Meiji offers a great service and an internship in Japan is definitely a good way to build your resume.

Last winter, I did a 3-months internship in Japan. I am from a very traditional town in Southern Italy, which is why I didn’t want to go to a city that is as crazy big as Tokyo or Kyoto. Fortunately, Meiji offers the Explore Japan internship program, which allowed me to specify my location goals. Although I didn’t think it would be possible, they found me an internship in my dream location: Hokkaido!

Yes, it was very cold. Yes, it was a bit secluded. But it was exactly what I was looking for in my internship. My company was a Ski resort/traditional Japanese ryokan (like a bed and breakfast) which opened around 2015. Since I see myself working in Tourism & Hospitality in the future, it was the perfect match. Most of my tasks revolved around customer service and a bit of marketing: checking in guests, helping with the rooms, taking photos and promoting the place on social media and external partner websites. Sometimes, I would work outside on the mountain side and help with ski lessons. It was possibly the most adventurous internship I will ever have and I loved every minute of it!

I’ve been very hesitant about going to Japan since this would be my first time living apart from my parents and my friends. I thought that this was going to be too much for me since I have no idea about the first thing about independent living. (I don’t even know how to do laundry) but nevertheless, I just went for it since here lies the opportunity for me to learn not only something in my chosen industry but for me to be able to do some growing up on my own; This leap of faith is the best thing I ever did. I met tons of people, made a lot of friends, learned a lot from my very generous mentor. I just fell in love with the people and the place! I really am gonna miss the people I’ve met here. They were all so wonderful. <333333333333333333

Meiji Internships were very helpful and not only found me an internship placement in my industry of choice but took care of all paperwork, everyday affairs, visa questions and accommodation. Which makes all the difference when you arrive to a foreign country and are lost unless someone helps you. The full-on work experience taught me so much and prepared me for future jobs in HR and consulting. I have learnt more during my internship than I ever did in any classes at university. I especially enjoyed one project I worked on with people from all around the world. This was a very unique opportunity to work on my intercultural skills.
I am very grateful for Meiji Internships' care and support. I recommend them as the best out there. They are one of a kind!

I chose to come to Kyoto because it was a city I had visited before and knew it was a place I wanted to return to. There’s so much to do - culture, city, nature - and I wanted to give myself time to explore it all in greater depth and with more time on my hands. My internship allowed me to simultaneously learn about a different side of Japan: gender inequality. I worked in a start-up that mainly hired women. But that is by far not the norm. Usually, companies are run by men and women earn a lot less. If you look at numbers, it’s even crazier: Most working women are part-time employees, receiving small salaries and few benefits. Thanks to great networking opportunities, I got in touch with some more NGOs that work towards gender equality during my time. I am currently at uni, majoring in Gender studies. I am certain that I will return to Japan and make a difference. That’s my goal!

Interning abroad is a one of a kind experience and such a unique opportunity to see the world from a different perspective while you’re young. I was slightly skeptical about the whole thing, but after interning with my company for about 2 weeks, I got the hang of it. The only thing that bugged me til the end of my stay was the fact that I did not know any Japanese. I wish I would have studied it more before coming to Japan because I never knew what my colleagues were talking about with one another. My favourite thing, however, was living in Tokyo. You don’t need to be a city slicker to love it. There are so many awesome getaways to places like Nikko, Mt Fuji, Hakone, Enoshima, Kamakura etc etc. Just get yourself a map of the Tokyo area, find something that sounds cool and go for it! I promise you it will make an awesome weekend getaway!

If you are uncertain whether or not to intern in the land of the rising sun, freaking go for it!

Let me make this clear: I had a great time in Japan! However, I will be completely honest about my experience.
I signed up for a PR & Marketing / Business Development Internship in Japan. 2 months after applying, I had a Skype interview with my prospective host company. They asked me about my work experience (I have only done a short internship in High School so far) and my skills (I am in the 6th Semester of Business Administration). The company left a positive impression on me, so I decided to follow through with the internship. Having booked the Standard Package, Meiji arranged accommodation, a transportation and sim card and airport pick-up for me. Therefore, my arrival to Tokyo was very easy and I had no worries. I stayed in a ShareHouse with three other girls. One was French, two were American. I was hoping for a fellow German to exchange worries in my mother tongue, but my flat mates were very nice as well. I arrived on a Thursday. Friday I used to recover from my jet lag. On Saturday, Meiji hosted a cultural activity which I joined with one of my American flatmates. I was a lot of fun! On Sunday, we explored the city and went for Sushi. My first day of work was on Monday. I got to the office at 9am and met the president of the company as well as my colleagues. They taught me a lot and gave me great confidence that I should continue on following my dreams of having my own PR company one day. My tasks were not as exciting as I had hoped in the beginning (primarily proof reading and writing texts for SNS). But it makes sense, because I don’t really have any work experience. As time went by, my company entrusted me with more diverse tasks, which I loved! I highly recommend staying longer than 2 months because it takes some time to get the hang of it all. I stayed for 3 months and had a wonderful time overall.