Hello, all!
Today I gave an interview to Rihan who is from Inner Mongolia, China. She is working for an audit company and living in a shared house in Sugamo, Tokyo. Her experiences would give you some tips if you are interested in living and working in Japan.

Introduction

Sari “Nice to meet you. I’m Sari.”
Rihan “Nice to meet you, too. I’m Rihan.”
Sari “Can you introduce yourself briefly?”
Rihan “I am from China, Inner Mongolia. I graduated a university in Beijing and worked there for 2 years. After quitting the previous job, I came to Japan and went to a language school. Now, I have been working for an audit company for 9 months. “
Sari “Sounds interesting! Why did you decide to come to Japan?”
Rihan “I wanted to learn another language besides Chinese and English. I have a relative in Nagoya and they said Japan is a good country.”

Life in a shared house in Tokyo

Sari “I see. Why did you decide to live in a shared house?”
Rihan “My friends in a language school told me about shared houses and she said it’s good to live in Tokyo. I went to see few houses and choose the house.”
Sari “What was the point when you choose the house?”
Rihan “Those areas are safe and the house are near from the school that I went to.”
Sari “I got it. Do you get along with other mates?”
Rihan “Yes. Everyone is kind and good. There are 7 people who are from abroad, and we have conversations in English, Chinese, and Japanese.”
Sari ”Cool. Can you relax even if there are others in your house?”
Rihan “It’s totally fine. You know, everyone has a private room and thinks a private time important. If you feel tired, you can be alone in your room.
Sari “I see. So, is it good for workers as well?”
Rihan “Absolutely. You have a private time, but you don’t feel lonely in the house. There are some mates who have a work.”
Sari “Is that so?”

Work in Japan

Sari “Was it hard to find a job in Japan?”
Rihan “Kind of. It took about 6 months. I asked an agent to help job hunting. They were nice.”
Sari “Could you tell me more about your work?”
Rihan “Sure. I’m checking the accounting of the company is correct or not. I’m dealing with both of Japanese and Chinese company.”
Sari “Sounds difficult. How did you get knowledge?”
Rihan “I studied little bit in the university, and learned a lot after getting into the company.
Sari “Is it hard to work with Japanese?”
Rihan “Not so much. All colleagues are nice. Business mails in Japanese style are sometimes troublesome and difficult though. It’s still difficult to write it in polite and certain way.”

About Japan

Sari “What do you like about Japan?”
Rihan “Well, I can find quiet places just turning off a road. It is very interesting to come across a temple or shrine. In Beijing, everywhere is crowded and I can’t get away from the noise of the city.”
Sari “Interesting. Anything else?”
Rihan “I can learn more about Japanese culture like a Manga. Other than reading or watching them, I can enjoy getting s character merchandise and going to the café that is designed under the world of the manga. I would never have experienced if I had not lived in Japan.”

Future plan

Sari “As a last question, could you tell me your future plan?”
Rihan “Well, Fist of all, I want to get used to the work more and keep learning Japanese. And I don’t know when it comes true, but I want to take a Master degree in another country.” Sari “You are the world traveler!”

Making a living in a foreign country must be difficult. I could see how much she made efforts through this interview. I hope this interview and information about shared houses on our website will help your coming life in Japan.

Check the information below if you are interested in Rihan’s house

Couverture Nishi-sugamo

10 minutes walk from Nishi Sugamo station, Toei Mita Line. You can use 4 stations beside it.
One of a good feature is the wide closet the every private room has. Neighborhood is very quite and historical. This house allows you to go to beautiful parks and enjoy cherry blossoms in spring.