Truc first came to Japan in 2011 as a technical intern trainee. After a temporary return to Vietnam, she returned to Japan and has been working as a foreign general manager at Hiro Food Service since 2017. We asked her about her work and her life before coming to Japan.

Profile

Technical Intern Training Program

Q. How did you learn about Japan before coming here?

I did not use the internet much then, so I learned about Japan through Vietnamese newspapers or heard stories from acquaintances. There was little information about Japan, but I managed to gather information over time as I did research.

Q. What made you decide to work as a technical intern trainee?

In my hometown, most people work in farming and do not have high income. As the eldest daughter, I wanted to support my family.

Q. How did you study Japanese before your first visit to Japan?

I was taught greetings and how to introduce myself at the sending organization. I also studied on my own using the textbook Minna no Nihongo. This is why I was able to pass the N4 level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) before coming to Japan.

Q. Was there anything you were worried about before coming to Japan?

I worried about many things, such as what kind of apartment I would live in and whether I would be able to live well with other trainees. I could not speak Japanese well then, so I was also worried about whether I would be able to communicate with Japanese people at work.

Q. Was there anything you were looking forward to before coming to Japan?

I made a lot of friends during training at the sending organization. Those friends went to Japan before me and posted pictures of Japanese sceneries on Facebook. I saw these and thought that I would love to see cherry blossoms and autumn leaves, that I wanted to take photographs of them.

Q. What was your life like as a technical intern trainee?

I worked in plastic assembly and automotive screw molding.

I also worked very hard to study Japanese by watching Japanese news on TV and managed to pass the JLPT N3.

Q. Do you have any regrets from your time as a technical intern trainee?

I was paid well, which let me send money to my family and increase my savings. However, I felt lonely because I rarely spoke to Japanese people. My Japanese speaking ability did not improve and at times I was unable to communicate with Japanese people well.

Current Work

Q. What made you decide to work in Japan again?

I came to like Japan during my three years of technical intern training. I think Japan has many convenient aspects.

Q. What is life like at your current company?

My work includes cost management, employee shift management, new product development, and training and advice for foreign employees, and all kinds of other things. I also strive to improve my Japanese speaking ability by talking with my superiors often. After work, I also study Japanese by watching news and variety shows on TV. I like going out, so on my days off I go to cafes or other places. I find places to go by asking friends or watching TV.

Q. Have you had any difficulties at work?

Communicating in Japanese was difficult, and getting scolded when I made a mistake was tough. The truth is that I didn’t study Japanese much after finishing my technical intern training. That is why, when I came to Japan in 2017, I could barely speak Japanese. I studied hard during my technical intern training, so I thought I would learn to speak on the job. But when I started working at my current company, they spoke in a dialect and used words I did not know such as hottoite (“throw it away” in the Osaka dialect). I asked them to repeat the phrases, and they taught me the meaning of the words in their dialect, so I do not struggle anymore.

I was also told to think before I act, but I did not know what to do at first because what is considered right in Japan and what is considered right in Vietnam is different.

Q. How did you overcome difficulties at work?

I was the first foreign employee at my current company. For this reason, people at my company struggled to understand my difficulties. This made me so sad that I cried, but I put up with it. But I didn’t want to worry my family, so I did not tell them about my struggles.

When I could not overcome my struggles alone, I contacted the president of the company and asked for advice. That is why I have been able to continue working at my current job.

Q. When do you find your work rewarding?

I supervise eight store managers. Our store managers are not only from Vietnam, but also from Myanmar, Indonesia, China, Sri Lanka, Nepal, South Korea, Russia, and Japan. I provide instruction not only to store managers but employees working as specified skilled workers as well, and I offer consultation to many of our foreign employees. While store managers and foreign employees come from different countries, our struggles as foreigners are the same. I have come across many obstacles while working in Japan. That is why I strive to give advice based on my thoughts and feelings since coming to Japan. I try to convey what I learned from my experiences rather than how hard it was. I also try to convey what I found fun in Japan.

The fact that many foreign employees rely on me brings me joy. I also know how hard each employee works, so I am overjoyed when my subordinates are promoted to store manager.

Q. Is there anything you found surprising when you started working in Japan?

In Vietnam, a single shop will be staffed with many employees. I was surprised at how understaffed even busy shops are in Japan. I’ve learned to be cost-conscious when managing stores at my current company, so I understand why Japanese stores are understaffed.

Q. What do you like about working in Japan?

Japanese are considerate of others and try not to be a nuisance to those around them. I think this is a wonderful mindset.

Conclusion

Q. Do you have any plans or goals for the future?

In the future, I would like to change my status of residence to Manager and open my own shop in Japan.

Q. Do you have any advice for people who would like to work in Japan or will come to Japan in the future?

If you want to live or work in Japan or abroad, you will need to do proper career and financial planning. As long as you don’t give up, no matter how hard things get, you will succeed in the end. Good luck.

Nguyen Thanh Truc / Photo: Provided by Nguyen

Various Ways to Obtain GIJINKOKU Visa

There are various ways to obtain a Status of Residence, GIJINKOKU Visa (Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services). The following are the common methods.