My name is Binod Tamang and I am from Nepal. I can speak three languages—English, Japanese, and Nepali. I came to Japan because I received a scholarship from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU). I was initially planning to pursue my studies as a medical student but I was unable to receive a scholarship in my own home country, Nepal. I was quite unsure about studying abroad in the beginning, but when I consulted my father about the possibilities of finding opportunities outside of Nepal, Japan was a fitting choice. Aside from the scholarship, I was set on going to Japan because it is one of the most booming countries in terms of opportunities for foreign students and I also love to learn new languages. I graduated from APU in 2019 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science and a major in Environment and Development. I am currently based in Aichi and have been working with the AISIN GROUP for two years.

What I put the most effort into • my most memorable experience in university

When I first entered my university, I was not familiar with other cultures. I really wanted to build my network by participating in exchange programs offered by my university and exploring places around Japan. With the help of APU and its programs tied with Japanese local high schools, I was able to travel to different parts of the country as an English teacher. I was also involved in cultural programs such as ‘Nepali Week’ where I was able to showcase my country through presentations, exhibitions, and shows with my other Nepali peers. Lastly, I put a lot of effort into trying to improve my Japanese skills.

Things that I regret not doing during my university life 

The only regret that I have from my university life is not being able to focus on my studies as I found the classes very easy to pass. If I had focused more on maintaining good grades, I may have been able to receive more scholarships from other organizations outside of APU. Other than that, I was able to enjoy and make the most out of my university life. 

Language—How did you reach a proficient level of Japanese? What’s the secret?

It really depends on the person’s drive and motivation. In my opinion, if it is something you truly want to accomplish by a certain time, it is possible. At APU, we are required to take Japanese classes until we reach the intermediate level, but I decided to study the language until the business level. I also used to watch Youtube videos and browse through other Japanese learning sites which helped me remember kanji day by day. I also tried my best to communicate with the locals as much as I could. Currently, I have an N2 Japanese Language Placement Test (JLPT) Certificate. As I am interested in learning more languages, I am actually studying German now!

First, I do not think there is a big difference between N1 or N2 for JLPT, as many companies accept both. Most importantly, acquiring a job in Japan will mainly be based on your speaking abilities and engagement with the company. I suggest attending seminars provided by the companies you are interested in, which platforms like JPort can assist you with. During my job hunting period, there were not many services such as JPort that I was familiar with. If you want to learn about the job hunting process from scratch, it is quite time-consuming. I used to contact my senpais without any hesitation through Facebook by greeting them and asking if they could help me, and although I failed many times and was rejected by 40 companies, I never gave up.

I think one skill that is very helpful is being familiar with the PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) method. Although I was not aware of it at first, I realized I was doing it unconsciously and it helped me a lot. Also, if you would like to go for Japanese companies, having a good command of the Japanese language is necessary, especially for day-to-day speaking. Another beneficial skill is knowing how to operate and use Microsoft Excel. Lastly, you should definitely attend seminars and try to expand your knowledge as much as you can everyday.