Hello, my name is Usei Kou. I was born and raised in Beijing, China. In sixth grade, my family moved to Japan due to my father’s work. At the time, I couldn’t speak Japanese and started attending a public middle school, which made the transition quite challenging. However, the school had excellent support systems for international students, such as separate classes for Japanese language instruction, which helped me gradually improve.

From seventh to ninth grade, I lived in Tokyo, and for high school, I moved to Nagoya. In middle school and university, I was part of the badminton club, and in high school, I joined the soft tennis club, staying active throughout my student life. After graduating high school, I entered Osaka University through the general admission process and later pursued my graduate studies at Kyoto University. Currently, after completing my master’s degree, I work in the Overseas Business Department at Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Group.

When applying to universities, my family was living in Tokyo. Wanting to experience living on my own, I decided to study in Kansai. Considering my academic strengths, I chose to apply to Osaka University. While my studies were demanding, I appreciated having an environment where I could focus entirely on a single goal without distractions.

What I Studied
I majored in civil engineering. The course at Osaka University is unique in that, during the first year, students study three fields—civil engineering, architecture, and naval architecture—before choosing their specialization. Initially, I was interested in architecture. However, as I learned more about the challenging working conditions in the industry, I became drawn to civil engineering instead.
Civil engineering is foundational to society—it’s the discipline that transforms natural landscapes into infrastructure, creating environments where people can thrive. I was inspired by that and decided to pursue it as my major.

After graduating, I decided to continue to graduate school. Many of my peers were doing the same, and I wanted to broaden my horizons by engaging with diverse people and research topics before entering the workforce. My graduate studies also focused on civil engineering, but my research covered a wide range of topics. For example, I studied the benefits and promotion of bicycle lanes, and during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I explored topics such as the classification of viruses and healthcare systems. My master’s thesis focused on the psychology behind conspiracy theories. One of the best aspects of my lab was the freedom to explore a variety of themes.

Extracurricular Activities
During university, I joined two clubs—badminton and English conversation. I also worked part-time as a tutor for middle and high school students. With all of that, I had little time left for leisure, but I enjoyed staying busy.

My Job Hunting Story
During my job search, I applied to about 10 companies in total. Compared to others, this wasn’t a large number, thanks to the university’s recommendation system. I first became interested in insurance companies through conversations with my professor, who introduced me to the fascinating aspects of the industry. Motivated by this, I decided to do an internship at an insurance company. This experience convinced me more that this was the right path for me and led me to apply for a position at Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Group.

What stood out to me about Mitsui Sumitomo was the company culture, which I found to be very innovative and open to new challenges from my company research and the interviews. Although job hunting wasn’t easy, my English proficiency gave me an edge, and I was able to approach it with a relatively positive mindset.

Advice for Current Job Seekers
I recommend using your time in university to improve your Japanese skills. Japanese is an essential skill for working in Japan, and it’s much harder to learn on the job. Instead of staying within the comfort zone of fellow international students, try to use practical Japanese as much as possible.

Participating in internships is also crucial for company research. For international students, access to information about Japanese companies can be limited. Being proactive and seeking out opportunities on your own is key to gaining insight and preparing for the job market.

Having a basic level of Japanese conversational ability is essential, but beyond that, skills such as using tools like Excel, statistical analysis, and IT proficiency are incredibly valuable. Logical thinking is also critical in a professional setting—it helps you persuade others effectively, create clear and impactful materials, and organize data in an easily understandable way.

Interestingly, university life offers many opportunities to develop these skills. Instead of focusing solely on job hunting, putting effort into your research and thesis writing during university can help you acquire abilities that will be highly beneficial in the workplace.

My assignment was decided on the day of my college graduation ceremony, and after less than a month of training since then, I officially began working. The training period was relatively short, so I’ve learned most of the job through hands-on experience.

In the Overseas Business Department, I’m responsible for overseeing our subsidiaries in Hong Kong and Brunei, reporting on their status and planning projects. My role involves analyzing their monthly performance, understanding the factors behind the results, evaluating the effectiveness of ongoing initiatives, and forecasting future outcomes. I compile these analyses into reports and present them to the company’s management team.

Beyond reporting, I also participate in planning new projects with the local subsidiaries. As the primary contact person, I’m responsible for drafting and reviewing materials related to my team’s operations and reporting them to the company.

One challenging aspect of the job is that the results of our work are not always immediately visible. When I first started, I struggled with financial analysis since I had little prior knowledge of accounting. It took me about six months, with a lot of guidance from experienced colleagues, to finally get the hang of it.

I typically work three to four days a week at the office, and the company offers a relatively flexible working style. There isn’t much overtime, but as you advance in seniority or rank, the workload naturally increases, which may change the way you work.

The atmosphere varies by department, but in my current team, people are open to listening to young employees’ opinions. Many colleagues have diverse experiences, including working in different departments or overseas assignments, which fosters a dynamic environment for exchanging ideas.

As a whole, the company culture encourages innovation, such as revamping internal evaluation systems. However, traditional Japanese business practices remain deeply rooted. Efficiency and results are important, but there’s also an emphasis on etiquette, such as arriving early and preparing for work before official hours begin. For international employees, adapting to these cultural norms might be challenging, but those who are proactive in learning and absorbing knowledge can successfully adapt to the environment.