| COUNTRY |
| India |
| EDUCATION |
| Bachelor’s in Computer Science – Cyber Security, Chennai Institute of Technology |
| COMPANY |
| A Tokyo-based company that provides system integration, software development, digital transformation (DX) consulting, and IT operations services for the insurance and financial services industry. |
| SUMMARY |
| This Indian student’s JLPT success story shows how perseverance and disciplined study can transform setbacks into opportunities. After struggling through the JLPT N5 level, he rebuilt his learning habits. He joined AtoJ Hirameki Japanese classes and gained confidence in his Japanese language ability. Eventually, he won a Japanese speech contest, completed an internship in Kyushu, and secured a job offer in Japan through FAST OFFER International. His journey highlights the importance of staying committed to achieving long-term goals of living and working in Japan. |
The Study Technique Behind My JLPT Success in India
Every JLPT success story in India is different. Mine isn’t linear and is filled with setbacks. I would say that the turning point is when I started doing an unusual study technique that kept me accountable. It even helped me win a Japanese speech contest!
What’s this study technique, you ask? I gave a trusted friend 100 rupees and told them they could keep it if I failed to complete my Japanese study goals on time. Every time I thought, “I’ll do it later,” I remembered that my money was on the line. That small commitment helped me stay consistent. In the end, I won the speech contest and got my money back!
But that victory was only one chapter of my journey. Before that, I struggled through the JLPT N5 level. But looking back, those setbacks became the foundation of everything that followed — from interning in Kyushu to receiving a job offer in Japan through FAST OFFER International.
How My Interest in Japan Began: Watching the FIFA World Cup 2018
My journey to Japan all started with the FIFA World Cup 2018 in Russia. No! I’m not a football player (ha-ha). Instead, the world was talking about what Japanese fans did right after winning. After a rowdy celebration, they used garbage bags they brought with them to clean up after themselves! It was shocking to say the least.
“You can’t teach that,” my high school teacher said. Instead, cleaning up after themselves was something deeply ingrained in their culture. It’s a trait drilled in children and seen as the norm in Japan. We couldn’t imagine something happening like that in India. That began my interest in Japan as I began to wonder about living and working in a culture like that. It led me to choose a university that also offered Japanese classes.
I’ve Always Been Striving to Improve My Situation
Since I was young, I’ve always strived to reach farther than where I started. I guess it began with my family enrolling me at a military-based boarding school far away from the town where I was born. My family wanted me to get a good education so I could go far in life. My school’s schedule was very intensive, and it limited our exposure outside of our studies.
How Failing Helped Me Grow and Get to Japan
During the pandemic, however, the schools had to close, and we had to resort to online classes. So, stuck inside a small room, for the first time with a new laptop with unlimited internet, funnily enough, I had the whole digital world open to me. I was like a kid in a candy store; I downloaded all sorts of files and games without a care about website security. I didn’t know any better. To my naive surprise, I ended up with a bunch of viruses that shut down my computer. I had to reboot and reformat my laptop, losing all my documents and photos.
However, because of that event, I was inspired to go into computer science, specializing in cybersecurity! In hindsight, it was one of many setbacks that would later shape my JLPT success story in India.
Learning Japanese at the University
I started college thinking I wanted to be a cybersecurity specialist in Japan. So, as planned, I enrolled in Japanese classes in my freshman year. Imagine how disappointed I felt in myself as I was having such a rough time at just N5 level. It took me a whole year to learn N5 and only barely passed. I was starting to rethink my dream. Maybe it wasn’t for me?
After getting N5, I paused studying Japanese. I thought I would instead just focus on my academics.
My 1 Month Internship in Kyushu
To my surprise, though, my humble JLPT N5 certification led to a leg up in getting a 1-month internship in Kyushu! To be honest, the internship was wildly unrelated to my studies, but my N5 level Japanese gave me such an advantage.
In Kyushu, I experienced first-hand the kindness of the Japanese through my sensei. He was always supportive of us throughout our stay. My sensei was always early to meet-ups, yet patient with us even when we were late. He also spent money treating us to delicious meals! Having this experience inspired me even more to study harder and fulfill my JLPT Success Story in India.
Giving My JLPT Success Story in India a Second Chance with AtoJ Hirameki
One day, the director of ASIA to JAPAN’s Hirameki Japanese classes visited my university. They introduced the FAST OFFER international program, which is a program to connect foreign talents with career opportunities at Japanese companies. You would join the classes, and once you reach a certain level of Japanese proficiency, you can be considered a job candidate. It seemed like a good idea, so I signed up!
Tips to Help With JLPT Success Story
I promised myself that I would study differently this time. Here are my online class tips for those who wish to have their own JLPT Success Story in India:
- Keep your camera on. One habit that made a huge difference was always keeping my camera on during online classes. It sounds simple, but knowing my teachers and classmates could see me stopped me from getting distracted.
- Build relationships with fellow students and your senseis. I became more engaged in lessons, built stronger relationships with my teachers, and made friends who motivated me to keep improving.
- Have an accountability technique. I continued using my accountability technique by putting money on the line whenever I set study goals. It was a small challenge, but it helped me stay disciplined day after day.
Looking back, these habits became an important part of my JLPT success story in India because they taught me that consistent effort is more powerful than motivation.
Winning a Japanese Speech Contest and Going to Japan for the Second Time
As my Japanese improved, I set myself another ambitious goal. I wanted to win a Japanese speech contest after reaching the JLPT N3 level.
When I was announced as one of the winners, it felt like proof that all those small daily habits had been worth it. Winning the contest brought another unexpected opportunity. As part of the prize, I received a seven-day trip to Japan. While I expected it to be a cultural experience, three of those days turned into company interviews through FAST OFFER International.
Thankfully, my AtoJ Hirameki teachers, FAST OFFER career advisor, and mentors had already prepared me well. Before traveling to Japan, I had completed seven mock interview sessions, so by the time I sat down with recruiters, I felt surprisingly confident. The first interview went exactly as I had hoped. The second was much tougher. I didn’t feel that I connected with the interviewer, and after it ended, I was convinced I had ruined my chances. Waiting for the results felt agonizing, but only for about two hours.
After those two long hours, I finally heard back — I got a job offer! I got so emotional after hearing this news.
My JLPT Success Story in India: Is It Just Luck?
At first, I thought I had simply been lucky. Later, one of my friends from AtoJ Hirameki shared a quote that completely changed my perspective: “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.” That sentence has stayed with me ever since.
FAST OFFER International gave me the opportunity. But the months of disciplined study, mock interviews, and consistent practice allowed me to make the most of it. Looking back, that’s what my JLPT success story in India is really about. Success wasn’t the result of one lucky moment. It was built through countless small decisions to keep trying.
Third Time’s The Charm: I Can’t Wait to Be Back in Japan Again
The next time I’ll be in Japan, I’ll be coming back as a salaryman. A new, fresh chapter! One thing I’m looking forward to the most is seeing my classmates from AtoJ Hirameki again who also got job offers. Some of them will begin working in Japan early this year, while I’ll be joining my company much later in December. Knowing that I’ll already have friends waiting for me in Japan makes the move feel much less intimidating.
I’m also excited to experience everyday life in Japan again. During my previous visits, I loved how walkable the cities were. My fellow speech contest winner and I would walk for kilometers every day without even realizing it because there was always something interesting to see. Even in the summer heat, exploring Tokyo on foot became one of my favorite memories. In the future, I wish to have more memories like this!
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