I started learning Japanese naturally through Japanese SNS
Japanese SNS content has always influenced me, but I didn’t go into it thinking of learning the language. At first, I just had a strong appreciation. Japanese social media creators make high-quality stuff: from Japanese online manga posted on X, and videos on YouTube, to Nico Nico Douga, and more. The more I exposed myself to Japanese SNS, the more I understood and began learning the Japanese language.
One of the first times I began absorbing the language was reading Japanese online manga. At first, I used a translation tool to understand the Japanese dialogues of the manga characters. As I read the manga, I encountered a variety of Japanese expressions and words. As I read lots of manga with translation tools and repeated the process again and again, I gradually became able to read Japanese with ease.
Japanese SNS Helped Me learn Japanese and Physics
I also watched Japanese educational programs related to science, such as NHK’s “Pythagoras Switch” and a YouTube channel called “Lambda Tech”. Pythagoras Switch is especially wonderful! It is a famous educational channel from one of the famous Japanese broadcasting corporations. The show is designed to allow children to observe and discover things on their own that’s entertaining, instead of immediately teaching them the scientific facts. Since junior high school, I’ve found physics as a fun perspective to understand the world since junior high school. That’s why Pythagoras Switch resonated with me so much, because I, too believed the importance of enjoyable academic experiences at an early age. At first, I sometimes felt that the content was insufficient for children, but as I watched it, I noticed unique ways of seeing things from children’s points of view and found it interesting.
I was already consuming so much Japanese SNS, and learning from it, that it only made sense for me that I began my Japanese language classes at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. In that year-and-a-half class, we studied JLPT N5 level material, but it was through SNS, self-study, and FAST OFFER International’s extracurricular Japanese class that grew my conversation skills.
Encountering FAST OFFER International Led Me to Seek Job Opportunities in Japan
At the stage of considering my career path after graduation, I had a vague idea of working in Singapore. In Malaysia, physics majors often become university researchers or professors, and positions in the private sector are limited. Since many of my university seniors found jobs in Singapore, I thought that I would probably be no different. However, a coincidence would redirect me to a completely different future.
The Opportunities to Use My Physics Major for R&D in Japan
One day, I was discussing my career plans with a friend who went for a study tour in Japan. From his experience, I learned that Japanese companies focus on R&D and innovation to develop and refine their own products. This was a completely different approach from that of Malaysian companies. It was the kind of work I dreamed of. Rather than becoming a physics researcher, I wanted to use my knowledge of physics to help companies promote innovation and product development for society.
Coincidentally, during our conversation, I suddenly received a message from a Japanese teacher recommending the FAST OFFER International program. It felt like fate. From there, I felt a sense of destiny and decided to try and see if I could work in Japan. So, I immediately registered for FAST OFFER International to find work in Japan as a Malaysian.
From Learning Japanese from SNS to IRL: Traveling and Experiencing Japan for the First Time
Through FAST OFFER International, I got the opportunity to travel to Japan for interviews. To my surprise, my interests aligned with the companies who wanted to interview me! All the positions I was selected for were related to product development and research. It was a chance to get into work I wanted to do!
During the actual interviews, the interviewers tried to communicate with me politely and patiently. They also answered in detail the questions I had prepared for the company. The result was that I passed the interview! With the help of FAST OFFER International, all my hard work had been rewarded.
This trip to Japan was also my first experience abroad. I had only known Japan through SNS then but seeing it in real life felt almost familiar. It also gave me the feeling that I could fit in and work in Japan comfortably.
Tips for Interviews with Japanese Companies
To receive a job offer, I focused on researching information about the companies I was interviewing within Japan.
I looked at the company websites and dug deeper into the company’s size, sales, business, product lineup, and what kind of technology the company has. It was also important to research businesses and products where I could apply my knowledge. To determine if the atmosphere of the company would fit me well, I investigated reviews and through word of mouth of the company too.
I did all this preliminary research in Japanese. By searching in Japanese, I was able to obtain more information. This is because Japanese companies are transparent when disclosing information. This helped me to understand Japanese words and technical terms related to topics most likely to be used in interviews. Knowing all this was useful in acing the interviews. During the actual interview, the interviewers were surprised and impressed by how well I had researched the company’s products and technologies.
Advice for Japanese Language Learners
Make sure you have a solid foundation
As with physics and anything else, if you don’t have a solid foundation, you won’t progress very far. Beginning with hiragana and katakana, master simple and basic areas before increasing the difficulty level.
Find enjoyment in learning Japanese and make it a habit.
You should try to find something related to the Japanese language that is connected to your interests. In my case, learning Japanese was easier thanks to Japanese SNS like web manga on X and Japanese TV programs. I was also able to memorize technical terms used in physics through science content and educational programs such as Pythagoras Switch and Lambda Tech. This also helped me in interviews.
Searching and researching in Japanese
Looking up information online is one way to train your reading speed and comprehension. I frequently used Japanese in the search engine, whether it was to research companies for interviews, or to find articles to help with university assignments. Using the language with an aim makes it a focused learning experience.
I would also look up scientific terms in Japanese, translate them into Chinese, and then translate them into English. As a Chinese Malaysian, it was interesting for me to learn the differences between Chinese characters and Japanese kanji, and the differences between the scientific terms I learned in English and those in Japanese.
Find Support and Community for Your Journey to Japan through the FAST OFFER International
It was a pleasant experience to transition from simply learning Japanese through SNS to working with FAST OFFER International to achieve my dream. When I came to Japan for the FAST OFFER international program in October, I was very impressed by the staff’s hard work in helping me. The students from all over the world who participated in the interview sessions with me also had interesting and unique personalities. I got to make diverse friends who will also be working in Japan. I am very grateful to FAST OFFER International for their generous support and care and for giving me the opportunity to meet friends from all over the world. They helped me chart out and achieve my dream.
