Panel Discussion

“What’s it like to work in Japan? Real Voices from Japanese Companies”

14:00-15:00 Room I

Needless to say, many international students in Japan are seeking around their job in Japan. Now the question is “Are Japanese companies ready for it?” Maybe we are not So Ready. Then, what is real hurdles for us to be ready?. To know that we (both Japanese companies and international students) need to understand each other more. Here is the session for us to reveal Real Voices from various Japanese companies. DO NOT spread the contents of the panel in SNS since we will show off some REAL VOICES in here.

<Panelists>

Satoshi  Washiya
COO
Autonomous Control Systems Laboratory Ltd. (ACSL)

M.S. of Architecture from Graduate School of Creative Science and Engineering, Waseda University. Served both domestic and multinational companies in corporate-wide transformation project at Tokyo and Stockholm office of McKinsey & Company. Joined ACSL in July 2016.

Daichi Mochizuki
Research and Development
Planning Div.
Japan Tobacco Inc.

Expertise in Microbiology and Molecular biology.
Joined Japan Tobacco Inc. Research and Development Group in 2014. Assigned in Tobacco Science Research Center (Fundamental Research).
Published research (CORESTA Congress 2016) on the effect of moisture on microbial diversity in aging tobacco leaves. Since 2018, moved to R&D planning Div. (Recruiting).

Masanobu Kowaka
Corporate Planning Dept.
Hamano Products

Brought up in the USA and studied in the UK for one year for his university study. Hoping to change the world, joined Hamano Products in 2016, which constructs the ecosystem of manufacturing that stretches beyond industries. Using the advantage of experience abroad, he struggles to globalize the ecosystem to solve the world’s problems.

Ryuta Takeda
General Manager
Global Platform Development Div
Leave a Nest, Co. Ltd.

Studied the structure of the RNA pathogen viroid at Ohio State University, USA, and obtained Ph.D.
As the general manager of the Global Platform Development Division, he is tackling the development of overseas strategies, in particular the seed acceleration program “TECH PLANTER” to discover and nurture startups in the Deep Tech field. In addition to this, private-sector led research grant project “LNest Grant” for young researchers.

<moderator>

Blake Foster
Consultant
Active Connector Inc.

After completing a Masters Degree in International Relations at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Blake joined Active Connector as Consultant. He became inspired to help others with their careers through his prior professional and academic experiences. Now, at Active Connector, Blake looks to support foreigners in Japan to navigate the cultural differences in Japanese work culture and help them find not only a job but something that will allow them to flourish, both personally and professionally. https://www.active-connector.com/