Brendan: I wanted to experience a Japanese office environment, especially in a non-corporate organization, and to work in Japanese to prepare for working in Japan after graduation.

Brendan​: I helped with the translation of documents, both from Japanese to English and from English to Japanese, data input about events and visitor responses, helped organize events with foreign residents and embassies, and observed interpretation for foreign residents in other sections of the ward office, for instance in the welfare and education departments.

Brendan: Initially I was a study abroad student in Japan during my last year of high school for 9 months. I later studied Japanese at TUJ, as well as at Musashi University. I took advantage of the Temple-Musashi University credit exchange program when it started in 2012. In the fall 2013, I took Japanese and Physics classes offered in Japanese at Musashi University.

Brendan: Getting over my own nervousness when talking to superiors was the biggest challenge I faced. I overcame this as we interacted more throughout the internship and by attending a welcome party dinner that helped build my comfort and confidence.