Nanami Kubota is from Fukuoka Prefecture and graduated from university in 2019. At university, she majored in Business Administration focusing on Management and Leadership Theory. She has very good communication skills and can quickly become friends with anyone. Her hobbies include studying English and traveling around the world.
What is your favorite travel memory?
My favorite travel memory was meeting amazing people in Hawaii. I went to Hawaii on a graduation trip with my friends in February 2019. This was the first time I had ever gone overseas!
Actually, I hated studying English before going to Hawaii. It was difficult, I had a hard time understanding it, and trying to speak English always stressed me out.
But the Hawaiian people changed my mind. As we had dinner together, played cards, and interacted with each other, my passion for speaking English sparked. After returning to Japan, I began to enjoy studying English,and it became a real hobby of mine. I am proud of my experience in Hawaii because it changed my way of thinking.
How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?
Meiji Internships has given me a lot of confidence.
The reason is that the company exchanges and discusses e-mail with various people every day. Although I originally didn't have the confidence, I was assigned a variety of tasks and communicated with so many people that I was able to work with confidence and glee.
Also, because we are multinational, we can learn a lot on a daily basis. While working, you can interact with people from different countries and grow constantly.
What is the best story you've heard from a return student?
I first met an American who came to Japan at university. I regularly taught him Japanese because he was not good at Japanese at that time.
One day, he tried to go to the hot spring alone. However, he got lost in the mountains and wandered alone in the dark.
However, he spoke in Japanese to an elderly man who drove by car. The old man saw him and took him to the hot spring by car. I was reminded of the warmth of the hearts of Japanese people and was very happy.
If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?
I want to create a world where people around the world can work happily. Why? There are many people in the world who do not feel like their work is worthwhile. Some people even commit suicide because of tough working conditions.
I sincerely hope to change this situation and make workers feel cherished. Meiji Internships provides valuable internships for everyone. From start to finish, the staff will do everything to help interns have an amazing work experience. I want to realize a program that allows people from all over the world to work with satisfaction and respect each other, especially in Japan.
What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?
My company has a sense of speed. They can solve problems very quickly and work efficiently. I have a task for each person, on which they work reliable while highly valuing information sharing. When I am worried my team members are helping me immediately. They are listening to me when i am in trouble and share advice. I am proud of the helpfulness and the joint growth of my team.
What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?
Time management is essential for a company to succeed. We shouldn't work slowly because the same amount of time (24 hours) is giving to every person and everyone is equal. In that context, whether to spend that time or waste is very important for the success of the company. I will continue to value time management and do my very best to reach the highest standards - and beyond
