NEOMA Alumni Mag - N°25 - Décembre 2020 - 23

ENJOYING LIFE OUTSIDE OF WORK
" You can easily spend two weeks just visiting
Tokyo " , observes Sofiann Krati (PGE 17), Financial
Controller at Biomérieux. " The quality of life is
great. Accommodation is more expensive than in
France but going out and traveling are quite
affordable. Trains are on time, they run frequently
and are super-fast. " Most alumni have been touring Japan, and they like to talk about the many
weekend trips they've been taking. From Tokyo -
where they are all based - a two-hour train ride will
take you to the mountains for a hike or to the
beach to spend the day. You can also wander
around the various neighborhoods of Tokyo, go
for a run, or bike around the city. Barbara Doussard
says: " Onsens (hot springs) have become my new
passion. After intense work weeks in Tokyo, finding
peace and harmony in natural environments is
mandatory. " All alumni praise the eclectic nightlife
in the metropolis. You can choose between bars,
restaurants, arcade game centers, clubs, karaoke
and izakaya. " Beer and food at an izakaya followed
by karaoke is my go-to evening out " , says Laure
Jacquon. These Japanese-style pubs, are very
popular. Toshiyuki Ikeshita (IMBA 13), a Japanese
national, is Manager Commercial Operations for
Retail Travel Agencies APAC at Amadeus IT Group.
After long days of work, he often goes for drinks
with his colleagues at the izakaya or at the restaurant. Going back home late is never a problem. All
alumni feel very safe in Japan. However, as a foreigner, no matter how much time you spend in
Japan, you will feel a little isolated.
❱❱❱

DR
DR

Laure Jacquon
(PGE 15)

Sarah Hearn
(PGE 19)

HOW TO SEIZE THE MOMENT IN JAPAN
All the alumni interviewed would definitely recommend working in Japan. Some of them were looking for an international experience in a country
that was radically different from theirs. Others
were attracted to Japan because they grew up
with Japanese culture. This is especially true for
younger people. For more than 20 years now, Japanese pop culture has reached the Western world
through mass media. A form of soft power, " Cool
Japan " has used Japanese culture as a leverage to
export Japan's cool or " kawaii " characters as well
as its fashion, its movies, its manga, and its food.
Laure Jacquon (PGE 15), Marketing Manager at
Amazon, says that her interest in Japan started
with Japanese music. Sarah Hearn (PGE 19), Innovation Project Manager at the French start-up
Agorize, was introduced to Japanese culture
through manga and anime. As her interest grew
stronger, she quickly turned to history books. She
started learning Japanese first for fun as a teenager; then for real, during her exchange semester
and the six additional months she spent in Japan.
Her goal was to find a job in Tokyo. But whether
there is pre-existing appeal to the Japanese culture or not, living in Japan always makes for a

life-changing experience. For Barbara Doussard
(PGE 07), Marketing Vice President of the North
Asia Hub at l'Oréal Paris, " You come out of an
experience in Japan humbler, simpler and closer to
nature. You're attentive to seizing the moment. "
The Hanami (gazing at flowers) tradition shows
the importance of connecting with nature and
appreciating beauty in everyday life. Every spring,
the Japanese take out their cameras to capture the
beauty of flowering. Though the most famous one
is the cherry blossom, they will hunt for the best
spots to witness the blossoming of prune trees,
irises, azaleas, or hydrangeas. Every year, the flowering of their favorite plants is considered specific
and unique. If the clichés carried by Cool Japan
and the Japanese lifestyle seem too good to be
true, living in Japan is nonetheless really enjoyable.

Barbara Doussard
(PGE 07)

n recent years, efforts were made to encourage
inbound international business and trade. For
instance, the economic partnership agreement
between the EU and Japan entered into force in
2019 to facilitate exports towards Japan. Reforms
to improve the way English was taught in school
were implemented in 2020, since the average English level of the Japanese workforce was considered a major barrier to international business.
Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games aimed to put the
spotlight on Japan but also to broadcast the reopening of the evacuation-designated zones in
Fukushima and show the world the resilience of
Japan and of the Japanese nuclear industry to
nuclear disasters. However, the pandemic seems
to have put into question Japan's internationalization policy. For instance, even long-term residents
were affected by the closing of borders during the
Covid-19 pandemic, which serves to highlight the
country's isolationist tendencies. Do expatriates
feel it in their everyday life? Or is living in Japan as
fascinating as it seems to be? Let us see what our
alumni have to say about their experience as foreign workers in Japan.

Sofiann Krati
(PGE 17)

Toshiyuki Ikeshita
(IMBA 13)

NEOMA ALUMNI mag DÉCEMBRE 2020

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NEOMA Alumni Mag - N°25 - Décembre 2020

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