Interviewing Australian people
working in Japan-related enterprises

 

Interview: Samantha Ishizuka After studying business and management in the UK for three years, Samantha Ishizuka ventured overseas - travelling to Hiroshima on a Japanese exchange program. Working as an English teacher and for Berlitz language schools, Samantha later continued her travels and education in Australia. Undertaking a Masters degree at the University of Technology, Sydney, Samantha now works for Canon Information Systems Research Australia (CiSRA). Based in the Sydney suburb of North Ryde, Samantha is a project co-ordinator dealing with Canon Inc in Japan and Japanese staff employed in Australia. She enjoys rollerblading, going to the gym and eating out. She would love to dine with renowned Sydney chef Tetsuya Wakuda, who comes from the same part of Japan as her husband, and quiz him about his Australian experience.

How do you know the Japanese language?
I studied Japanese during the three years I worked in Japan. I attended weekly courses, had private lessons and also did language exchange with Japanese friends. During my last year, I did a short intensive Japanese language course in Sapporo and lived with a Japanese family for six months in Hiroshima.

Where did you live in Japan?
I lived near Hiroshima between 1997 and 2000 in a small town called Ono. I was the only non-Japanese person there... It was a great opportunity to learn the language.
What did you learn from living in Japan? One of the things I am really thankful for is my new appreciation for food. British people don't have very high standards, especially as their most popular foods are Chinese and Indian. Japanese food has so many different tastes and textures that it is a real delight.

Did you have any interesting experiences while living in Japan?
I had been in Japan a week and went to a teaching conference. When I got on the train to go home, I realised I had left my conference bag on the platform. A few days later, I was away on another teaching course and casually mentioned the incident to the receptionist of the place I was staying at. She called the station and was told that my bag had been sent to my local station. Sure enough, when I returned home my conference bag was there and nothing was missing. I was extremely touched...

Samantha outside the Berlitz office in Japan

Could you describe your current work?
My position at CiSRA as a project co-ordinator is unique. I provide thorough communication between Canon Inc in Japan and the staff at CiSRA. I participate in video conferences and meetings. A strong sense of cross-cultural communication and an understanding of how Japanese companies operate are vital for the role. CiSRA researches and develops advanced technology solutions for Canon. I work at one of the very few research and development companies in Australia.

How do you use your language skills and understanding of Japanese culture at work?
Part of my role is to smooth communication between Canon Inc in Japan and the engineers I work with in Australia. Our ways of expression, working habits etc are different and so I act like the grease between the two. I speak both Japanese and English at work.

Do you see differences between Australian and Japanese employees at your office?
Japanese people who have lived in Australia a while tend to take on a few Australian values. They have more time to spend with their families than they do in Japan. We don't have lots of after-work drinking parties like they do. Australians who work at CiSRA are appreciative of the Japanese people they work with and it makes for a co-operative and smooth working environment.

Does marriage to a Japanese husband help your career in any way?
My husband is my biggest fan. We speak a mixture of Japanese and English at home, which helps me at work. We often have conversations about Japanese culture and what motivates people. These allow me to explain differences in ways of thinking to my Japanese and Australian colleagues, which increases understanding and reduces conflict.

Please tell us your plans for the future.
I have an interview to become an Australian citizen in June. I still have to work on my Australian accent... When I went back to the UK recently, my friends said I sounded like one of the actors from Home and Away or Neighbours.

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Interviewing Japanese people working in Australian enterprises

Interview: Takamasa Kikui An executive for Ernst & Young Australia, Takamasa Kikui is national director of the firm's Japanese business service. With an auditing background of a decade with the global company, Takamasa took on his current role three years ago. Prior to Ernst & Young, he ran an import-export consultancy business. He holds a Commerce degree from Tokyo's Meiji University and an MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management, at the Sydney-based University of NSW. Married with a four-year-old daughter, Takamasa cites golf and "singing while driving to work" as hobbies. He regards the lifestyle as the best aspect of life in Australia. He lives with his wife Shane and his daughter Sage in Homebush.

When and why did you come to Australia?
I met my Australian wife in Japan many years ago and eventually decided to come here 13 years ago. The trigger was my career change. I was bored with my work in Tokyo and had planned to study abroad. The original idea was to go to the US. However we found my wife needed a working visa and an alternative option was to come to Australia. The offer she made (before we married) was for me to concentrate on my studies for two years while she brought in an income and did the cooking, washing and cleaning (basically, everything to look after me for the two years). I thought that was a great offer and came to Australia with her. Thanks to my devoted wife, I managed to graduate from the MBA course. However the two-year contract ended up with me owing her the rest of my life!

How has life been in Australia?
Have you had any funny episodes or difficult experiences?
I had looked forward to the student life again - no stress and lots of parties! But that turned out to be just a dream and the reality was really painful. As she is a Queenslander and I am Japanese, both of us were unfamiliar with Sydney. Without proper planning, we jumped into this city. We were so poor that I had to study on a cardboard box instead of a desk. Our life in Sydney started with a mattress for bedding, a second-hand fridge and that cardboard box. It was very difficult.

Could you describe your work?
How do you use your Japanese language skills and understanding of Japanese culture?
I started with Ernst & Young's Sydney office in July, 1997. Ernst & Young has about 3800 employees in Australia of which the Sydney office has more than 2200. I started from scratch to learn auditing, accounting and tax compliance. I became senior manager in providing audit services for Japanese clients before taking on my current role. I now look after national Japanese business practice in Australia and report the activities to my Australian partner. We have a Japanese business service group in each of Australia's major cities, all under my responsibility. Thirteen Japanese are employed in the group and provide audit, accounting and tax advice to our clients. Due to the nature of my work, I frequently travel to Japan and across Australia. My role is to look after our Japanese clients from the client-relation perspective.

Describe one difference between Australian workers and their Japanese counterparts in your office. Say, when working over 50 hours a week, Australians are very good at working from the very early morning. Japanese work more evenings and at night-time. But this may be my subjective view.

Takamasa meeting with colleagues at work

What demands are asked of you in your work?
Business today is a complex environment of increasing compliance risks and regulatory pressures. Our professional advice is becoming further specialised, complex and diversified. To liaise effectively between the client and our team, it is also essential to understand cultural issues. All of these factors are important to ensure effective communication in the hundreds of engagements between our clients and our teams.

And the rewards?
The work gives me self-esteem. I particularly feel achievement when clients appreciate our work.

Does marriage to an Australian affect your career in any way?
Absolutely. She has a good understanding of both cultures and supports me, especially by understanding my work commitments. She is the best investment in my life.