Taiwan
Graduated from Harajuku School
Boiling Point Japan Co.
Mr. Zhang Han Yan from Taiwan shared with us his unique experience of studying at Harajuku School’s evening course. Mr. Zhang, a working man, works at his workplace in Shibuya during the day and comes to Harajuku at night to study Japanese. Ask him why he chose the Harajuku school to recharge his batteries as a social worker.
Why did you decide to come to Japan to study?
I really like Japanese culture, and my boss when I was working in Taiwan encouraged me to go abroad. At the time, Japan was considered a hot topic in Taiwan, so I thought I would first come to Japan on a working holiday.
When you first came to Japan, what was your level of Japanese?
When I first came to Japan in 2019, I could not speak Japanese. My workplace was a chocolate factory in Ibaraki Prefecture, where conversation was not allowed inside the factory, and my workmates were all Taiwanese, so I had very few opportunities to use Japanese. Later, I found a job and stayed there on a working visa.
Please tell us about your current job.
I am currently working for the global chain of the famous Taiwanese hot pot restaurant "Boiling Ignition Hot Pot" in Shibuya. As a member of the main community myself, I have to deal with all aspects of the business.
Why did you decide to study Japanese at ISI Harajuku School?
I already had the idea that since I came to Japan, I needed to polish my Japanese. Since 2021, I have been studying Japanese at ISI Harajuku School as part of my company's external training program, and I am currently at the N3 level.
Unlike other Japanese language schools that focus on grammar, the Harajuku school focuses on speaking, so there are many opportunities to speak.
How did studying at Harajuku School affect your Japanese language skills?
At first, I could not communicate well in Japanese with my colleagues, which sometimes caused misunderstandings at work. After studying at ISI for 6 months and then returning to work, I feel that my Japanese has improved a lot. I am now able to work more fluently and have fewer problems due to misunderstandings and language gaps. I am now able to communicate with my Japanese colleagues in a richer way. I am very proud of myself.
How do you balance your daytime job with studying Japanese at night?
With work during the day and study at night, my days are busy and full, but it is worth it.
Also, thanks to the company arranging another shift for me, I am able to come to work the earliest part of the day and attend classes the earliest part of the night.
The company's shift schedule is very well connected, so I have to learn Japanese very well.
What are your plans for the future?
Since Japan is the first Asian country that Boiling Point has expanded to, my current plan is to establish a presence in Japan as well as the US headquarters to increase the number of Boiling Point stores.
My long term plan is to live in Japanese and work for my current company to help Taiwanese nabe take root in the Japanese market.
