It was an eye opening experience to what it is like working in Japan. Even though the monthly stipend was a little bit lower than normal, the company provides food, housing, round trip flight costs, and daily transportation money. The team I was working on was very patient with me regarding the language barrier. Although I speak some Japanese, business Japanese is very different, so often times it was very difficult for me to keep up with meetings, but my team members would be very willing to clarify anything for me during or after the meetings.
What I wish was different
I wouldn't want this to change or not, but the company is pretty strict. You have to go into work before 8:30am and you're not allowed to leave until 5:15pm, even if you go to work early. This strict scheduling was difficult to get used to because it took about 45 minutes to commute to work, so it seemed like an extra 1 1/2 hour added to the work day. This is very typical for traditional Japanese companies, which is why I'm hesitant to say I wish it had been different.
Advice
Go in knowing that you're only going to be there for a limited period of time, so try and make the most out of the program, as well as being able to live in Japan.
