Voice From Alumni

Name: Sivakumar Dineshkumar
Home country/region: India/Tamil Nadu
Hobbies: Travelling and Playing computer games

I graduated from Hiroshima university in 2016 and joined a company called HIROSHIMA KASEI in Fukuyama city, Hiroshima prefecture. The company is 70 years old and into manufacture and sales of rubber plastic products. I work as design engineer in the global business development section for the industrial products division of the company. In a more simple way, I work in both the sales department (global sales) and the design department.

My company is a medium scale company, with the Industrial Materials Division having 2 plants in Fukuyama city and one plant in Bandung, Indonesia and technical alliance with companies in more than 10 countries. Even though my company is globally expanding, I am the only foreigner in the company. This was my first motivation to join Hiroshima Kasei. Being the only foreigner in the company its a bit challenging to get used to technical Japanese language but at the same time I am enjoying learning the corporate side of Japan, and also the different opportunities to work in different areas of the company.

Japan is a really peaceful place, and Hiroshima prefecture where I have been living is not as big as Tokyo or Osaka, but it’s a perfect place to experience both modern and traditional Japan. It is really an inspiration living at this place, considering it has been developed since then the A-bomb. This is one perfect prefecture to experience all the 4 seasons of Japan and lastly my personal favorite about this place is its delicious food called OKONOMIYAKI. Before coming to Japan, I didn’t know much about this country except for the fact that this place is the origin of all the cool electronic stuff. About the people, I always had this impression that Japanese people are really disciplined. And both of those were very true. I feel I have learnt a totally new definition of the word discipline. Each second matters in Japan!

I didn’t know Japanese language before coming to Japan, but I think Indians can learn Japanese naturally. I feel Indian languages and Japanese are actually, in some way, interrelated. Maybe that’s why I was able to learn the basics of Japanese very quickly. Japanese companies have been expanding their business in India and So I think Japan is actually a really good destination for education/work for Indians. Compared to the stories I hear from my friends studying/working in other countries abroad, I think Japanese people are really kind and helpful and the culture here is amazing!!