Nathalie G.
Internship Program: Unpaid Internship
Company/Type: FILTOM Inc.
Nationality: German

Today we leave Fukuoka city and turn to our intern in Kitakyushu. Nathalie from Germany researches for FILTOM Inc. and talks about her experiences.

Why did you choose Asahi Nihongo?
An organisation at my university helped me to get in contact with Asahi Nihongo.

Why did you pick this internship?
I wanted to do an internship regarding microbiology. That is why I chose this company.

What were your tasks?
The first weeks of my internship consisted of literature research for my studies. Afterwards I decided on a schedule and an aim for my studies. Honestly, the time for my studies was limited, so I could not research to a big extent. My research project was about the fermenting process of “Nukadoko”, a Japanese pickle made by putting vegetables in a rice bran. During this process, a lot of different substances are released and my task was to filter a specific group of substances. The company wants to use the results to create new ingredients for their cosmetics.
Additionally,  I also participated in field trips or business events, where we sold bio hot dogs, and I also went to a piggery. From these pegs we get the placenta we use for different researches.

Were there any (cultural) problems you had to overcome during your internship?
My colleagues were all friendly, but at the beginning I had a few problems to learn new technical term regarding my research.

What did you like the most about your internship?
A very interesting part during my research was a home visit to an elderly woman, who showed my supervisor and me how to make Nukadoko in a traditional way. It was very interesting to watch how this technique of fermenting vegetables works. Beside this experience, I also enjoyed the exchange with some professors from two universities in Kitakyushu.

And how do you like Kitakyushu?
If you are interested in engineering, biology or chemistry, Kitakyushu, its universities and  companies are the perfect place for you. There are also many convenience stores and restaurants you can go to.

Do you have any tips or recommendations for people who might want to do an internship?
I think working at FILTOM would be a good decision for everyone, who is specialised in food chemistry, because this is a major field the company concentrates on. Moreover I would recommend people who are interested in cosmetics and the way it is produced to make an internship at the company. In the near future there may be chances for people who are interested in marketing to apply for an internship at FILTOM because it plans to work together with a television transmitter to promote its researches and products.

Program: Unpaid Internship 

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