5 Weeks at the Friendliest Tokyo Company
I discovered HENNGE through the careers website of my university in Australia, and even though I was in the middle of my graduate thesis, I applied to the Global Internship Program on a whim—after all, they cover airfares!
To my surprise, I was offered the opportunity to join the company for five weeks as an intern at the start of 2024, and before I knew it, I was walking into an office that shattered the stereotype of a “Japanese company.”
Situated in the heart of Shibuya, I was greeted with friendly faces and a bright, open office space. With snack and drink facilities along with different areas for collaboration with others or individual-focused work, the office was one of the most comfortable I’ve ever worked in.
I met the mentors who would guide us through our work, had lunch with the other three interns, and got started working on our project for the next month: creating a full-stack social media platform and deploying it with AWS. I was working with technologies I’d barely used before, but with the assistance of my mentors and while collaborating with my fellow interns, I was able to learn deeply about web app development, AWS, and common deployment patterns. These skills will continue to be useful throughout my professional career, and I feel like I’ve come to understand how to use these technologies in a practical way.
Work, however, wasn’t the only thing to enjoy. Throughout my time at HENNGE, I was able to meet so many different members from different departments through paid-for lunches, all whilst discovering the multitude of local restaurants and cafes in the area. The company also has countless activity nights and social groups, whether it’s for bouldering, karaoke, Japanese study, or sweets! These opportunities were not only incredibly fun, but also helped me feel much more connected to the company and the people.
Outside of HENNGE, there was plenty of time to travel and explore everything Tokyo has to offer. Being a fan of Japanese music, I took advantage of this and was able to go to 13 different music events, including King Gnu’s Tokyo Dome concert, and was able to meet some of my favourite artists! I also travelled to Yamanaka Lake and had the most stunning view of Mount Fuji.
The friends and memories I was able to make on this trip were truly unforgettable, and I am so appreciative of HENNGE and their employees for taking in us interns with an always friendly and cheerful attitude. I’m looking forward to once again meeting everyone one day!
Jack Carey from Australia interned with the HENNGE Global Internship Program from January 16 to February 16, 2024.
