Working as a Japanese expat in Europe

Interview with Yuko Koyama

Hello Yuko, you have been working at SEKISUI EUROPE since October 2023, can you introduce yourself?

My name is Yuko and I am from Japan. I grew up in the city of Nara, a city with a long history located near Kyoto. Recently I lived in Hyogo Prefecture before moving to Roermond. Now that I live in Roermond, I walk to the office every day. I really like my morning walk because I can enjoy the fresh air and hear the sound of the church bells. In my spare time I enjoy traveling, walking and listening to music. I also really enjoy visiting museums!

Can you tell us more about your background at SEKISUI CHEMICAL in Japan?

I joined SEKISUI CHEMICAL in Japan at the end of 2017 and worked as an assistant manager in the Legal department, so it has been more than 6 years since I became a member of SEKISUI.

What are your job and tasks within SEKISUI EUROPE?

Have you noticed any aspects of Japanese corporate culture that you also have encountered at SEKISUI EUROPE?

That's quite an interesting question! Japanese companies also differ from each other. Since the end of the pandemic, many Japanese companies have started to work differently, so I find it complicated to summarise 'Japanese business culture' in general. But what I can say is that the collaboration with our Japanese headquarters is in a more formal way. The process by which decisions are made is more complex and takes more time. The communication style with Japanese colleagues is also more indirect than with my European colleagues. I think there is a good mix of Japanese and Western styles in SEKISUI EUROPE's corporate culture.

SEKISUI EUROPE's colleagues are from different nationalities, have you had the experience of working in such a culturally diverse team? How did you deal with the cultural differences?

I have previously worked in a Japanese company with a diverse team, and the SEKISUI head office in Japan is also committed to promoting diversity throughout the group. At SEKISUI EUROPE we are a much smaller team compared to the companies I have worked for before. However, I have noticed that together we are diverse in many ways, not only in terms of nationality, but also in terms of work culture and the like. I haven't really experienced any big 'culture shock' at work, partly because my colleagues at SEKISUI EUROPE are very supportive and make me feel comfortable in my workplace. This is something we can be proud of, that we work in such a multicultural environment where everyone collaborates together and respects each other.

Do you still have some anecdotes to share with us since you arrived at SEKISUI EUROPE?

What I did experience as special is the fact that everyone here brings cake to work for his or her own birthday! I also noticed the fact that people here work again on January 2 and generally have fewer national holidays than in Japan. What also surprised me, but definitely on a positive note, is that my colleagues like to keep the conversation going until we are both satisfied.

How is your new life in Roermond, the Netherlands?

Before moving here, I had been told by another Japanese expat that the city has a long history, nice people and beautiful scenery. Since I live here I can also confirm this! What especially impressed me is the enthusiasm of Roermond during carnival. That went way beyond what I could ever imagine. I took lots of photos and videos and sent them to my parents in Japan, who were also amazed.

How do you spend your free time outside work with colleagues or friends in the Netherlands?

With some of my colleagues, we meet sometimes outside working hours and when we do this, it is always a lot of fun. For example, during a dinner we were talking about Dutch culture and history, and I mentioned that some Japanese words are descended from Dutch (thanks to more than 400 years of history between the Netherlands and Japan).