Toshiyuki Nakajima

STAFF INTERVIEW: Toshiyuki Nakajima (IT Support, ACE Ryugaku Center)

Jon: What is your role here at Yamasa?
Nakajima: I work in Student Affairs (gakuseika) and give support and assistance to students with setting up their computers to enable them to use the network. I also provide cell phones for students, as well as being the manager of the study abroad centre which places Japanese students in foreign language schools abroad.

J: When did you start working at Yamasa?
N: In January 1997.

J: Was your previous job similar to what you do now?
N: No, it was totally different. I was actually an English teacher for 7 years before starting at Yamasa. And prior to teaching English I sold boats and marine jets. I was the second best salesman in my first year at the company after leaving University and I received a pay rise!
J: So why did you quit?
N: Too much work. I felt I might die if I continued working there!

J: Do you live in the Okazaki area?
N: Yes, near City Hall.
J: I have heard your wife has recently had a new baby; congratulations!

N: Thank you!
J: You must be a happy man!
N: No, not really! (Jokingly.....). He's a really good baby but can be a bit noisy at times. We laugh a lot together though.
J: How old is he?
N: Just four months.
J: And do you have any other children?
N: Yes, I have an 11 year old and an 8 year old daughter.
J: This must be a busy time for you at the moment with a new arrival in the family?

N: My wife and I both work so, yes, we're very busy.
J: What does your wife do?
N: My wife works on the promotion of potato chip and snack displays in supermarkets. In the evening when the kids go to bed we get our computers out and write a daily report related to our jobs - there's no talking at all!

J: When you're not working and you have time to speak to your wife, what do you generally do?
N: Spend time with my family. I try to play tennis every week with them.
J: Are your children good at tennis?
N: My youngest daughter can barely hit the ball but my older one is better. My wife is probably the best but we don't get much time to play at the moment and spend most of our time indoors because of the new baby.

J: As you were an English teacher in the past, I assume you can speak English. How about other languages?
N: Other than English I can speak a bit of French. I studied it for 3 years.
J: What are you better at, French or English?
N: 99% English and 1% French I think! I studied English from the age of ten using a book called Snoopy English. I actually studied by myself because English wasn't taught at that age when I was at school. When I was younger I thought that foreign people were interesting and I wanted to communicate with them. When I was a University student my ambition was to be an English speaking Greengrocer and set up my own store!

J: What's the most difficult aspect of your job?
N: When it comes to computer support, occasionally the different language systems on the computers can be difficult to deal with, especially when it's in German or Korean. Being able to cater for all the different needs of the Japanese students that want to study abroad is hard. If their requests were all the same then it would be easy but they are all completely different.
J: Can you give me an example?
N: There was one student who was going to America to study and wanted to stay with a homestay family. This was no problem, but he also wanted the family to teach him how to surf, and to take him to the beach everyday!
J: You wouldn't believe some of the requests and questions I receive.............
J: And what's the best thing about the job?

N: The thanks I get from the people who have studied here or abroad. The customer satisfaction. I also find it interesting to talk to the students at Yamasa, whether it's in Japanese, English, or even French.

J: Do you have any fututre plans?
N: They're a secret........No, seriously, I would like to retire to Florida (USA), buy a boat and spend my time sailing. Between then and now I have no immediate plans.

J: Any message you would like to give to the readers of the Newsletter and/or potential students.
N: If you're coming to Yamasa and staying at the Student Village then always come and ask me for help with any computer related questions or problems you have.

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