MORE ABOUT MITSUO
From interns' point of view
More than a boss, he is a "papa" during our time in Japan.
Meet the 2 interns,
Hannah
from Vietnam
Jop
from Thailand
and listen to their feelings about Mitsuo...
Very open-minded and comfortable
With Mitsuo-san, he is very open-minded about current trends and respects cultural differences, including owning tattoos (Japanese people consider tattoos to be undesirable as they are associated with the yakuza). This personality trait is also reflected in how he manages his company. While his main business is construction, the employees here are not constrained by dress codes, uniforms on regular days, and they don't even need to go to the office to work.
Caring and hospitality is always a priority.
When we first met Mitsuo-san, he was always guiding and ready to help us in any situation. He mentioned that everything in the lodge is free for us to use, and we can feel free to use anything. He instructed us on how to use everything in the lodge so that we always have what we need and don't find ourselves lacking in anything.
There were times when the two of us got sick, and Mitsuo-san always took us to see the doctor, bought medicine, and checked on our well-being every day.
He also observes us to understand each person's preferences. Later, he will inquire and provide suggestions about good restaurants, fun places, and recommend famous brands that we should try.
Delicious and healthy meals
Mitsuo-san enjoys cooking, so making delicious meals for everyone is his joy. When he has free time, Mitsuo-san always tries to visit the lodge and cook dinner for us. Even when he has to be away from the lodge for a few days, he will pre-cook a large pot of soup for us to eat while working at the lodge. Moreover, when preparing meals for visiting guests, he always prepares portions for us as well.
Through conversations with him, we also learned that he values health a lot. Therefore, all the ingredients he uses in the meals for us are 100% organic, without chemicals and additives. Moreover, when taking us out to eat, Mitsuo often chose longstanding restaurants, ensuring that the ingredients met his standards.
Mitsuo-san prepared the sushi show
We enjoyed his show
His sushi
When we first came to Japan, our parents were worried that we wouldn't like the taste of the food and wouldn't eat well. But the truth is, here we eat regularly and even more than at home 😆.
Traveling time
Hannah's friends often joke:
"Is Hannah on an internship or a paid vacation?"
They ask this because they see her traveling a lot and frequently posting pictures from various places. In those trips, Mitsuo-san is always the one behind, providing support and assistance to us. Most of our trips have Mitsuo-san as a companion; he takes care of almost everything related to meals and accommodation for us. And if there are trips he can't join, he still helps us find accommodation and sends many recommendations for good eateries.
Visiting guests
One thing we find fascinating in this internship is the opportunity to meet Mitsuo-san's guests, his friends. We have the chance to meet, interact, chat, have meals together, explore the scenery, and even play in the snow together. These are truly unforgettable memories, simple yet deeply engraved.
People in Hidaka town
Living in this town for two months, we cannot overlook Mitsuko-san (Mitsuo-san's wife) and Nakata-san (Mitsuo's staff, and also the person who helps us in Mitsuo's absence). Although we haven't had many interactions with Mitsuko and Nakata, we understand that they silently support and are always ready to help whenever we have any issues.
So, what we learnt from Mitsuo is...
- The hospitality and friendliness from Mitsuo
- Journeys make us grow up
- Life becomes happier with good sleep and meals
Lastly,
we want to thank Mitsuo for giving us the opportunity to meet and work with him. Two months, though short, were enough for us to learn many things from him and from this gentle country of Japan.