The special series to put a spotlight on our international staff, “Eyes, JAPAN Employee Interview” is back! Our fourth interviewee of this year is Thomas Latka from Germany.

He has been doing a full-time internship in Eyes, JAPAN for around 6 months. We want to ask him about his experience living in Aizu and working in Eyes, JAPAN!

(Interviewer: Angie)

Loves Riding Bicycle in Aizu.

What is your favorite thing about your home country or home town?

Thomas:  My home town Wuppertal has a unique suspension railway which is the landmark of the city. But my favorite thing there is the forest near the suburb I live. I actually miss being there.

Why did you come to Japan and what do you like about Japan?

Thomas: I’m a big fan of anime and that was the reason why I wanted to travel to Japan. But I didn’t encounter much of the anime culture here in Japan, but therefore I encountered delicious food and I love it.

What is your hobby and how do you usually spend your free time?

Thomas: Usually I play games, but I’m also open for outdoor activities. In Germany, I’m streaming a lot and meet friends online, but I love to be outdoor when the weather is good

What is your favorite way of spending your holidays in Aizu?

Thomas: Riding snow mobile in winter was super fun and I really enjoy it. I would also say riding bicycle is fun in Aizu.

What is your academic background and what kind or research are you doing or have you done before?

Thomas: I almost finished my graduation and the main focus was computer graphics and animations. Next to that I learned the basics of electricity and coding.

Do you have any things or skills that you are proud of?

Thomas: on twitch.tv I’m well known and I have around 10.000 follower. If you count all social media channels together I have around 20.000 follower. That’s something I’m actually proud of 🙂

Eyes, JAPAN Has A Very Advanced Office!

How did you know about Eyes, JAPAN?

Thomas: My professor in Germany is an old friend of Yamadera-san. Both know each other 30 years, I guess and my professor is telling a lot about his relationship to Japan. This is how I learned about Yamadera-san.

Why did you decide to join Eyes, JAPAN?

Thomas: It wasn’t actually my first option. First, I apply for 1 semester at the University of Aizu and I got accepted but my case manager in Aizu told me because of the covid rules I won’t get a visa for the winter semester 2022/23 back then. Because I didn’t want waiting longer to fly to Japan, I talked to Yamadera san about an internship, because he said he will manage the visa for me.

Do you have any job experiences before joining Eyes, JAPAN?

Thomas: Yes, I worked before in a law office and also in a travel agency. But the most working experiences I earned as a content creator on the internet.

What is your role and what kind of projects have you been working on in Eyes, JAPAN?

Thomas: I was part of the ALAN PD project. My part was to work on the pose estimation and extracting the data. I also did some library comparisons while building source codes.

What do you think about your colleagues and the working environment in Eyes, JAPAN?

Thomas: They are always really nice, like everyone in Japan and I really going to miss them. But if everybody is always nice you never know what a person is thinking for real. Don’t you :). As for the working environment, it is very modern. I didn’t expect so many various things and I would say it is a very advanced office.

What do you think about working at the company and working at home?

Thomas: I prefer working at home for routine tasks but for changing tasks I would say it is better to come to the company.

What kind of problems or challenges have you faced while working in Eyes, JAPAN, and how did you solve it?

Thomas: I faced lot of problems while working on the tasks. Sometimes I managed to solve it on my own but sometime I needed help from a co-worker.

Advice: Get A Heater for Winter and Be Careful of Spicy Food!

Have you experienced any culture shock while working in Japan?

Thomas: Not really, to be honest.

Can you give some pros and/or cons of working at a Japanese company?

Thomas: Pro of course is free drinking of coffee and tea and cons I would say that you have to add your break time to your remaining working time of the day, but I think it’s everywhere like that.

How do you balance your working and private time?

Thomas: I almost had no study or private time^^ The working time took the most of my day.

What kind of project do you want to work on in the future?

Thomas: I’m not sure. I think working on a game would be cool, but I’m open for most things.

Any advice for people who wants to work in Japan?

Thomas: Yeah^^ buy yourself a heater for winter and be careful of spicey food. It might be not good for your stomach.

Lastly, what motivates you to keep working or studying?

Thomas: Good question, I would say it is the wish to grow yourself.

Thank you!

If you are interested in Eyes, JAPAN and would like to hear other stories, please do not hesitate to contact us at the following contact form.

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Everyone welcome.