My internship was placed in Tokyo. It's one of the most populous and largest cities in the world. There is a complex network of neighborhoods, each offering its own unique character and charm.

Tokyo is one of the cities where the old and new coexist harmoniously. Ancient temples and shrines stand tall beside futuristic skyscrapers, creating a blend of tradition and modernity. The city is very clean, with well-maintained public spaces and efficient public transportation. One of the surprising things about Tokyo is the abundance of vending machines, selling everything from drinks to hot meals. Japanese culture is known for its politeness and consideration for others.

I mostly explored Shibuya as I was living nearby. It is famous for crazy crossings, Hachiko statue and trendy shops. Shinjuku was also fun, especially the Golden-Gai with couple of narrow alleys filled with tiny shanty-style bars. Asakusa is a historic neighborhood located in Tokyo. However, the place was extremally crowded and touristic for me. I enjoyed other historic districts much more. I would recommend Kawagoe, Kamakura or Enoshima. For nature hikes, you can visit Mt. Takao, Mt. Mitake or Akigawa valley which are very close to Tokyo. Nikko or Nagano prefectures are a bit further, but there are very nice temples, waterfalls and hiking routes. Mt. Fuji is also easily accessible. After my internship I visited the typical touristic sites as Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, or Hiroshima. Those are definitely worth to visit, but in Japan you need to accept that you cannot see everything and that is fine. In the end I enjoyed spontaneous trips and local festivals much more than points from my original list.

I completed my internship at the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo.
The laboratory was focused on soft electronic materials and devices for soft sensors, with the main use for wearable electronics.

In general research, I dealt with soft electronic materials that use metal and carbon nanomaterials, organic semiconductors, ionic materials and new polymers. In the project I was collaborating with one other student. The ongoing project was focused on the development of a light-sensitive soft actuator with a built-in light source. I had regular meetings with advisor individually but also group meetings with all the members where we shared recent progress and future plan. Meetings, feedback and guidance from advisor but also other lab members were structured and very helpful.

The salary was given in cash by the International Office of the university. It was enough to cover basic living expenses. For the flight to Japan, travel and extra activities I used the scholarship from my faculty and my own savings.

At university, my supervisor and colleagues spoke very good English and we had no problem communicating. I think English is sufficient for short stay in Japan, but for better integration and more opportunities it is better to learn Japanese. Only thanks to Google translator I could communicate in restaurants and shops as fluent English is not standard for many people.

Accommodation was provided and paid by IAESTE Japan. I stayed in the Freshroom shared house. I had a small but clean and cozy single room with a private fridge. Other facilities were shared. Other tenants were mostly international students at different internship positions. The location was perfect. I was staying around 10 minutes walking from Shibuya station which was very convenient for transportation. Even if the Shibuya area is very crowdy, the street where I stayed was calm and peaceful.

IAESTE member contacted me a couple of weeks before my arrival to Japan. He described me the most convenient way from the airport to the Ueno station, where we met after my arrival. He helped me to arrange SIM card and showed me accommodation. We stayed in touch during my entire internship. There were couple of organized events by IAESTE.

I did not put a lot of effort to meet other students from IAESTE as I spent a lot of time with people from our lab. There were mostly international students and we did some activities in our free time as well (dinner, day trips, hiking). At university campus, there was organized BBQ with other labs where I had chance to meet even more students or researchers with similar interests as mine own.

I brought my climbing shoes and swimsuit, but I have used them only couple of times. I mostly walked around the city or hiked in surrounding areas. For traditional sports like kendo or karate it is better to know at least basics of Japanese. There were multiple dancing festivals and fireworks during the summer to experience local culture.

I liked eating sushi, ramen, soba, and trying different dishes at izakayas. Onigiri from convenience stores was one of my favorite snack, especially the salmon and tuna ones. The food was generally fresh and high quality. However, I did miss having more fruits and vegetables. They were mostly found in bigger supermarkets and were a bit more expensive. I am not a big fan of sea food, but I heard a lot of positive recommendations.

I was using mostly Whatsapp or Messenger as I do in Czechia. To communicate with home university I used MS Teams or email.

Not to be afraid of solo traveling, Japan is extremely safe. The weather during the summer is really hot and the humidity is extremely high. Typhoon season in late summer can effect travel plans or flight schedule. Take the most advantage of this internship both professionally and from a personal perspective.

Credit card, cash, power converter.

I wider my knowledge in perspective field of wearable electronics as I worked with highly valued and one of the best specialist in this field. Networking with other researchers. International experience of living in foreign culture. International friends.

Communication with IAESTE Japan was mostly held by email. I did not deal with any problems, and everything was going smoothly.