Kevin Zhou Osaka Gas 2011

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Canada Japan Co-op Program Experiential Report

May 18, 2011 December 26, 2011

Osaka Gas Company Energy Technology Laboratories

6-19-9 Torishima, Konohana-ku, Osaka, Japan 554-0051 http://www.osakagas.co.jp/indexe.html

Kevin Zhou The University of British Columbia Engineering Physics - Mechatronics

Submitted: December 20, 2011

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Table of Content

1.0 Osaka Gas Background...3

1.1 History....3

1.2 Products & Services....4

1.3 Organization Structure....4

1.4 Energy Technology Laboratories....5

2.0 Osaka Gas Internship....5

2.1 Work and Research.5

2.2 Colleague Relationships.8

2.3 Opportunities....10

2.4 Acquired Skills and Experiences..........11

3.0 Lifestyle..12

3.1 Dormitory Life..12

3.2 Japanese Language Class..14

3.3 Traveling in Japan.16

4.0 Cultural Experiences...19

5.0 Impressions of Japan.22

6.0 Recommendations for Future Interns24

7.0 Conclusion.25

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1.0 Osaka Gas Background

1.1 History

Osaka Gas first began as a small company in 1905 with gas supply as their only

business operation and at that time, they only had 3,350 customers. Since then, Osaka

Gas has grown and evolved throughout a history lasting over 100 years. In the present

day, Osaka Gas is now the second biggest gas supplier in Japan, supplying gas to 7

million customers in the Kansai Region. Osaka Gas has grown from a small gas

company to a massive corporation with 140 affiliated companies and 19,360 employees.

Osaka Gas operations are not only limited within Japan, but also internationally such as

shale gas development in Canada, wind farm in Australia and importing Liquid Natural

Gas (LNG) from 6 different countries.

Osaka Gas' Liquefied Natural Gas Tanker

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1.2 Products & Services

Osaka Gas main service is importing LNG from other countries for processing and

distributing to customers, but Osaka Gas also offer a variety of services and products

not only limited to gas related business, such as energy business. Examples of such

services and products are solar cells, home heating systems and both commercial and

domestic cooking appliances.

1.3 Organization Structure

Below is an organizational chart of Osaka Gas Company and affiliated business units.

The department I work for is the Energy Technology Laboratories, which is within the

Research and Development division of the company.

Organizational Chart of Osaka Gas Company

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1.4 Energy Technology Laboratories

Within the Energy Technology Laboratories are many individual groups and teams each

with different research areas such as Engine & Simulation Team, Materials Technology

Team and etc. My place in this company is with the Energy Technology Utilization

Team.

2.0 Osaka Gas Internship

2.1 Work and Research

I was working as a member of a newly started project called Deliciousness and

Healthiness Cooking Research Project. The purpose of this project is to investigate the

process and mechanisms that create delicious and healthy food. There are many factors

that affect the evaluation of deliciousness and healthiness such as cooking environment,

physical phenomenon (heating method), chemical changes, food properties and even the

psychological perceptions. My contribution to this project was to investigate the

physical phenomenon and environment of a boil and simmer method of cooking. My

responsibility was to perform research and experiment to develop a quantitative and

qualitative visualization of the cooking environment in this system by measuring the

velocity and temperature distribution of the flow in the system.

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In this research, I was able to use some expensive and sensitive equipment such as a

Particle Imaging Velocimetry (PIV) system. In this system, a laser sheet is used to

illuminate the cross section of the liquid inside the pot. The liquid is seeded with very

small particles and these particles would reflect the light from the laser while tracing the

flow of the fluid, thus allowing for the flow to be detected with a high speed camera.

PIV Experiment

I was given a lot of freedom with my research, which required a lot of independence.

When a problem appeared during my experiment, I was able to employ and attempt

many solutions that I thought would be plausible.

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About 4 months into my research, I was able to present the progress and result of my

research at Osaka Gas Technical Fair 2011, which is a 2 day long trade show displaying

the products, technologies and research developments of Osaka Gas. This fair had over

3700 participants which included students, researchers, professors and even vice

presidents and presidents of other companies.

At the fair, I had my own booth with my experimental apparatus set up; however,

because my experiment involved a laser, demonstration of the experiment was not

allowed. Since many of the participants did not speak English, I tried to the best of my

abilities to explain my research in Japanese. At the end of the fair, I was happy that

everyone was able to understand the general idea and purpose of my research and I was

also able to improve my Japanese as well as presentation skills.

Day 1 of Osaka Gas Technical Fair Day 2 of Osaka Gas Technical Fair

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A big responsibility as a researcher in this position is to explain my research to others.

Throughout my work term, I have given presentations to various groups of people of

various sizes such as team members, supervisor, managers and researchers from other

companies. Aside from my own research, I sometimes work closely with a co-worker by

constructing experimental apparatus and helping with experiments.

2.2 Colleague Relationships

Everyone at Osaka Gas was very kind. At the beginning of my work term, some people

would try their best to speak in English to me and I felt I could ask them for help when I

needed. During my first month in Japan, I was invited to my colleagues house to have

lunch and then watch fireflies. The day was very enjoyable and I had a lot of fun

learning and trying to speak Japanese.

Cooked Tempura for Lunch Waiting at Firefly Site

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I also went on a hiking trip to Mt Hourai in Shiga prefecture with my team. The ascend

to the top of the mountain took about 4 hours and ate snacks and chat in a cabin for a

short period of time before riding the cable car back down to the base of the mountain.

The view of Biwa Lake from the top of the mountain was spectacular.

Colleague and Friends at Peak of Mt Hourai View of Biwa Lake

Aside from the members of my team, I also had good relations with members of other

teams. I was invited by members of the Engine and Simulation Team to stay at an olden

style Japanese house for 2 day and 1 night.

Living Room of an Olden Style Japanese House Cooking Dinner Japanese Old Style

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2.3 Opportunities

My position with Osaka Gas provided me with many opportunities. My supervisor was

always considerate of my interested and provided me opportunities and freedom to do

what would I would be interested in doing.

Through casual conversation, I told my supervisor that I had a deep interest in robotics

and later on, I was given the opportunity to attend the International Robotics Exhibition

2011. This exhibition is the biggest robotics trade show in the world held once every

two years at Tokyo Big Site. I was sent to this exhibition to observe the developing

technology in the field of robotics that may benefit the energy industry and present my

findings at a team meeting.

Pipetron Pipe Surveillance Robot

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Since this event was held internationally, I was also able to learn and see technology in

the field of robotics all around the world. This was a very good experience since I am

intending to enter graduate school in this field of study.

Flexible Sensor Tube Master Slave System Force Control Robotic Hand

2.4 Acquired Skills and Experiences

Throughout this internship, I have able to gain and learn many new things that I would

otherwise not have the chance elsewhere. This position exposed me to the environments

of being a researcher as well as teaching me the important qualities needed to be

successful. For example, I have presented my research to different types of audiences

and because of this, I was able to learn how to identify the different needs of different

audiences and give an intriguing presentation on my research. Another important skill

required as a research is the ability to troubleshoot and problem solve. I was able to

improve on this skill as I do many experiments and often run in to problems which

required creative or intelligent solutions. The most important skill that I was able to

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improve on was taught to me by my supervisor. He told me that no matter how good my

research is, it is of no use if I cant communicate it to others. With this said, I spent a lot

of time before presentations preparing and trying to make my experiment and results

easy to understand for everyone. These skills can be transferable to an academic or

work environment and it will definitely be beneficial when I enter graduate school.

I feel that one of the most beneficial skills I have required from this experience is to be

able to understand and speak a fair amount of Japanese. Being able to speak and

understand Japanese, even if it is just basic Japanese, made a big different in my

experiences in Japan. When I return to Canada I do not know when my Japanese will

come in handy, but it will be a good skill to have and I definitely want to continue

learning and speaking such an amazing language.

3.0 Lifestyle

3.1 Dormitory Life

Before coming to Japan, I was led to believe that houses and dormitories were very

small and compact. Images such as small spaces and sleeping on futons were in my

mind, but I was pleasantly surprised when I first arrived at my room.

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My Dorm Room upon Arrival

My dorm was located in furthest eastern part of Osaka Prefecture in Yao city. The dorm

consisted of five floors with a north and south wing and a sixth floor for laundry. Shared

washrooms and kitchens are located on each floor while showers on the first floor were

shared between everyone. At first I was a bit uncomfortable with the shared showers,

but the feeling quickly disappeared.

The dorm also had a cafeteria that only serves dinner on weekdays. The menu for each

month would be posted on the bulletin board, although written in Japanese; I was able

to understand what the main dish for each meal was going to be. The costs of the meals

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were 409 a meal, which is extremely cheap, probably the cheapest meal you can find

in Japan. At the beginning of each month, I would receive a dinner card, which lists

all the dates that the cafeteria is open. If I decided not to eat at the dorm, I would have to

place a stamp beside the date on which I do not want to eat. The stamp must be placed

on the day prior by 10pm. Sometimes I would either forget to stamp my card or not

make it back to the dorm in time to eat. Either case, the fee for dinner was still charged.

Because I always had plans or was busy, I was rarely at the dorm except while eating

dinner or sleeping.

3.2 Japanese Language Classes

A big part of my life in Japan was my Japanese classes that I attended. One of my goals

of this internship was to be able to do basic communication in Japanese, so I attended

three different Japanese classes that took place on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Each class differed from each other and had their own formats. Mondays class was a

language exchange class. I was partnered with a Japanese person who wanted to learn

English and we would take turns teaching each other. Tuesdays and Thursday classes

are run by Japan Red Cross Volunteer Group, but the two classes are run by different

volunteers. During Tuesday classes, I was lucky enough to be partnered with a very

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excellent Japanese teacher. Not only was I able to learn to speak, read and write

Japanese from my teacher, I was also able to learn about Japanese culture and society.

Last Day of Class with Japanese Teacher

During Thursdays classes, there is not much structure to the class. We would just go

and sit down next to anyone and have a casual conversation about anything to practice

speaking Japanese. From time to time after class, we would go to a restaurant to have

dinner together or go to a caf to chat and relax.

Japan Red Cross Volunteer Group Dinner with Japanese Class

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From these classes, I was able to make many close friends and even outside of class

time, we would still hang out, such as travelling and sightseeing and going to festivals.

Monkey Park Arashiyama - Kyoto Tennoji Tanabata Festival

3.3 Traveling in Japan

Train and Subway Map of Osaka Prefecture

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When I first arrived in Japan, I was quite overwhelmed by the train and subway system.

I got lost a couple of times before I finally got used to the system. Although quite

confusing at first, this train system is very convenient. With this train system, I was able

to go almost anywhere in Japan just by train alone. I believe travelling was a big portion

of stay in Japan.

Since there were many holidays that were on Mondays or Fridays, I had chances to

travel to many popular places such as Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Tokyo and Hiroshima.

Osaka Tokyo

Amanohashidate in Kyoto Nara Park

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Itsukushima Shrine & Genbaku Dome in Hiroshima

One of my proudest moments in Japan was climbing Mt Fuji, which definitely isnt an

easy task and should not be taken lightly. The climb up took about 8 hours and since my

friends and I wanted to watch the sunrise, we had to start climbing at night.

View of Sunrise from the Summit of Mt Fuji Final Climb to the Summit

During my work term, there was 6 days long vacation in the middle of August called

Obon, which I was able to travel. At that time, I was tired of seeing the big cities and

major attractions, so I decide to go to Shikoku since it is a nice country side area with

many beautiful scenic views.

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Shikoku consists of 4 prefectures, Tokushima, Kagawa, Kochi and Ehime. Since some

parts of Shikoku are very rural, and the trains may run infrequently. Luckily, I had a

friend who was also interested in going and willing to drive. During our four day road

trip, I was able to visit all four prefectures and see many interesting and beautiful

scenery.

Uzu no Michi in Tokushima Kazurabashi in Kagawa

Katsurahama in Kochi Matsuya Castle in Ehime

4.0 Cultural Experiences

Because Japan has a history of well over 1000 year long, many traditions and culture

has been passed down and created throughout this period. During my stay in Japan, I

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was able to experience many of these traditions and culture.

There are many festivals in Japan, especially in the summer. The most popular of these

festivals is firework festivals, which takes place all summer long. These fireworks are

quite different from Vancouvers Celebration of Light in terms of the quality and

number of fireworks as well as the feeling of the atmosphere of everyone enjoying the

fireworks. There are also many cultural festivals that occur during the same period of

time. One of the biggest in Japan is the Gion festival where I was able to watch a parade

and eat many different foods being sold by street vendors.

Yodogawa Fireworks Gion Festival in Kyoto

Being able to live in Osaka means that I had easy access to Nara and Kyoto, which both

used to be the ancient capital of Japan. This meant that I had many cultural excursions

such as visiting the Todaiji the big Buddha and Heijo Palace the ancient imperial palace

of Japan in Nara.

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Todaiji Big Buddha & Heijo Palace in Nara

Also I visited many temples and shrines, but the most famous are Fushimi Inari Shrine

and Kinkakuji Golden Temple

Kinkakuji Golden Temple & Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto

Another cultural experience I have encountered is kouyou (), which means red

leaves. Kouyou is a period of time, usually occurring late November, where the color of

leaves change in to autumn colors. In the center of Osaka city, it is hard to find much

nature. Unlike Vancouver, where there are trees and grass everywhere, Osaka is very

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densely populated and the land must be used for housing so there is not much room for

grass and trees along sidewalks. Therefore many Japanese people who live in the city

appreciate nature very much. The best place to view kouyou is in the city of Kyoto,

where I went with a few friends to Arashiyama. Although this Arashiyama is a very

rural countryside area, the number of people who came to watch kouyou was immense.

Kouyou in Arashiyama

5.0 Impressions of Japan

My impression of Japan is that it is an amazing place. I think that Canada is an amazing

place, but Japan is amazing in a different way.

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Comparing the differences, Japan has some features that far surpass Canada such as

transportation systems and technological advancements. There are also some things that

could only exist in Japan and would not work anywhere else. Because Japan is a small

country with a very high population, everything is quite close to each other and is easily

accessible, so there are many things to do and places to explore.

Another thing that makes Japan so amazing is that there are even some differences in

society and environment between prefectures. Even in Japan, I was able to experience

the different atmospheres of each place.

Kobe Nara

Osaka

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More than anything, I believe the people are what make Japan such a great place.

Everyone I have met in Japan is very kind and extraordinary in their own ways. Even

people who I have met for the first time treated me like a close friend and were always

willing to provide help. Making friends and building a strong relationship was easy.

6.0 Recommendation for Future Interns

I first thing I would recommend to future interns what my supervisor taught me,

Making mistakes is the most important part in learning. It is completely fine to make

mistakes because you will be able to learn from these mistakes, so do not be afraid of

being wrong.

Speak as much Japanese as you can even if you dont feel fluent at it. Most Japanese

people know English to some level, but some are shy at speaking English. Everyone

will appreciate the effort in trying to speak Japanese even if it is not perfect.

Make friends and be friendly to everyone. The people I have met are the nicest people I

have ever encountered in my life. I feel that the relationship between friends and

colleagues will make the experience and memories in Japan unforgettable and

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treasurable.

My final recommendation is to work hard and enjoy what Japan has to offer. Being able

to work in Japan is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Not only do you get to experience

Japanese corporate culture, you are also able stay in Japan long enough to delve deep

into Japans society, culture and history.

7.0 Conclusion

My co-op in Japan was a life changing experience and has definitely made an impact on

my life. Prior to coming to Japan, I have never had any exposure to living anywhere

else other than Vancouver, nor had I experienced so much change so suddenly. Initially,

I felt very overwhelmed with all the change, but I was able to slowly learn and adapt to

the new setting and eventually I felt as if I was part of the Japanese society.

From my experiences of living alone in Japan and assimilating in to a new culture, I

have become more self-reliant and courageous. Through working with colleagues and

learning about Japanese society, I have gained determination and ambition. By meeting

amazing people and making close friends, I have grown and become more mature.

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Although leaving Japan means leaving Japan means I will have to leave all the friends I

have made and the amazing people I have met, the memories we have made, the

experiences we had and our friendship will still remain. I intend to keep in touch with

my friends and colleagues and looking forward to be able to see everyone again.

Looking back at my experiences and my adventures in Japan, I believe that coming to

Japan was one of the best decisions I have made in my life. I could not have

accomplished any of this had I not participated in the Canada Japan Co-op Program. I

would like to thank Osaka Gas Company and Canada Japan Co-op Program for making

this amazing experience possible.