Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Culture and Sustainable Development (ICOCAS 2025)

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Learning from the Internship Program: The Cross-Cultural Adaptation Process of Indonesian Students during Their Internship in Japan

Authors
Akhmad Saifudin1, *, Bayu Aryanto1, Fira Adelia Putri Febriyawati1, Deny Kristiadi1, Jeminika Isyamy Esika1
1Faculty of Humanities, Universitas Dian Nuswantoro, Semarang, Indonesia
*Corresponding author. Email: akhmad.saifudin@dsn.dinus.ac.id
Corresponding Author
Akhmad Saifudin
Available Online 19 December 2025.
DOI
10.2991/978-2-38476-503-4_3How to use a DOI?
Keywords
Coping Strategies; Cross-Cultural Adaptation; Culture Shock; International Internship; Japanese Workplace Culture; Thematic Content Analysis
Abstract

In today’s globalized era, international internships provide students valuable professional and cultural exposure and present adaptation challenges. This study explores the cross-cultural adaptation of Indonesian Japanese Studies students during internships in Japan. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with six participants and analyzed thematically. Findings show that students experienced initial culture shock related to work culture, language barriers, environment, food, and cultural habits. Coping strategies included observational learning, reflective practices, social media use, and support from peers and mentors. Successful adaptation was shaped by intrinsic motivation and career-oriented awareness. The study highlights the need for institutional preparation, intercultural competence, and structured support to enhance students’ readiness for global engagement.

Copyright
© 2025 The Author(s)
Open Access
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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Volume Title
Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Culture and Sustainable Development (ICOCAS 2025)
Series
Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research
Publication Date
19 December 2025
ISBN
978-2-38476-503-4
ISSN
2352-5398
DOI
10.2991/978-2-38476-503-4_3How to use a DOI?
Copyright
© 2025 The Author(s)
Open Access
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

Cite this article

risenwbib
TY  - CONF
AU  - Akhmad Saifudin
AU  - Bayu Aryanto
AU  - Fira Adelia Putri Febriyawati
AU  - Deny Kristiadi
AU  - Jeminika Isyamy Esika
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/19
TI  - Learning from the Internship Program: The Cross-Cultural Adaptation Process of Indonesian Students during Their Internship in Japan
BT  - Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Culture and Sustainable Development (ICOCAS 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 13
EP  - 20
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-503-4_3
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-503-4_3
ID  - Saifudin2025
ER  -