JW in Canada Vol. 8 Tomoka Matsumura

What do you like about Canada?

I like the easy-going nature of being in Canada, which makes me think that it’s okay to be a bit sloppy. Japanese society and people are very strict about everything, aren’t they? After I came to Canada, I realized that I was stressed out by my life in Japan. I truly feel that I don’t have to push myself and that is very comfortable for me. Also, It is good that I can have a good relationship with my boss at work without worrying about hierarchy or age.

How long have you been living here?　What brought you here？　

I came here on a working holiday in 2009. I was working for an animation company as a 3D modeler, but my boss told me that I couldn’t go on a working holiday anymore (due to the age restriction). That reminded me that there was a time when I had wanted to go to a university abroad.

I was thinking of going to either Australia or Canada, but I chose Vancouver because of the 2010 Olympics. My study abroad counselor recommended a school where I could study English for a month and a half and do an internship for a month and a half, so I went to Gastown Business College. At the school, I learned business English such as how to make phone calls. I made a phone call to the company I am working for now and they accepted me as an intern. I was offered a job there and worked there for two years before becoming a permanent resident in Canada.

What is the hardest thing you’ve faced living in Canada?

It’s an unpredictable life, driven by my husband. LOL

I’m just kidding, but due to the language barrier and cultural differences, even though my friends who speak Japanese can understand my true self, I can’t express myself well in English, or I don’t understand their expressions properly, and they don’t understand “the real me” in either a good or bad way.

I’m sure people here think I’m a quiet person, but to be honest, I’m not (hahaha). For example, I can’t say the right words at the right time even when I can make a joke or make a point in Japanese, I lose track of what I want to say in the middle of a conversation in English, and I can’t make a point in English. I don’t know how many years I need to stay here to get through this.

Working as a modeler in Canada

Why did you choose your career as a modeler? 

After graduating from university, I was hired to work at a TV station, but I was given the opportunity to work at Studio Ghibli to learn animations. After working at Studio Ghibli for three years, I worked at a TV station as a video engineer, but I began to think that I wanted to do the kind of animation work that I do now. When I told some people about it, one of the animation companies asked me if I wanted to come work for them. My salary was cut by a third, but it was a lot of fun. It also made me realize that working for a large company was not for me.

Her work Profile

Tomoka Matsumura – IMDbTomoka Matsumura, Visual Effects: Loganwww.imdb.com

In Canada, what do you think were the reasons why you were hired as an intern, and what were the deciding factors in your hiring or contract extension?

I was just lucky. If I were to say, I was lucky to get the internship opportunity in the first place. The wife of the HR person who answered the phone was Japanese and very Japanophile.

When I first came to Canada and started working, I didn’t have much to do other than work, and I still had the Japanese culture of being a workaholic, so I worked diligently as is the norm in Japan. Even after the workday ended at 6:00 p.m., I still wanted to get a little more done. When I did, my colleague would roll their eyes and ask me why I was still working or why I had to work late, and told me I should go home early. I think it was probably the attitude that I was working diligently (an extremely normal work attitude in Japan) that led to the contract extension.　

What are some of the things you keep in mind when working in Canada?

When I speak English, I try to speak as loudly and clearly as possible. My English is not great and I don’t even have confidence in it, but I think I should at least try to speak loudly so that the other person can hear me. When I’m chatting, even if I don’t understand something, I don’t listen to it, but when it comes to my task, in order to make sure that I understand it properly and don’t do anything wrong, I shamelessly ask them to listen to it over and over again or send it to me in writing!

Are there any aspects of your work that you feel are different from those in Japan?

Even though I am a social misfit who could not fit into a large Japanese company (hahaha), the work environment here is very accepting. Perhaps it is partly because of my profession, but also there is no “must behave (must work hard) in the workplace” attitude. Of course, you have to do the work that is required of you, and you need to be able to communicate accordingly, but it is helpful to be able to be yourself.

If I want to go out for lunch or a drink, I can do so, and if I don’t want to go, I can say no. I think that’s good. Also, there are very few people who put work first and foremost. There are many people who prioritize family and leisure, and work for that purpose.

It is an environment where everyone has a good balance between life and work, and this is accepted as a matter of course. By the way, there are almost no people left at work at 6:00. I feel that my quality of life has improved a lot since I came to Canada, as I can take time for my hobbies and study after work. Also, I have never felt any kind of male supremacy in the workplace.

Are there times when you find English difficult even though you are a professional? When is it?

English is still a challenge. As a professional, I am still able to continue my work even though I don’t speak English very well, but my hearing is a little bad and I can’t hear very well (even in Japanese). At meetings, when many people are speaking at once, I feel like I’m listening to a sutra, even though I know I should be listening carefully. lol

Nowadays, meetings are online and it is even more difficult to hear what is being said, so I try my best to listen with the volume on maximum. In Canada, there are a lot of ESLs, so even if you don’t speak proper English, you can get by. That is why it is hard to improve my English. hahaha. However, since I almost lost my job due to the pandemic, I have come to realize that I need to be able to get a job as a leader or supervisor, and that I need to be able to speak English to a certain extent. 

Any advice for people who want to get a job abroad?

When I am asked for advice by the younger generation in my industry, I respond, “Speak louder in interviews. If you don’t know what a question means, don’t be afraid to ask, ‘Can you repeat again?’ or ‘Can you rephrase it?’ or ‘Does it mean XXXX?’,  It gives the impression that you can speak English reasonably well, or at least that you can communicate.”. 

When Japanese people do not speak fluent English, and if you have a strong Japanese accent, your voice tends to drop and it makes you look unsure. I joke that you should learn from ESLs from other countries with strong accents who keep speaking in broken English. Even if you’re bluffing, once you get through the interview, I am sure that you are able to manage the job.

Lastly, connections are very important in Canada, so if you have a job you want to get, you should try to get involved with people who are involved in that job to get a chance.

About Vilku Vilka Crafts

Can you tell me about your business, Vilku Vilka?

I had a chance to visit Latvia for Christmas and that’s when I first encountered beeswax candles. I like to make things with my hands. When I came back to Canada, I bought a lump of beeswax and started to make my own. Gradually, I began to think that it would be great if I could make my own beeswax candles in my own molds, so I began to make my own molds and give them to my friends. In 2016, I launched Vilku Vilka, a company that imports and sells beeswax candles and other Latvian products.

I like the process of thinking about what I want to do and then doing it. I think I’m the type of person who doesn’t think twice when I decide to do something.

Lastly, please tell us about your thoughts when you started Vilku Vilka.

It’s a joint business that I started to fulfill both my love of crafts (candle making), my desire to live surrounded by Latvian goods, and my husband’s desire to run a cafe-bar-restaurant type of business. As amateurs in business management, we are still in the process of trial and error and are still considering a business plan. Business is difficult.

Since the birth of my child two years ago, I have lowered my priorities a bit, and I feel frustrated that I can’t take as much time as I would like, but I think this is the only time in my life when my child needs me that much. At this point, I am managing my business to the extent that it does not bother the customers who want my products.

Under my personal motto, “A rolling stone gathers no moss,” I will do my best to keep my business running for a long time, trying out various forms of business, and dreaming that one day it will turn out all right.

Editor’s Comment

It was an interview full of episodes that somehow turned out all right, and I just couldn’t stop laughing. I asked her how she started her job as a modeler and how she came to Canada, laughing as she said, “It just happened.” I felt that it “happened” because she made her own intentions, made her own decisions, and moved forward. She is a wonderful respectable woman that makes everyone fall in love with her. As it is a competitive industry where the number of talented young people is on the rise, it is difficult for Moka to know how long she will be able to work at the forefront. However, I am sure that she will continue to push forward to the next stage of her life and career like her motto “A rolling stone gathers no moss. I am looking forward to hearing about her next interesting episode that somehow turned out all right.