Tokyo secondment story

Although this is the third time I have lived in Japan, it is my first taste of working life here - which is a very different experience. For one thing, having a corner office on the 37th floor with panoramic views of the city makes working late quite enticing - watching the skyscraper lights blinking, like the heartbeat of the city.

From day one I have felt part of Anderson Mori & Tomotsune. In fact, I was thrown headlong into the complex unwinding of a joint venture acting for an American client.  As one of the few native English speakers in the office, I was given a high level of responsibility for managing the transaction and communicating with the client - all very exciting!

Having studied Japanese at university, I am making the most of this opportunity to refresh my language skills. My wonderful workmates are always offering helpful corrections - usually as they try not to laugh too hard at my mistakes! I am certainly getting plenty of practice outside the office, as Tokyo has a thriving and varied social scene of both locals and ex-pats.

I recently spent "Golden Week" (a combination of four national holidays within seven days) travelling around the Kansai region - the widely acknowledged heart of traditional Japanese culture. My whistle-stop tour of the Todaiji Temple (the largest wooden structure in the world, housing a huge bronze Buddha), the Engyoji Temple (seen in "The Last Samurai") and Himeji, Japan's best preserved castle, was spectacular. I am also planning to visit the Shanghai Expo with my new friends and colleagues before I come back to London, which should provide an interesting counterpoint to Japanese culture.

• Emily Henderson
• Trainee secondment