Canada Japan Co-op Program Experiential Report

Taiheiyo Cement Corporation
Central Research Laboratory
太平洋セメント株式会社
2-4-2 Osaku, Sakura-shi, Chiba Prefecture, Japan 285-8655
2-4-2 尾作、佐倉市、千葉県、日本 285-8655
http://www.taiheiyo-cement.co.jp/english
May 2018 - March 2019

Ester Baculi
University of Calgary
Schulich School of Engineering
Civil Engineering
Date of submission: 03/29/2019
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Table of Contents
Acknowledgement .............................................................................................................. 3
1.0 About the Company ...................................................................................................... 3
1.1 Central Research Laboratory ....................................................................................................... 4
2.0 Work Life..................................................................................................................... 5
2.1 Position ........................................................................................................................................ 5
2.2 Research and responsibilities ....................................................................................................... 5
2.3 Work Environment ....................................................................................................................... 6
2.4 Work Etiquette ............................................................................................................................. 6
2.5 Relationships ................................................................................................................................ 7
2.6 Company related activities ........................................................................................................... 8
2.6.1 The Parties and extra activities ............................................................................................. 8
2.6.2 Business Trips ....................................................................................................................... 9
3.0 Personal Life .............................................................................................................. 10
3.1 Living Arrangement ................................................................................................................... 10
3.2 Japan Experiences ...................................................................................................................... 10
3.2.1 Chiba ................................................................................................................................... 10
3.2.2 Japan Travels ....................................................................................................................... 11
3.2.3 Other Travels ....................................................................................................................... 11
3.2.3 Food .................................................................................................................................... 12
Reflection ........................................................................................................................ 12
Recommendations ............................................................................................................ 14
Reference ........................................................................................................................ 14

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Acknowledgement
First and foremost I would like to express my deepest gratitude to both the Canada-Japan Co-op program forassisting me in the pursuit of working in Japan and to Taiheiyo Cements for their supervision, generosity, andguidance throughout my internship. I am beyond thankful for not only getting the opportunity to grow in thetechnical field, but to learn about a different culture and experience a new environment. I will never forget theundivided kindness that was continuously shown to me by those who I have worked with in the company. The
memories and friendships that I have made throughout these past 11 months will stay with me for the many
years to come.

1.0 About the Company
Operating at a global scale, Taiheiyo Cement Corporation is the largest cement manufacturer in Japan, emphasizing its business in cement, construction materials, mineral resources, aggregates, environmental protection,and international business [1]. The company’s pursuit and commitment towards eco-friendly alternatives of
construction materials and advancing socioeconomic order on closed loop materials is what has lead them totheir continuous growth and success up to date.
It all began during the Meiji era with the establishment of Onoda Cement Company in 1881. As the demand
for the modernization of infrastructure increased, so did the need to produce cement and thus, resulted in anindustrial expansion for cement manufacturing. In 1923, Chichibu Cement was founded, and in an attempt tokeep up with the cement competition, Onoda Cement Co. merged together with Chichibu Cement Co. to form
Chichibu Onoda Cement Co in 1994. To solidify Chichibu Onoda Cement’s position as a leader in the industry, a merging with Nihon Cement Co, originally established in 1883, took place in 1998 [3]. Thus forming
what we now know today as Taiheiyo Cement Corporation; otherwise translated as “Pacific Ocean Cement
Corporation.”
As of today, Taiheiyo Cement owns several production sites within Japan and abroad. With nine plants in Japan, three in the US, three in China, one in Vietnam, and one in the Philippines. Yet amongst these plants,
there is only one research laboratory, situated in Sakura City Chiba prefecture. The research laboratory in particular, is the heart and center of my internship experience.

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1.1 Central Research Laboratory
In the forefront of material production through Taiheiyo Cement’s manufacturing plants, the Central ResearchLaboratory takes the back stage in the analyzation, development, and testing of products. The Research Laboratory was grand in itself, consisting of five floors filled with offices and laboratories. Within this research facility, exists an administrative department grouped together with three research and development (R&D) departments. The following figure illustrates how teams and departments were separated.

Central Research Laboratory
R&D Department I:
Cement Production andEnvironment Technology

R&D Department II:
Concrete and Soil
Technology

R&D Department III:
Mineral Resources

Cement Chemistry

Concrete and Soil
Technology

Functional Material

Cement Technology

Taiheiyo Brand
Concrete

Value Creation

Environmental
Technology

InfrastructureManagement
Technology

Processing for
Resources

Process Technology

Concrete Pavement
Technology

Mineral Resources
Chemistry

Construction Material

Separation
Technology

Concrete Solution

Figure 1.0: Department Sorting of Taiheiyo Cementpg. 4

2.0 Work Life
2.1 Position
Amidst all the departments, I was placed in the 1st Research and Development (R&D) department under the
cement technology team or “semento gijitsu (セメント技術)”, which is often shortened to “seme gi (セメ技).”
The cement technology team was involved with research regarding cement production processes, material properties, maximizing the usage of recycled materials, environmental impact reduction and energy-saving alternatives [2]. My team worked in close relation to the cement chemistry team or “semento-kagaku (セメント化学)”
as both our teams were in the same office and had similar objectives when it came to cement chemistry research.
As part of the R&D department, I was assigned a research project that involved analyzing the physical andchemical properties of cement affected by minor additives.

2.2 Research and Responsibilities
Prior to coming to Taiheiyo Cements, I did learn about cements back in my home university, because of mydegree, allowing me to have some relevant background information of my work. Despite this, the work reliedheavily on the chemistry of cement, whereas the field of engineering I was familiar with was concrete structuraldesign. Thankfully I was given much time to read several articles, books, and references that would later prepare
me to conduct my research. To ensure that I truly understood the nature of my research, I was assigned toreproduce an experiment done in the past. A few months into my internship involved heavy studying, reading,and understanding of the bases of my potential research. On top of the studying, I was also trained on how touse various laboratory equipments, calculating and measuring chemical compositions of cement clinkers, andunderstand how to interpret experiment results.
The research project that was given to me was to analyze the formation of equilibrium phases that appeared
during high temperature cement clinkering processes and the effects of added minor elements. When raw materials are mixed together in certain proportions and then burned at temperatures of about 1450℃, the raw
material solidifies into pebble like nodules called “clinkers”. Upon cooling, phases are formed in these clinkers
which give cement its distinct properties. Cement is then produced by grinding these clinkers along with gypsum
to control the setting of cement.
Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) clinkers contains phases such as tricalcium silicate (aka. C3S) which contribute to early strength, while tricalcium aluminate (aka. C3A) influences early setting time of the cement. The fourmain phases of OPC, which are C3S, C2S, C3A, and C4AF, can be affected when certain amounts of SO3 is added
into the raw material. On top of seeing the effects of SO3 on Ordinary Portland cement, other additional parameters were tested to observe how the effects of SO3 can be offset. With this research, I was able to assist myteam in their pursuit to uncover new cement advancements.

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Being the only fluent English speaker in my department put me in a position where members of the team would
rely on my ability to complete English related tasks. This meant that I would often read, revise, and/or interpret
English documents. These English papers relied on the involvement of international business as well as understanding international information. These tasks were something I knew I could excel at and was always eager
to complete whenever it was assigned to me. Through these tasks, I felt that I was able to contribute and help
my team members outside of my research.

2.3 Work Environment
As the company bus drops employees off at the laboratory door front around 8:50am, everyone quickly changes
into their work uniform and the day officially starts with the ring of the bell at 8:55am. A few minutes after
9:00am when most members have arrived at the office, our leader would conduct a short meeting called “KY”,
which an abbreviation for “Kiken Yochi (危険予知)”. This essentially meant “danger prediction”, where members of the team would discuss a precaution to keep in mind for the day. It could be “Take care of burns fromusing the electric furnace” to something as simple as “Take care of back aches from desk work.” I made it agoal to respond in Japanese during these daily meetings, as one way to improve my verbal skills.
The work was done both in the office desks and in the laboratories. The atmosphere of the office can go fromambient keyboard typing and mouse clinking in one moment to conversations that lit up the room in the next.
Laboratory work is usually done by myself after being taught the necessary procedures to conduct experiments.
The environment in the workplace was friendly and pleasant.

2.4 Work Etiquette
Upon arriving at the office, greeting everyone good morning by saying “ohayougozaimasu (おはようございます)” was customary. Throughout the day, at any moment when I came into contact with another coworker, it

was very typical to greet them with “otsukaresama desu (お疲れ様です).” The greeting is derived from theword “to be tired – 疲れる”, but the general feeling behind this widely used phrase is the acknowledgment of
someone’s effort that caused them to be tired. This phrase is used depending on the setting and situation. It wasalso common courtesy, when leaving earlier than my coworkers, to say “osakini shitsureishimasu (お先にし失礼します)”. This tells your coworkers that you are excusing yourself for leaving earlier than they are.

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2.5 Relationships
Upon starting my internship, I found out that there were also a few members who just started working for thecompany around the same time I did. Those who first started working in the company were known as the firstyear group. Since we all technically fell around that same hierarchal tier in the company I was able to get alongwith my coworkers who started the same year as I did.

Figure 2.0: party with the first year group.
In the beginning I was very hesitant to approach my coworkers and socialize during working hours. As time
progressed, I became slightly more comfortable being able to socialize with them when they approached me.
Though I still had lingering worries about disrupting their work, they were always willing to lend me their time
to address my questions and concerns whether it was related to work or not. I appreciated their patience toeducate me and even spark up non work related conversations.
Ultimately the best times to socialize was outside working hours. I enjoyed how some of my coworkers would
even try to talk to me in English, as they too wanted to improve on their speaking skills. It was great to have thesort of mutual language and culture exchange between myself and my coworkers. Every day I felt that I waslearning something new from the teachings and conversations I had.

Figure 3.0: Party with cement technology team.
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2.6 Company Related Activities
2.6.1 The Parties and Extra Activities
My team occasionally held parties and even organized a business trip during my stay. The first party that washeld for me was the “kangeikai (歓迎会)” which was the “welcoming party”. There were numerous parties, or“nomikai (飲み会)”, held throughout the year and for special events such as the New Year’s party “shinenkai(新年会)”. At the end of my work term, they held the “soubetsukai (送別会)” which was my farewell party. Allwith the intention of talking about work related subject, getting to know one other, improving conversational
skills, celebrating, and just to have a good time over delicious food and drinks.
A once in a year event, held sometime in August, was the Sakura party, aka “sakurakai (さくら会)”, where
members from all departments could participate in what was essentially a game night with food and drinks. Heldin the laboratory’s cafeteria, all the participants were grouped together in teams that competed for prizes. It cameas an unexpected surprise when my team had actually won first place. There were a ton of prizes displayed ona counter where the winning teams can pick which ever prize they wanted. I was pretty happy with the prizethat I was able to take home.
For the awareness of environmental protection, many members would volunteer to go outside the laboratory
and clean up the grounds. Not so much picking up garbage, but removing weeds, leaves, and scattered twigs. It
was a great way to get fresh air from being inside all day, as well as exploring the laboratory’s surroundings.

Figure 4.0: Outdoor cleaning.

Figure 5.0: Hakodate business trip

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2.6.2 Business Trips
The most memorable experience that Taiheiyo cement
has provided me with was a site tour to the Kamiiso
cement plant and Garo mine located in Hakodate,
Hokkaido. This plant is known to be Taiheiyo Cement’s biggest cement plant with 3 rotary kilns datingback to 120 years old.
Everything about the plant was truly impressive, fromits grandiose structure, to its extremely intricate parts
webbed together in a complex system. During the tour,
I learned about how the company produces cement inan eco-friendly way. Items that would normally be dumped in landfills, such as wood waste, car tires, andplastics, were utilized as fuel to power the kiln. Ash left behind from the waste could be used as raw material
for the cement itself.
The size of the plant and limestone mine was like a town
in itself, as it was both managed by over 200 employees.
After our tour guide showed us the general operation of
the plant, we were then escorted to the Garo mine, which
was connected to the plant by an extended conveyer belt
just 6km away. We were given a view that overlooked themine from the top of the hill and witnessed dump trucks
deposit the excavated limestone into the undergroundcrusher. The mine allegedly contained limestone that
could last for 300 years.
Afterwards, the company tour guide took us through a tunnel that would eventually lead to a crusher right below
the mine. The crusher was constantly at work, reducing incoming boulder sized limestone that was being deposited. Overall the tour was an eye opening experience that gave me a sense of the amount of work that goes
towards manufacturing cement.
After the site visit was finished, we had about a few hours to tour Hakodate. I got a chance to visit the 5 pointed
star fort, also known as the “goryoukaku (五稜郭),” and eat an exclusive Hakodate burger joint called “LuckyPerriot.” Other kinds of food I got to eat during my visit was squid sushi and Okhotsk Atka mackerel. Hakodate
is well known for its night view of on top of mount Hakodate. Although I didn’t get a chance to see it at thetime, I’m hoping to return and have it checked off of my ‘to visit’ list.

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3.0 Personal Life
3.1 Living Arrangement
I was very fortunate on the day of my arrival to Japan as two of my supervisors and another coworker greeted
me upon my arrival at Narita airport. From the airport, my supervisor drove us to Narita Shrine where I immediately got to experience a taste of Japanese culture. After exploring the shrine and the little shops that lead toit, I was driven to the apartment where I would be living in for the duration of my stay. One of my coworkers
who was present at the time of my arrival, was someone who was also living in the same apartment as I was.
She taught me what I needed to know about my living arrangement and became someone that I could rely on
when I had any issues. When it came to government documents and opening a bank account, my supervisor andlab mentor went with me to sort them out. I felt that though their help I had an easier time adjusting to my
temporary home.
The apartment I stayed at was restricted to women only. I was happy with my living arrangement as it was
relatively large for a one person room. It included a private washroom, a mini kitchen, and a main bedroom.
There was also a laundry room on the first floor of the apartments. When it came to food, ready prepped meals
at the supermarkets was my choice during the days I was exhausted from work. However, through my desperateattempt to save money, I learned how to cook proper meals that wasn’t just fried eggs and instant ramen. Someof the dishes I learned how to cook were Japanese curry, miso soup, chicken katsu, and various other donburi
meals. Through this I discovered how much I enjoyed cooking and even took a baking class.

3.2 Experiences
3.2.1 Living in Chiba Prefecture
Chiba prefecture reminded me of Alberta in a way. With wide open spaces, rice fields, quant sightseeing areas
and major landmarks. Although I visited Tokyo often, I liked the fact that I lived an area that wasn’t as busy andcrowded. Major venues such as Lala port, Disney resort, and events held in Makuhari messe made for a couple
enjoyable weekends. Not to mention how convenient it was to get to the airport whenever I traveled. I don’t
often bike back home in Calgary due to the perennial winters, but in Sakura city I was also able to bike aroundmy neighborhood countless times during the summer. Chiba has a lot of hidden gems and treasures that are great
if you take time to explore.

pg. 103.2.2 Japan Travels
I had many Japanese friends who I met through my university’s homestay student program, so it was great being able to visit them during the weekends and long holidays. I also had friends back in Calgary who werealso living in Japan during the same time I was. Some lived in Sendai and others lived in Tokyo. Since I had
connections through them I was able to visit these areas often. Otherwise I spent the long holidays visiting areas that were much farther away.

3.2.3 Other Travels
Living in Japan also gave me a great opportunity to travel to other parts of Asia. I was able to visit South Ko-

rea and Thailand during the long holidays.

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3.2.4 Food
Being able to experience the rich and unique varieties of food was one of the best and also weirdest experiences of living in Japan. Despite having no problem with eating chicken innards, I still couldn’t get used toeating as natto, let alone torisashi. Though when it came to my preferences, I tend to have a sweet tooth. I
more so leaned towards the many types of desserts that was available in Japan such as the wagashi, mitarashi
dango, matcha, mochi, ice creams, puddings, parfaits, cakes, and bakeries.

Figure 6.0: Eel and a plate of washoku.

3.2.5 Kabuki
A former Japanese homestay student invited me to see a Kabuki play held in Kabukiza Theatre in Ginza withher family. Kabuki is essentially a stylized dance and drama dating back to being 400 years old. Additionally,
all the actors were male performers, despite the female roles. The length of the show lasted 5 hours long, though
it is said that some plays could last full day. What was amazing about the show was sheer amount of detail put
into the costumes, make-up, and stage set ups. One of the main performers even changed their outfit 7 times
within one scene. Not to mention, the stage set up would completely change for every major scene, all coordinated on a revolving platform. Although it is a very traditional play, the program was able to accommodate
foreign visitors with English subtitles provided on a tablet.

3.2.6 MediaIf you enjoy Japanese media such as anime and manga, you’ll be able to experience a lot of the events andconventions catered to the industry. I attended JUMP fest held Makuhari messe, World Cosplay Summit held
once a year in Nagoya, Anime Japan in March, and Universal Studios Japan with their many anime attractions.
There were also many pop up anime themed museums, themed restaurants, cafes, and numerous anime live
shows and stage plays that I was able to go to.

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3.2.7 Various Other Experiences

Figure 7.0: Keisei Sakura Matsuri, Dolphin show at Nagoya Port, Imoni-kai by the river in Sendai
Not pictured: onsen, karaoke, and izakayas.

Reflection
Being at Taiheiyo Cement taught me the practical implications behind research and why certain procedures weredone the way they were. I was taught how to operate practical laboratory equipment which made me confident
in performing experiments on my own and learned how to interpret data. Additionally, I became familiar withproper laboratory etiquette. From cleaning the equipment, measuring samples accurately, avoiding contamination during handling, and even proper sample storage. Through this, I became further aware of the type of workthat was involved with performing laboratory experiments.
Despite only taking a Japanese language introductory course many years back in university, I found that myJapanese has improved a great deal during my stay. Because there were very few English speakers where I lived,
I was forced to use whatever Japanese I knew to survive. I know there is still much more to learn, but I hopethat one day I can become fluent.
Doing an internship abroad was special in a way, as I have also gained knowledge outside the technical aspectof just the work. I’ve learned to adapt to the norms of a new environment, enhanced my abilities to speak anotherlanguage, and even obtained some cooking skills. To be placed in a completely foreign environment with allfamiliarities and comfort zones stripped away can be challenging. But through these challenges, I’ve grown to
be independent and discovered more about myself and where my interests lie.

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Recommendations
You may think that before you start your internship, it’s important to study and do prior readings of technicaltexts related to your project as much as possible. At least that’s what I first thought. In actuality, you don’t needto know everything there is to know about cement and chemistry prior to the internship. Although some background knowledge will be helpful, you will be spending a lot of time, even throughout the year, studying thefield. While my undergrad degree gave me the general insights as to what cement was, nothing would have
prepared for me amount of detail and vast information that was really required. Everything is learnt at the time
and they won’t be expecting you to know everything. Not to mention that for the most part, they will teach youwhat is relevant.
It is also good practice to accept any work given to you without question and attempt them to the best of yourabilities. Communicate with your supervisors about your work and keep them updated. If there is somethingthat you don’t understand, don’t be afraid to ask. Be patient with language barriers, admit to your mistakes, andbe honest with your work.
It’s obvious enough to say that you should learn as much Japanese as you can before coming to Japan. Even if
your level of speaking and comprehending is non-existent, a strong interest in learning and actually using it will
have your colleagues appreciate your efforts. Spend some time understanding Japanese business culture andetiquette, as certain gestures and phrases can make your image appear more respectful and even natural.
It can be difficult to open up and show yourself when you struggle with communicating your thoughts, but I
highly encourage trying to be more social even if you can only speak in English. Being somewhat farther awayfrom Tokyo is great in a way, as not many people speak English, so if you are keen on learning you will surely
improve.

Reference[1] Taiheiyo Cements Co. (n.d). About Us: Profile. Retrieved from Taiheiyo Cement Corporation:
http://www.taiheiyo-cement.co.jp/english/company/index.html[2] Taiheiyo Cements Co. (n.d). Organization Structure. Retrieved from Taiheiyo Cement Corporation:
http://www.taiheiyo-cement.co.jp/english/rd/organization/index.html[3] Press, James. (2004) Taiheiyo Cement Corporation History. Retrieved from:http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/taiheiyo-cement-corporation-history/pg. 14