Pros
Frontier research, friendly people, beautiful cafeteria, great on campus accommodation.
Kontras
HR team did not ever finalise my contract. I arrived in Tokyo and was given an entirely different contract than the one I had originally signed before moving. Due to this discrepancy, the entire contract was nullified and I was asked to keep quiet and work as an unpaid intern. Interns usually benefit from the cost of the flight, and full accommodation being covered plus a monthly stipend. I should have qualified as an intern but my lab only sponsored my accommodation, and therefore I did not work under the official RIKEN Intern Contract which technically should not be allowed.