Balancing an Internship and Academics While Living in a Rural Area

Growing up in a condominium complex in Aoba Ward, Yokohama, I had limited opportunities to interact with nature in my daily life. When I visited my grandmother's house or my family's ancestral home in Yamanashi, the scenery was beautiful and the food was delicious. Before I knew it, I began to vaguely long for country life, wanting to discover a kind of richness not found in the city. For these reasons, I started to become interested in the theme of "regional revitalization" during high school. Since I graduated from Keio Shonan Fujisawa Senior High School, I had the option of advancing to other faculties at Keio University (Juku), but the senior students at SFC, who had found their passions and were pursuing their own activities, seemed to shine. Many of them were also active in various fields outside of the university, and I enrolled in SFC with the desire to become like them.

I enrolled in the spring of 2020, but the entrance ceremony was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. My university life began online. I was able to experience the essence of SFC, deepening my learning in subjects I loved, centered on regional revitalization classes, and my days were very enjoyable and fulfilling. After a while, however, I began to ask myself, "Am I really learning what I want to learn?" With every new lesson from my classes, I felt a growing desire to find my own answers to big questions like "What is a region?", "What is regional revitalization?", and "What is community development?"

I became convinced that there are things you can't understand unless you're actually there, so I started looking for a host for an internship. But I wasn't satisfied with online or short-term internships. Since it seemed that online classes would continue into the fall semester, I also considered a long-term, live-in internship. In-person classes might resume the following year, so I wanted to dive into the field for as long as possible during my first year. A coordinator from an NPO who understood my feelings proposed several potential internship locations across Japan.

One of the candidate locations was Owase City in Mie Prefecture. When I spoke with the manager of the host organization, "Yume Kodo no Yu," I was convinced that "this is where I can learn the essence of regional revitalization." However, when I arrived in Owase in September, what I would actually be doing there was still undecided. I spent about a month conducting research while acclimatizing to my new life. My base of operations is a large mansion called Doimisedei. It serves as a community hub for local residents and is a base for the Community-Reactivating Cooperator Squad. It also functions as a workation and co-working space, so it's a place where I can meet interesting people almost every week.

I decided to take my online classes intensively and work as an intern on days when I had no classes. The business I am currently involved in is centered on projects related to the coronavirus, a current social issue. Specifically, I am working on developing sales channels and preparing for crowdfunding for "HINOKis PLUS," a disinfectant spray made from the distilled water of Owase hinoki cypress. This disinfectant spray is non-alcoholic, so it doesn't damage hands or materials. It is already expanding, having been adopted as an official novelty item by McLaren Tokyo and leading to the development of disinfectant sprays using resources from other regions. Separate from this project, I am also participating in an initiative to utilize abandoned farmland in the region. This is also a challenge to light a spark of innovation and create new jobs in a region with an aging population.

In the 2020 academic year, when the COVID-19 pandemic spread, most classes were held online. The ability to earn credits without going to campus is a strength of SFC, which is flexible in responding to social conditions. I took advantage of the fully online class situation to put my energy into a long-term, live-in internship far from home.

On the other hand, I am now thinking about cultivating the encounters and connections with fellow students that are characteristic of SFC. The stories I hear in breakout sessions with senior students about their off-campus activities, research, and entrepreneurial ventures are all stimulating. Everyone is looking for opportunities to apply what they learn at university to society. Professor Yoshinori Iimori, an expert in regional revitalization, has given me various pieces of advice via email. It is very reassuring to be able to receive such guidance even before belonging to a research group.

The experience of diving into the local community, living together, and becoming a member of the region. I now feel that I am learning about all aspects of life and living, going beyond the role of an intern. I was inspired by the people who, rather than just seeking a stable life, always seem to enjoy taking on new challenges. A way of life that involves continuing to challenge oneself with what one can do, even if it means taking risks, precisely because we live in an uncertain era. I hope to continue learning this spirit at SFC and in the region.

Reference:

"The Constantly Losing Tourism Industry Gets Revenge on Corona! Regional Tourist Facilities Launch an Anti-Coronavirus Project! | Furusato Kengyo"