The fifth Tohoku Internship Project has concluded on Sunday, March 11, as the students from Takata High School headed back to their hometown. Since 2012, the CCCJ and Ganbatte365 have been active in organizing the program, which welcomes high school students from Rikuzentakata for a week-long internship and homestay experience in Tokyo.

This year, there were 10 girls and 5 boys participating in the program; this marked the first time the majority of participants were female. Intern students were allocated to companies in a diversity of fields from flight training and insurance to government and hospitality.

On Friday evening, we celebrated the conclusion of the students' internship by throwing a party at the Hylife Pork Table restaurant in Daikanyama. The students gave short presentations about their experiences over the week, many of which showed exceptional maturity and insight. One program alumnus, who has since started a job in Tokyo, also attended the party. After the event, the students had a free day on Saturday to spend with their classmates and host families. On Sunday, there were some tearful goodbyes on the shinkansen platform at Tokyo station. 

We want to thank all participating companies, host families and students. We already look forward to the 6th Tohoku Internship Project next year.