What did the intern students feel? We asked them about the appeal of Future Design Shibuya

June 6, 2024

Rina Naganuma / Mai Takagi / Soichiro Tezuka
(Future Design Shibuya Intern)

"I wonder if the interns had a meaningful time at Future Design Shibuya..."

Last year, Future Design Shibuya (FDS) welcomed its first intern students. They participated in FDS projects, and interviewed related companies and ward officials about projects that interested them, allowing them to experience the various actions happening in Shibuya up close, but was there anything they could learn from this? Although it was a bit timid, we asked three student members who recently finished their internship period to look back on their activities.

Interview and text by Amada Tasuku (Future Design Shibuya)

Takagi: During my internship at FDS, I started to think that I wanted to get a job that would help make society a little better. I started to wonder if it was okay for a company to just pursue profits. Even now, as I go through my job search, I am conscious of whether the company's profits are being properly returned to society. I want to become a member of society who can work while thinking about the impact that the results of my hard work are having on the world.

Naganuma: I've been interested in social contribution activities since I was in high school, but I realized there are many different ways to contribute to society. There are many people who support these activities from behind the scenes, and I learned that there are many different ways to contribute to society.

Tezuka: I was able to talk to the ward office and learn how Shibuya Ward is making the city more exciting. I'm interested in public-private partnerships, so I was able to see it in action and think about what kind of events Shibuya Ward can participate in in the future, and experience public-private partnerships firsthand.

--Has your impression of FDS changed before and after your internship?

Takagi: At first, I had the impression that they were involved in large-scale events related to Shibuya, but when I actually participated, their activities were wide-ranging, including morning cleanup activities in Center Gai, and I felt that they were a jack-of-all-trades.

Naganuma: I also realized that you are involved in a much wider range of fields than I had imagined. I learned that you are working to make the town better from all sorts of different angles.

--So, what do you think is the appeal of FDS right now?

Tezuka: I think it's because they're enlivening Shibuya. Shibuya is full of all kinds of people, and while it can get lively in a bad way, with young people making a lot of noise and causing trouble for those around them, they have a solid concept and are working with various companies, so to put it bluntly, I get the impression that they're "enlivening it in the right way." I think the appeal is that they're enlivening it and leading to results.

Takagi: After participating in the activities, I realized that we are a group of people who are truly filled with love for Shibuya. I think that is the charm of FDS. When I previously interviewed Secretary General Osada, he said, "Making money is not the goal but a means, so you can't continue without love," which made a big impression on me. I think it's wonderful that everyone is working with the awareness of wanting to make Shibuya better and protect the good things that it has now.

<Finally, we asked them to write in one sentence what they gained from their internship activities>

Naganuma: During my internship, I had the opportunity to do a lot of interviews, something I had not had much experience with before. I am the type of person who gets nervous easily, but I realized that by "empathizing" with the other person, I can talk more easily and the conversation can expand.
I also learned a great deal from this experience: I realized that there are connections that are born from empathy, and that these connections are the catalyst that leads to all kinds of changes.

Tezuka: It was meaningful for me to be able to conduct interviews myself and to have "dialogue" with FDS staff and member companies.
I was also able to see how the public and private sectors were engaged in "dialogue" in terms of public-private collaboration. For example, at Sasahata Hatsumachi Lab 's "388FARMβ," I was able to see up close how the public and private sectors were creating an event through "dialogue," rather than the government planning it and the private sector participating accordingly.

Takagi: I feel like my horizons have broadened. I think my way of thinking about my future has changed a little through this internship. I also realized that there are many ways to make society better. First of all, I try to pick up trash in the city, or expand the possibilities of the virtual world. In that sense, I think my horizons have broadened.