Tokyo University Students Tackle Regional Issues in Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture - Bunkyo Gakuin University Implements "Kamaishi Studication 2026," a Unique Practical Program through Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration
Bunkyo Gakuin University will launch "Kamaishi Studication 2026," a practical educational program aimed at solving regional issues, in Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture, starting May 16, 2026. Ten students will stay for approximately two weeks, deepening their understanding of the region and promoting Kamaishi's appeal through internships at local companies and government agencies. This marks the fourth year of the program.
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- 📰 Published: May 9, 2026 at 00:00
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Bunkyo Gakuin University (President: Tsutomu Fukui) will implement "Studication," a practical educational program combining "Study" and "Vacation," in Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture, starting from Saturday, May 16, 2026. This program is in its fourth year.
In the 2026 academic year, 10 students from the Faculty of Business Administration will stay in Kamaishi City for approximately two weeks. Through internships at local companies and administrative bodies, as well as daily life in the area, they will deepen their understanding of the region and work on promoting Kamaishi's attractions.
Key Points of "Kamaishi Studication 2026" Implementation
* A unique practical program of our university that allows students to experience "learning, working, and living" in a rural area.
* Challenging regional issues centered on PBL (Project-Based Learning).
* Fostering foundational professional skills such as proactiveness, communication ability, and teamwork.
* A consistent learning design that includes pre-learning, on-site practical training, reflection, and crisis management education.
Scenes from last year's implementation.
[Overview]
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the concept of "workation," working in rural areas, has become widespread. Our university has extended this idea to student learning, implementing "Studication," which balances classes and fieldwork while staying in a rural area. Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture, which has had a deep connection with our university for over 10 years, has been selected as the host location.
This program, which started in 2023, is now in its fourth year. Through continuous implementation, a relationship of trust and a network of exchange have been built with Kamaishi City's administrative bodies, local companies, and residents, and the acceptance system to "nurture students in the community" is deepening year by year. It is evolving not merely as a short-term training but as an initiative where the community and the university continuously connect and learn together.
Students will learn while living in the community and gain practical understanding of the social significance and roles of organizations, as well as the realities of local society, through internships at companies, organizations, and administrative bodies. The aim is not only to connect classroom learning with the real world but also to broaden each student's perspective and promote growth through interactions unique to rural areas.
Furthermore, Kamaishi City faces challenges unique to rural cities, such as population decline and labor shortages. This program is also an initiative to explore the possibilities of regional revitalization and new charm promotion, leveraging the flexible ideas and perspectives of university students to address these regional issues. For the host organizations, it is expected that the students' sensibilities and ideas will lead to new insights and the creation of vitality.
■ 2026 "Kamaishi Studication" Partner Companies/Administrative Bodies and Main Duties, Challenges
[Sake Brewery] Hamachidori (URL: https://hamachidori.net/)
...2 students scheduled for internship
* Planning, implementation, and effect analysis of SNS communication for "Usu-Nigori" (lightly cloudy sake).
* Proposal of digital marketing strategies.
[Seasoning Manufacturing and Sales] Fujiyu Jozo (URL: https://www.fujiyu.com/)
...2 students scheduled for internship
* Miso making experience, viewing of brewing process, interviews with staff.
* Historical research of the company and region, creation and presentation of PowerPoint slides.
[Administration] Kamaishi City Hall (URL: https://www.city.kamaishi.iwate.jp/)
...3 students scheduled for internship
* Patrol of cultural properties in the city.
* Distribution survey of castle ruins (planned).
* Public relations work (website creation, information organization and dissemination, etc.).
[Marine Product Processing and Sales] Tsuda Shoten (URL: https://www.tsudashouten.co.jp/)
...3 students scheduled for internship
* Work experience (Sales Department, Quality Assurance Department).
* Design and content creation for SNS communication.
■ Kamaishi Studication Information Dissemination Official SNS
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bgu_inkamaishi/
Comments from Supervising Professor and Student Representative
≪Supervising Professor: Yukari Abe, Associate Professor, Faculty of Business Administration≫
To everyone in Kamaishi City, I sincerely thank you for accepting the Studication program and for your warm, city-wide welcome. The continuous provision of this valuable opportunity to nurture students is a great asset for both the students and our university. I hope that students will treat Kamaishi as their "second home," take ownership, and actively challenge themselves to solve regional issues. Through interactions and nature experiences, please fully enjoy feeling the charm of Kamaishi firsthand.
≪Student Representative: Shuki Yamago (2nd year, Marketing and Design Department, Faculty of Business Administration)≫
To everyone in Kamaishi City, thank you for your generous support and warm welcome during the Studication program. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn not in a lecture format, but by actively engaging and taking action myself.
In the 2026 academic year, 10 students from the Faculty of Business Administration will stay in Kamaishi City for approximately two weeks. Through internships at local companies and administrative bodies, as well as daily life in the area, they will deepen their understanding of the region and work on promoting Kamaishi's attractions.
Key Points of "Kamaishi Studication 2026" Implementation
* A unique practical program of our university that allows students to experience "learning, working, and living" in a rural area.
* Challenging regional issues centered on PBL (Project-Based Learning).
* Fostering foundational professional skills such as proactiveness, communication ability, and teamwork.
* A consistent learning design that includes pre-learning, on-site practical training, reflection, and crisis management education.
Scenes from last year's implementation.
[Overview]
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the concept of "workation," working in rural areas, has become widespread. Our university has extended this idea to student learning, implementing "Studication," which balances classes and fieldwork while staying in a rural area. Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture, which has had a deep connection with our university for over 10 years, has been selected as the host location.
This program, which started in 2023, is now in its fourth year. Through continuous implementation, a relationship of trust and a network of exchange have been built with Kamaishi City's administrative bodies, local companies, and residents, and the acceptance system to "nurture students in the community" is deepening year by year. It is evolving not merely as a short-term training but as an initiative where the community and the university continuously connect and learn together.
Students will learn while living in the community and gain practical understanding of the social significance and roles of organizations, as well as the realities of local society, through internships at companies, organizations, and administrative bodies. The aim is not only to connect classroom learning with the real world but also to broaden each student's perspective and promote growth through interactions unique to rural areas.
Furthermore, Kamaishi City faces challenges unique to rural cities, such as population decline and labor shortages. This program is also an initiative to explore the possibilities of regional revitalization and new charm promotion, leveraging the flexible ideas and perspectives of university students to address these regional issues. For the host organizations, it is expected that the students' sensibilities and ideas will lead to new insights and the creation of vitality.
■ 2026 "Kamaishi Studication" Partner Companies/Administrative Bodies and Main Duties, Challenges
[Sake Brewery] Hamachidori (URL: https://hamachidori.net/)
...2 students scheduled for internship
* Planning, implementation, and effect analysis of SNS communication for "Usu-Nigori" (lightly cloudy sake).
* Proposal of digital marketing strategies.
[Seasoning Manufacturing and Sales] Fujiyu Jozo (URL: https://www.fujiyu.com/)
...2 students scheduled for internship
* Miso making experience, viewing of brewing process, interviews with staff.
* Historical research of the company and region, creation and presentation of PowerPoint slides.
[Administration] Kamaishi City Hall (URL: https://www.city.kamaishi.iwate.jp/)
...3 students scheduled for internship
* Patrol of cultural properties in the city.
* Distribution survey of castle ruins (planned).
* Public relations work (website creation, information organization and dissemination, etc.).
[Marine Product Processing and Sales] Tsuda Shoten (URL: https://www.tsudashouten.co.jp/)
...3 students scheduled for internship
* Work experience (Sales Department, Quality Assurance Department).
* Design and content creation for SNS communication.
■ Kamaishi Studication Information Dissemination Official SNS
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bgu_inkamaishi/
Comments from Supervising Professor and Student Representative
≪Supervising Professor: Yukari Abe, Associate Professor, Faculty of Business Administration≫
To everyone in Kamaishi City, I sincerely thank you for accepting the Studication program and for your warm, city-wide welcome. The continuous provision of this valuable opportunity to nurture students is a great asset for both the students and our university. I hope that students will treat Kamaishi as their "second home," take ownership, and actively challenge themselves to solve regional issues. Through interactions and nature experiences, please fully enjoy feeling the charm of Kamaishi firsthand.
≪Student Representative: Shuki Yamago (2nd year, Marketing and Design Department, Faculty of Business Administration)≫
To everyone in Kamaishi City, thank you for your generous support and warm welcome during the Studication program. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn not in a lecture format, but by actively engaging and taking action myself.