The real appeal is experiencing firsthand in a real corporate environment.

FUTURE FASHION INSTITUTE Co., Ltd. (CEO: Wakana Akiyama, hereinafter "FFi") offers a "Pre-Internship" program where junior and senior high school students learn through practical experience in a corporate setting. Starting March 27th, FFi's participation method has been updated. We offer two styles to accommodate both those who "want to continue experiencing various industries" and those who "want to try it just once.".

※ Member participation fee: ¥11,000/session (tax included) + ¥550/month membership fee (tax included) separately / Visitor participation fee: ¥19,800/session (tax included) no monthly membership fee ※ Visitors will have a simple form to fill out on their first visit. ※ Members automatically withdraw at the end of March of their third year of high school.

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◾️ What is FFi's Pre-Internship? ── A Social Experience That's More Than Just Observation

A pre-internship is an introductory experience that allows junior and senior high school students to engage with society and corporations. While "work experience" or "job shadowing" is common for high school students in companies overseas, opportunities for junior and senior high school students to participate in high-quality internships are rare in Japan. FFi delivers encounters with real companies and professionals as a program for these Japanese students.

◾️ Why is Pre-Internship Necessary for Junior and Senior High School Students? ── Message from the CEO

FFi CEO Wakana Akiyama

When I was a student at Seijo Gakuen High School, I got involved with a fashion magazine through a senior's introduction. The connections I made with wonderful adults there led me to work as a writer. I then became independent as an editor and writer while attending Seijo University. Through my work on magazines at major publishing houses, I encountered many professionals working at the forefront of fashion and culture. That experience profoundly influenced my life later on. It's not often that junior and senior high school students have the opportunity to meet real professionals working seriously in their fields. But I know how valuable such experiences are for their future. I started FFi with the desire to give children the chance to gain experiences that could serve as a guidepost in their lives, just as I did. These kinds of encounters are essential for students this age. I am fully leveraging my years of experience and network to collaborate with professionals and companies that I genuinely believe in for our projects. This is a unique pre-internship where you can hear stories you wouldn't hear elsewhere and gain valuable life experiences in places inaccessible without connections. I hope the time spent at FFi sparks a small flame of 'I want to work like this in the future.'

◾️ Three Growth Opportunities Provided by FFi That Go Beyond Mere Experience

1. Not Just Observation: An Experience of Thinking, Acting, and Presenting

FFi's programs are not just company visits where you 'listen and leave.' In each program, after learning about the company's history and strategy, participants engage in group work to devise plans and present them to company employees. The experience of 'having real professionals seriously listen to my ideas' provides stimulation that cannot be obtained in a classroom.

2. Finding Hints for Future Career Paths

This is especially recommended for students who "still don't know what they want to do." By experiencing various industries and interacting with professionals active on the front lines, students can find hints for their future paths. We can also issue a certificate of program completion that can be submitted for comprehensive selection entrance exams.

3. Meeting Peers and University Mentors with Similar Aspirations

You can meet and be inspired by peers who want to "challenge new things" and "seriously think about their future," polishing yourselves together. You can also consult with university mentors about career paths and university life.

Opportunities to deepen learning through group work

Emphasis on verbalizing one's own thoughts

◾️ Program Introduction ── Examples of Experiences You Can Have

Here are some recent examples of FFi's pre-internship programs.

📺 Example: Pre-Internship with WOWOW Inc.

Fifteen people, including FFi members and university mentors, participated in the program with WOWOW Inc., a leading video entertainment company in Japan. Part 1: "Getting to Know WOWOW" Started with a career and business overview by WOWOW employees. Participants learned about the company's 35-year history and the realities of Japan's entertainment industry. Part 2: "Planning Entertainment for Junior and Senior High School Students" Participants divided into groups of 3-4 and devised original content plans within 20 minutes. Finally, all groups presented their ideas to company employees.

Learning about the company in the WOWOW preview theater

Proposing ideas unique to junior and senior high school students during group work

── Voices from Participating Students and Parents ──

"Through this visit, I felt that having goals and continuing to challenge things I'm interested in will lead to future work." (3rd year high school student, male)

"I vaguely wanted to work in the entertainment industry in the future, but now I'm also interested in distribution businesses like WOWOW, which delivers entertainment through video." (2nd year high school student, female)

"After returning home, he unusually talked a lot, saying, 'I presented to the professionals at WOWOW about what kind of service would make junior and senior high school students want to join!' I think he was happy that adults other than his school teachers listened seriously to his story." (Parent of a 3rd year junior high school student)

"He seemed to fully grasp the value of the time spent at a top company, where he normally can't go, listening directly to industry talk, and said his 'values have changed.'" (Parent of a 3rd year high school student, female)

Special Contribution ── A Doorway to the Future

Mamiko Suzuki

Born in Ebisu in 1976.

Eldest daughter of film producer Toshio Suzuki.

Wrote the Japanese lyrics for "Country Road," the theme song of the film "Whisper of the Heart," and lyrics for Ayaka Hirahara's "Futatabi," the theme song "Kokoro no Kakera" for the game "Ni no Kuni," and "Hitosuji no Michi e" and "Sono Saki no Sora e" for the Netflix anime "Leviathan."

Published the essay collection "Suzuki-ke no Hako." Currently presides over the online salon "Suzuki P Family."

Recently, my son has become interested in fashion. He spends hours looking at clothing websites, picking out items he likes and adding them to his favorites.

Perhaps he might go into the fashion industry? Being a proud parent, I decided to participate in FFi's Tokyo Collection viewing program first. My son gets bored easily, and I was worried if I could even watch it all the way through.

But the moment the show started, all my worries vanished. Before I knew it, I was watching with gritted teeth, intently, not wanting to miss a single second.

It doesn't matter if you like fashion or not. It was cutting-edge art. Overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information, I found myself swept away by a flood of beauty. An unreal world unfolded before my eyes at a dizzying speed.

I remembered visiting the Mode Museum in Antwerp years ago and being captivated by its beauty and the history of culture for an entire day.

But a fashion show is a cultural attraction that allows you to experience that in just 15 minutes.

At that moment, I strongly felt: there is no choice but to show this to children. The depth of sensibility will be completely different between a life that sees this and one that doesn't.

A child seeing this for the first time might shed tears of excitement. It will be a powerful memory of tears, something that happens only a few times in a lifetime.

After the show ended, I was lost in the afterglow of beauty.

And then I thought:

Next time, I will definitely bring my son. That experience might be a doorway to his future.

Scenes from FFi's Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo (Tokyo Collection) viewing

FACT BOX

  • Source: PR TIMES
  • Category: News