Keio University graduate student Mayuko Chashiro began her 8-week internship at the Sojitz Corporation of America’s DC office on January 27. Mayuko is part of the Japan Internship for the Development of Young Leaders (IDYL) program. The Japan IDYL program was created with support from Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the U.S. Department of State to cultivate future leaders in the U.S.-Japan relationship and provide professional enrichment for Japanese university students and researchers.

This is not Mayuko’s first experience living and studying in the United States. During high school she was an exchange student in Minnesota, and she also conducted field work in the U.S. during the 2016 Democratic primaries. As an intern in the Sojitz office, May will attend a wide variety of think tank events with a particular focus on Japan-U.S. relationship under the Trump Administration; how the Democratic Party reorganizes and redefines their platform; and U.S. foreign policy.