Ashinaga developed the first anonymous donation system in Japan, in which donors are called "Ashinaga-san." At Ashinaga, the donations of Ashinaga-san support orphan students ("orphan" is defined as a child who has lost either one or both of their parents); the organization also supports children who have a parent with a disability that prevents them from working.

Ashinaga receives no government support; it is funded solely by contributions from private individuals and companies.

One of the core elements of the Ashinaga philosophy is that orphan students support each other. For financial support, Ashinaga students conduct street corner fundraising campaigns twice a year across Japan. In order to provide emotional support, we facilitate close relationships between orphaned children supported by Ashinaga, particularly via summer camps for orphan students held every year throughout Japan and Sub-Saharan Africa. Another aspect of the Ashinaga philosophy is that people do not have to have special skills or qualifications to be able to take care of orphan students emotionally.

We hope to share and spread our spirit not only throughout Japan, but also around the world. We believe these philosophies apply across national boundaries. Orphan students can indeed grow up and become involved in supporting other students in return for the love they have received. This is how Ashinaga perpetuates itself. We believe that love lost can only be replaced other love--that found between all orphan students.

Mission Statement:
To utilize broad-based philanthropic support to achieve the following:

1. Provision of scholarships, in the form of interest-free loans.
2. Promotion of educational endeavors.
3. Provision of emotional support to children who have lost one or both parents as a result of illness, accident/disaster, or suicide, as well as children who have a parent with a disability that prevents them from working.

The Ashinaga Internship Program began in 2013 as an English teaching program for students in Japan and Uganda, which enabled interns to acquire the problem-solving skills and adaptability needed in multicultural environments. Since then, our program has grown to encompass a variety of departments and functions. Interns now have the ability to choose between a number of different fields within the organization and we hope that by tapping the minds of intellectuals from all over the world we’ll be able to turn Ashinaga into an all-embracing, international NGO. To date we have had interns from over 50 global universities in several dozen countries. We invite you to join us on our journey!

Program Benefits

• Roundtrip Airfare
• Accommodation in Japan (at Ashinaga facilities)
• Daily Breakfast & Dinner (at Ashinaga facilities)
• Weekly Stipend (7,000yen/week)
• Work-related travel expense

*Interns must provide their own travel insurance for the duration of the internship.*

Japan

Summer: June 25th to September 7th 2018 (Undouka: June 9th to September 6th)
Fall: October 1st to December 7th 2018 | Winter: January 14th to March 22nd 2019

While working as an intern in Japan, you will have the opportunity to be placed in Tokyo or Kobe. Depending on their team, interns will be required to come to headquarters 4 to 5 times per week and will work under a team supervisor. In addition, interns will live in either our Tokyo Kokoro-Juku or Kobe Kokoro-Juku, where they will be able to foster an invaluable relationship with Ashinaga scholars. In addition to general team work, interns will be participate in our Tohoku program. This program will allow interns to visit our Sendai facility, tour areas affected by the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake & Tsunami, interact with children affected by the disaster, as well as hear testimonials from others affected.

Note: The scholars you will have the possibility to work with are mainly university or soon-to-be university students.

*For all non-native English speaking applicants, a TOEFL 100 or IELTS score of 7.5 or above (level of proficiency) is recommended. Proficiency will be tested during the interview process.*

Intern Positions

For a detailed description of the position, please click on the title.

Application Deadlines (11:59 pm JST)
Summer Program: March 1, 2018
Fall/Autumn Program: July 1, 2018
Winter Program: October 1, 2018

This form will open Thursday, November 23rd, 2017 9:00 JST. Any submissions before then will not be accepted.

While we’re not able to reach out to every applicant, our recruiting team will contact you if your skills and experience are a strong match for the role. Interview requests can be expected within one month following the application deadline.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at

internship@ashinaga.org

Ashinaga provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Ashinaga complies with applicable regional laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of internship and employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

Ashinaga expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper interference with the ability of Ashinaga’s employees/interns to perform their job duties may result in discipline up to and including discharge.

For Translation Team applicants only:

"「心塾」の命名は幕末期の代表的な蘭学塾「適塾」の開祖・緒方洪庵の曾孫、緒方富雄先生（故人・東京大学名誉教授）の言、「心、それが人間を人間にする」から、心を育てる人間教育の場として名づけました。学んだことを、世のため人のために役立てるのは、教育を受けたものの使命です。全国のご支援者・あしながさんの愛の結晶であるこの心塾で、共同生活や独自のカリキュラムを通して、塾生同士切磋琢磨し、知識や技術ではなく、厳しい時代に負けない自助自立の心を鍛えて下さい。また昨今、日本においては、子どもの貧困が大きな社会問題であり、格差がそのままこの世代に受け継がれる負の連鎖が続いています。さらには、サハラ砂漠以南のアフリカの多くの国々では、その日の食事にも事欠くような、絶対的貧困に子どもたちが苦しんでいます。それらの貧困削減の解決のために志を高く持ちワークハードしながら、みなさんが巨木になってくれることを期待します。" 玉井 義臣

Terms and Conditions

• I understand that, should I be accepted to the Ashinaga internship program, I am required to complete a 10 week term (unless an exception is made by the appropriate Ashinaga staff member).
• If accepted as an EST member, I will be required to share a room with Juku (dormitory) students. In addition, it may be required for other interns to share a room with Juku students.
• If accepted for a summer internship, I will be required to attend atleast two Tsudoi (summer camp) programs. EST and Undouka will be required to attend three Tsudoi programs.
• Any changes to my roundtrip flight will be covered at my own expense.
• Only certain food allergies/restrictions will be accommodated. It is the intern's responsibility to confirm this with the Internship Program Coordinator.

The Ashinaga Student Ambassadors Program is a new project developed by Ashinaga in 2016, where we have established 15 'Chapters' on campuses across Europe and North America. Given the success of the program so far, we have decided to offer this program to all incoming interns.

With the ongoing financial and logistical support of Ashinaga Japan (in the form of a dedicated University Outreach Coordinator), Chapter activities include:

• Establishing themselves as an official student society.
• Establishing an online and offline campus presence
• Bringing together students from across campus to attend meetings and partake in campaigns and events.
• Supporting activities and students from the Ashinaga Africa Initiative.

Each Ambassador will be tasked with establishing, organizing and leading an ‘Ashinaga Chapter’ on their university campus. The purpose of an Ashinaga Chapter is multi-faceted. Ambassadors and their Chapters curate events and projects aimed at engaging students and young people in the community with current international development issues. This includes raising awareness for the cause of higher education as a development strategy, with a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa - in alignment with Ashinaga's own beliefs and mission strategy. Chapters also provide support for Ashinaga Africa Initiative Students, Ashinaga campaigns, and nearby Ashinaga-organized events. Moreover, Chapters are encouraged to develop their own message, mission, strategy, and role within their community, and to explore their own ideas for ways in which they can support Ashinaga's mission, and development in a wider context.

During Orientation Week, a Student Ambassador Program information session will be held.

Accepted interns who choose to participate in the Ambassador program, will take part in Ambassador training along side their regular intern duties.