My experience interning in Kyoto

Written by David VanBrackle

Hello! Konnichiwa!

My name is David VanBrackle, and I was an intern in Kyoto, Japan for the HSSA program in 2025! My internship journey actually started back during my study abroad in Kyoto in the fall of 2024. I participated in the internship course and was placed at Cafe Frosch.

Easily one of the highlights of my trip, I was able to find a home in Kyoto in a way that felt truly special. Being able to work in the city made me feel more like a part of the city and less like a tourist.

In addition to the fantastic relationships, I made with my co-workers at the cafe, the internship course also helped me get to know the CIEE staff better as they played an important role in helping me get situated at my new workplace. Meeting them, I saw the team and environment they work with/ in and knew it was the kind of place that I someday hoped to work in…

So when the staff at CIEE Kyoto reached out to me asking if I would be interested in a role as an intern for their HSSA program I was thrilled and immediately applied. I was selected and signed up to work for 8 weeks in Kyoto!

Returning to the city that I had grown to love felt so special and somewhat surreal. Just a few months ago I had been looking at all the Konbinis and restaurants I had grown to love and wondering if/ when I’d ever be able to return. Now here I was back again, this time working with the people that had made my international experience so fantastic in the first place. I think a healthy mix of luck and excitement was how I felt walking up out of Shijo station again after being away for so long. Of course, this in addition to the anticipation of all the new experiences I would have through this internship.

As the program began I was quickly swept up in the day-to-day schedule of the program, and the infectious excitement of the students got me out of bed every day ready to see what was next. Seeing new students learn and experience the same things I had through their own international experience was incredibly rewarding as well as a bit surreal. 

However, just because I was working doesn’t mean I wasn’t also experiencing everything along with the high schoolers. I got to attend classes and visit groups and schools I never did when I was a student on my college program. The taiko drumming class was a particular stand out!

In addition, the school visits, meeting the students and seeing their club activities and sports was a fantastic experience. Seeing our students interact even through the language barrier with the Japanese students was something fantastic to see, especially given that some of our students had never been on an airplane before this trip, and now they were making friends at a Japanese high school! Other visits included, traditional Japanese dying, museum visits, martial performance training and demonstration, school taiko performance and even a indie video game conference and showcase. All of these I had never done as a student before and enjoyed every minute as much as the classes we were leading. 

As for my own adventures, during my days off I would travel to places I hadn't been last time with some of my coworkers or solo and got to experience things I missed last time. Since it was so cold during my study abroad, I took advantage of the warm weather and explored places like Lake Biwa north of the city!

At the end of it all, I was so sad to go, but so glad I came back. The experience of not only the city of Kyoto, but also the work in international education has shaped how I want to develop my future career. The friends, students and coworkers I met made the experience something I will never forget, and I cannot wait to return to see them all again. 

If you are a student looking to study abroad, do it! 

If you are an alumni considering applying for an internship, do not pass up the opportunity to see more of the world in such a unique and impactful way!