Inspiring the next generation: High school students visit Rakuten for “Girls Meet STEM”
As part of Rakuten’s mission to “contribute to society by creating value through innovation and entrepreneurship,” the company recently hosted its second “Girls Meet STEM” office tour. As part of the tour, 20 female junior high and senior high school students explored Rakuten Crimson House, Rakuten’s headquarters in Tokyo, while gaining insights on what it’s like to work at Rakuten and work in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) career.
What is “Girls Meet STEM”?
“Girls Meet STEM,” founded by the Yamada Shintaro D&I Foundation, is a program that invites girls in junior high and senior high school in Japan to tour universities and corporations. The program provides opportunities for students to learn about careers in STEM fields and expand their future career paths.
Rakuten AI: Learning through play
The event kicked off with a fun and interactive activity to educate the students about Rakuten’s services. Participants were tasked with creating a mock “Rakuten Rakuma” (Rakuten’s consumer-to-consumer marketplace service) listing page* using Rakuten’s agentic AI tool, Rakuten AI. Working in groups, the students selected everyday items to sell, such as a stuffed toy and air circulators, and engaged in lively discussions on what to include on the page. The students were able to use Rakuten AI to add unique components to their mockup, such as the asking price and the condition of the items being sold.
*The listing page generated in this event is fictitious and will not be published on the actual service.
Exploring Rakuten Crimson House
The students then proceeded on a tour of the various facilities at Rakuten Crimson House, getting a firsthand look at life inside the office. From the cafeteria – which offers free breakfast, lunch and dinner – to unique amenities, including an in-office gym, hair salon and nail salon, they were able to catch a glimpse of how a Rakutenian spends their day at the office.
The group then headed to the “Rakuten Museum” on the second floor, where they learned about Rakuten’s history and wide range of services. The tour wrapped up with lunch at one of Rakuten’s cafeterias.
Deep-dive into the careers of Rakuten’s women engineers
To close out the event, four women engineers at Rakuten took the stage for a candid panel discussion. They spoke about turning points in their lives, how they chose their majors, and what it’s like to be a woman in tech. They also answered questions from the students, who were eager to know how much English is used at Rakuten during daily work and what the most rewarding aspects of their jobs are.
Commenting on the event, one student noted that the tour was a great opportunity to learn about Rakuten’s work environment, and that it was fun and refreshing to get hands-on experience with the latest AI technology. Another student shared that after hearing stories from Rakutenians who transferred into STEM after initially studying humanities, she was inspired to consider majoring in a STEM field herself. In just a short time, students were able to gain a deeper understanding of work at Rakuten and the exciting possibilities STEM careers have to offer.
Through initiatives like ‘Girls Meet STEM,’ Rakuten remains dedicated to fostering an inclusive environment that empowers and inspires the next generation of talent, providing young students with the mentorship and resources they need to pursue ambitious careers in STEM.
