Revived Japan program is a hit for Missouri School of Journalism students
Students were given a tote with gifts following the conclusion of the campaign.
By Jack Toal
COLUMBIA, Mo. (Sept. 17, 2025) — The Missouri School of Journalism’s Global Programs office reignited the Tokyo experience this summer with McCann Worldgroup after a five-year hiatus. A group of seven students spent a month getting exposure to the city with the largest metropolitan population in the world.
The program started with a two-week culture course where students engaged with Sophia University public relations Professor Tomoki Kunieda, learning about different aspects of life in Tokyo. Sophia University is a private Jesuit university in Tokyo known for its international atmosphere, diverse student body and English-taught programs.
Students engaged with the city, with plenty of time to go out and explore on their own. Anthony Maiorca, a senior in the program, reflected on one of his favorite experiences — a Yakult Swallows baseball game.
“[We] got to see the Swallows win a big rivalry game, the atmosphere was incredible and an overall unforgettable experience,” Maiorca said.
The students also took a weekend group trip to Kanazawa, on the western end of mainland Japan. Described as an opposite setting to Tokyo, graduate Lauren Prestage said it broadened her perspective on Japan’s anatomy.
“It was a much slower pace of life than you would normally see in Tokyo, it was really nice to get away from some of the busier areas and see more of the natural beauty of Japan,” Prestage said.
At the conclusion of the two-week culture course, they began their internship with McCann Tokyo, a subsidiary of the global advertising agency network McCann Worldwide. Prior to its hiatus, the program ran for nine years with students working with clients such as Oreo, Mastercard and Mondelez.
This year, in collaboration with Sophia University students, the group was split into two cross-cultural teams and given two weeks to build a campaign on behalf of the California Prune Board, a global exporter of prunes established in 1952. The organization represents approximately 800 prune growers and supports the health, growth and integrity of the California Prune industry.
Adjunct professor and study abroad lead Sandy Kornberg described how the program felt different from before.
“I was very surprised with the client we were assigned… I didn’t expect [that] there would be no staff in Japan at all. It surprised me as to how McCann was able to work so efficiently with a client not located in their home market,” Kornberg said. “The dedication of the students really shone through in this campaign.”
At the end of the two weeks, the Red team emerged victorious due to their innovation with creative executions. Red team member Kaiya Lynch reflected on the most memorable parts of the experience.
“What was vastly different from other study abroad options was working with students from Sophia,” Lynch said. “We were able to talk about life and how we do campaigns in the states while learning more about life and culture in Japan while working with the students. My favorite part about the whole experience became the people.”
Updated: September 17, 2025