Passing the difficult Tokyo Metropolitan Government employee exam: 4 years of growth fueled by setbacks

Aiming to become a local civil servant Faculty of Law Mizuki Yasuhara studied in the public policy course and passed the difficult Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Yokohama City officials. Faculty of Law is ranked in the top 10 in Japan in two categories: "Broad knowledge and perspectives" and "I feel growth through university learning" in the "National Student Survey (4th Trial Implementation) Positive List" conducted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. We asked Mr. Yasuhara, who improved his logical thinking skills in that fulfilling learning environment and realized his dream with the support of his teachers and seniors, about his efforts to pass the civil service exam and what he learned in Faculty of Law.

Please tell us why you decided to attend Soka University.

Actually, my first choice was another university, but I failed the entrance exam, so I decided to enroll at Soka University, hoping to grow as a student at a university that I had a connection with. I had a complex about failing the entrance exam, so from the time I enrolled, I studied with the feeling that "I want to work hard and achieve results at this university that I can be proud of."

Faculty of Law What topics did you learn about?

From the second semester of my second year, I proceeded to the Public Policy Course, deepening my learning while understanding the complex structure of many social issues. Among social issues, I think I was able to learn from a wide range of perspectives while linking women with policies in various fields such as child-rearing support, nursing care, welfare for the elderly, and the local economy, with the axis of my studies.
I was particularly impressed by the "Public Policy Workshop" class. For practical social issues such as the environment, disaster prevention, and multicultural coexistence, we were able to deepen our specific understanding of each theme by analyzing the current situation, identifying issues, and examining solutions through group work.
Through Faculty of Law classes, I was able to acquire not only knowledge of administration and law, but also how to assemble logic in a precise manner. In class, there are many opportunities to answer and present in writing, and if the content is not logical and coherent, tough questions will fly. Thanks to that kind of training, I think my ability to think logically and explain has grown considerably.

When and what made you decide to become a local government official after graduation?

When I entered the school, I couldn't imagine my career path after graduation, but my parents advised me, "If you Faculty of Law, you might want to become a civil servant," which made me interested in it, and when I heard the stories of graduates who actually worked as civil servants in the "Career Design Basics" class, I came to think it was an attractive job.
I chose to become a local civil servant because I wanted to be involved in realistic measures that were closer to the residents while studying public policy. I felt that the wide range of work and the opportunity to be involved in various fields of work due to department changes in a short span also suited my personality. Furthermore, since it is a regional government representing Japan and can be commuted from home, I decided to become a Tokyo Metropolitan Government official and a Yokohama City employee.

Please tell us about the studies and preparations you did to pass the civil service exam.

From my second year, I began taking lectures at civil service courses held on campus to prepare for the written exam. The content of local civil service exams varies depending on the local government. In my case, the written exam in Tokyo was quite challenging, while Yokohama City had two interviews, so I needed to prepare for each. I created a study schedule with the instructors at the university's Administrative Education Center and studied accordingly, but there was a lot to remember for the written exam, and I struggled to stay motivated. What supported me at this point was the presence of senior students (PSS) who had passed the civil service exam, alumni currently working as civil servants, and friends with the same goal.

In Professor Doi Yoshinori's seminar, where I belonged, many of my classmates were aspiring to become civil servants, and there was an atmosphere of encouraging each other and working hard together. I also kept in daily contact with my seniors, asking them questions about things I didn't understand in my studies and discussing my worries, which was a great help in maintaining my motivation. After the written exam, I also spent a long time working online with my seniors to dig into what I had learned and grown at university, in order to be able to properly convey my strengths in the interview. Thanks to this, on the day of the interview, I was able to fully convey my natural strengths in my own words, which led to my acceptance.

Please tell us how you feel now that you have been accepted into Tokyo and Yokohama.

Although my score on the written exam was lower than expected, I received high marks in the interview and passed both exams with high rankings. Since the interview is a character evaluation, I felt that the interview highly evaluated my learning and growth at university, which made me very happy. I believe that I could only have achieved that growth at Soka University, and I am once again glad that I enrolled here.

Throughout your university life and preparation for the civil service exam, were there any moments when you felt the educational strength that is unique to Soka University?

After passing the exam, you are now supporting your juniors as the person in charge of PSS.

I myself was able to pass the exam thanks to the support of my seniors, so I am working to repay that kindness by supporting my juniors.
Now that I'm on the supporting side as a senior, I realize how difficult it is to keep an eye on all my juniors, understand how they're progressing with their studies, and what they're struggling with. Also, although I had been studying written exam preparation until recently, I felt the need to restudy it as a teacher. I believe that these experiences and relearning as a supporter and teacher will be valuable experiences that will be useful in my work after joining the agency.

Please tell us about your plans and future goals after graduation.

After graduation, I will be working at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. As a city employee, I would like to contribute to the revitalization of my hometown, the Tama region. Based on what I learned at university, I would like to support the creation of workplaces where women can thrive, especially in small and medium-sized enterprises, and do my best to make the Tama region an even more vibrant place.
I also want to continue supporting junior students who aspire to become civil servants after I graduate. Soka University is my starting point, and I believe that by continuing to be involved with Soka University, I will be able to continue working hard without forgetting my original intentions.

Please give a message to your juniors who are interested in attending Soka University.

Just before my final interview for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government employee position, Professor Doi asked me, "How much regret do you still have about not getting into your first-choice university?" I answered, "None." While I certainly had some experiences where things didn't go as planned during the university entrance exam, I was able to use those experiences as fuel to grow at Soka University. Soka University is a university that sincerely addresses each student's desire to grow and provides an environment for that. I was able to grow because of the connections I made with the professors and seniors I met at Soka University. I hope that you will spend your university life constantly thinking about what you can do and how you want to grow at the place you have chosen.