Date: August 29
Location: Tokyo

　　　At the end of their summer break, LITs got an opportunity to visit Google’s office in Shibuya. After introducing ourselves in a meeting room, they gave us a tour of various facilities for employees. There was a breakfast bar, a gym, a game room with many gaming options and sofas, a space for napping, and a meditation room. There were also desks, chairs, and sofas throughout the office space, and they explained to us that employees are free to work at any of these locations.

　　　After the office tour, LITs had a talk session with the employees where they shared their backgrounds, career paths, current roles at the company, and their work ethics. The conversation continued into lunch, and they ended up staying with us through the reflection time at the end. This visit showed LITs not just a unique working environment but also its corporate values of DEI and mutual respect, and it has certainly renewed the LITs’ image of their working life.

　　　To everyone at Google, thank you very much for providing such a unique learning opportunity for LITs.

“The notion of deciding everything freely from what to wear to where to work was very new to me, and it changed my image of a company.”

“I was impressed by their work ethics. Every member contributes proactively to work towards a common goal rather than being told what to do. And they are very respectful to each other.”

“I learned that having multiple ‘places of belonging’ is important and that a workplace can be one, too. I hope I will find a place like that in my future.”