On April 12, 2014, former TOMODACHI participants, U.S.-Japan Council staff members and volunteers publicized TOMODACHI Initiative programs and activities at the Sakura Matsuri, an annual street festival in Washington, DC that celebrates cherry blossoms and Japanese culture.  Through the “TOMODACHI Tent,” they informed the public about the various opportunities the Initiative offers. 

 

The volunteers in the TOMODACHI booth consisted of past program participants from the Building the TOMODACHI Generation program, the TOMODACHI BEYOND Tomorrow program and the TOMODACHI U.S.-Japan Youth Exchange Program. They shared their personal experience with the visitors, and enjoyed the opportunity to meet fellow TOMODACHI alumni in the DC area. This epitomized the continued engagement of the TOMODACHI generation to strengthen U.S.-Japan relations.

 

The volunteers and staff members also asked people who stopped by the tent to help create a collage of the TOMODACHI logo with their thumbprints, engaging children, adults and even a dog that left its pawprint. The Sakura Matsuri is hosted by the Japan-America Society of Washington DC, and is part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. 

• For more photos, click here