First TOMODACHI Inouye Scholars Travel to Japan
In June 2014, two of the four U.S. universities (DePaul University and Loyola Marymount University) participating in the TOMODACHI Inouye Scholars Program sent their student delegations to Japan. Twenty-three students and two faculty representing DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, returned to the United States on June 26 after spending ten days in Japan. The delegation from Loyola Marymount is currently in Japan, after flying from Los Angeles, California on an ANA plane bearing the TOMODACHI logo. They will return to the U.S. the first week of July.
This program is administered in collaboration with the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Japan Foundation as part of their broader “KAKEHASHI Project” and aims to enhance cross-cultural learning between youth from the United States and Japan. The program was created to commemorate the legacy of the late Senator Daniel Inouye–a powerful leader described as a “true American hero” by President Obama, close confidants and the wider American community–as a leader devoted to civil service and cultural consciousness, and each delegation is led by a U.S.-Japan Council member.
The DePaul University students engaged in a direct exchange with Japanese students at Ritsumeikan University (Kyoto) discussing a variety of topics related to culture, national identity, as well as ethnic minorities and immigrant populations in their respective countries. They also enjoyed identifying and discussing similarities and differences between the two countries.
Blog post by DePaul student Roy Cases recounts and reflects upon the discussions he had with the Japanese students stating, “My experience and interaction within this trip has given me a whole new perspective on the culture. I hear about what Ayumi has to say about different topics and it makes me realize that her and I are not very different when it comes to taking pride in our home countries and being a university student.” In addition to the exchange at Ritsumeikan , the DePaul students visited many historical sites, such as the Nijo Castle and the Golden Pavillion, and took part in cultural activities, such as tea ceremony.
One of the topical themes for the DePaul program was exploring the balance and integration of “old/traditional Japan” with the “new/modern Japan.” Upon returning to Tokyo for the final days of the program, the group volunteered at a Senior Care Facility, learning about the challenges facing Japan’s increasing aging population and ways they are being addressed. Students spoke with the residents in small groups, sang songs like “What a Wonderful World,” as well as impromptu renditions of “上を向いて歩こう” (ue wo muite arukou, “I Look Up As I Walk”) and “Sukiyaki”, which the audience of elderly residents thoroughly enjoyed.
While in Tokyo, the group learned about the U.S.-Japan Council by meeting and talking with Japanese-American leaders at an informal gathering hosted by USJC Board Member Ernie Higa, head of Wendy’s Japan.
In addition, as part of TOMODACHI Generation Talks, participants met with young, rising Japanese leaders from a variety of fields, to discuss the challenges facing professionals in their field and their personal stories of how they overcame those. “The discussion with the panelists opened up the doors to our future as TOMODACHI scholars. I am glad to have experienced Japanese culture before having the discussion with TOMODACHI alumni. I would not have been able to understand the discussion with the NPO leaders in depth if this was before the tour. I learned that culture plays a big role when analyzing the U.S.-Japan relationship,” stated TOMODACHI Inouye Scholar, Emily Spurgeon.
- Meet the TOMODACHI Inouye Scholars from DePaul Universityhere
- Read the blog entries and view photos on their website
- Find out more about the TOMODACHI Inouye Scholars Program
