2016 TOMODACHI Sumitomo Scholars Visit Washington, D.C. and New York City and Meet with Influential U.S.-Japan Leaders

Five of the TOMODACHI Sumitomo Scholars visited Washington, D.C. and New York City for a winter leadership program hosted by Sumitomo Corporation of Americas from January 7-13, 2017.

While they were in Washigton, D.C. on January 11, they met with U.S.-Japan Council (USJC) President Irene Hirano Inouye and discussed the future of U.S.-Japan relations, the relevance of Japan in the minds of Americans, and how Japanese Americans reconcile their identity with what happened during World War II. That evening, USJC hosted a networking dinner for the students, introducing them to a variety of U.S.-Japan professionals.

The students also visited New York City, which is the headquarters for Sumitomo Corporation of Americas, as part of the leadership program. They stayed with host families, visited the 9/11 Museum, joined in a discussion at Columbia University and learned about Sumitomo Corporation’s operations in the United States and around the world. The program concluded with a celebration dinner in New York City.