On March 8th, a virtual event for TOMODACHI KAKEHASHI Inouye Scholars Program 2022 participants from Howard University was held. For this event, participants from Howard University gathered for a special opportunity to engage with Ken Inouye, USJC Board of Councilors member and son of Senator Daniel K. Inouye. Program participant Terry Jones Jr. asked Mr. Inouye how he and his program participants could help continue the Senator’s legacy. In his response, Mr. Inouye shared a message that his father believed deeply in – civic engagement. “[My father] saw civic engagement as of vital importance… No matter what you do in this world, you need to participate and be an active participant.” Read More>>

On April 15th 2022, the Kyushu TOMODACHI Alumni Gathering was hosted by TOMODACHI alumni and the U.S. Consulate in Fukuoka. It was the first time an in-person event took place since the beginning of the pandemic. The event was attended by 25 alumni and staff members from the Consulate and U.S.-Japan Council, followed by strict COVID-19 prevention guidelines. The alumni were very excited to see each other once again face-to-face since all the alumni programs and events have been held online since early 2020. Read More>>

On March 27, 2022, the TOMODACHI Regional Impact for Social Empowerment (RISE) Leadership Program 2021 Awards Ceremony was held online. Awards were presented to six alumni who have served as Regional Leaders in Hokkaido, Tohoku, Chubu-Hokuriku, Kansai-Chugoku-Shikoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa. The ceremony was attended by past Regional Leaders and Mentors, and representatives from the U.S. Embassy and Consulates. It was emceed by Rika Yonamine, 2020 Regional Leader of the Okinawa Region. Each Regional Leader identified a different challenge to revitalize the region and contribute to the community by working together with Regional Mentors and involving alumni in each region. Read More>>

The TOMODACHI Alumni Regional Framework kicked off with a three-day virtual orientation on March 19, 20 and 27, 2022. The structure will engage and connect alumni in five regions across Japan and four regions in the United States. The Orientation was attended by twelve Regional Representatives (RRs) from Japan and the United States and provided the opportunity to get to know each other, share ideas and plans for their regional activities, reflect on their leadership style, and connect with supporters of the program: Prudential and the U.S. Embassy. 
One of the highlights of this orientation was the keynote speech by Stephanie Nitahara, an alumna of the U.S.-Japan Council Emerging Leaders Program and Senior Program Manager at Community Partners. Her speech focused on how to cultivate a community in times of COVID-19. Read More>>

Kazuki Oshiro is an alumnus of the TOMODACHI Sumitomo Corporation Scholarship Program where he studied abroad at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Hawaii, USA as an exchange student. Born in Okinawa, he graduated from the Department of Tourism Science, College of Tourism and Industry Science, University of the Ryukyus in March 2022. He majored in Tourism Economics and Statistics and is currently working as a Travel Counselor at CWTSato Travel. In honor of Earth Day on April 22, we interviewed him who focuses on tourism and environmental activities. Read More>>

Honoka Kumazawa is an alumna of the TOMODACHI High School Women Career Mentoring Program in 2018. She serves as the TOMODACHI Alumni Intern for the Spring/Summer period starting from March 2022. Originally from Fukushima, she also participated in the TOMODACHI Generation Global Leadership Academy 2021. Through the encounters in these programs, she was exposed to and inspired by diverse ways of thinking and ways of living that are not bound by stereotypes. She hopes to work for an international organization in the future to resolve problems related to people, the environment, and agriculture. She is currently studying at the Department of Food and Agricultural Sciences at Fukushima University. Read More>>

TOMODACHI Story Jam for Youth with Disabilities is a 9-week digital storytelling and youth leadership program that brings together Japanese and American college students and young professionals with disabilities to collectively explore and identify a moment or moments related to overcoming barriers. Participants will have opportunities to interact with peers from Japan and the U.S., and to learn about each other’s cultures.

For more information, click here.

Application Deadline: June 30, 2022

The TOMODACHI MUFG International Exchange Program is recruiting high school students in California! The program was established in 2012 with the goal of deepening the mutual understanding between the United States and Japan and investing in the next generation of leaders. 

For this year’s online program, students enrolled in high schools in California will be eligible to participate. This 5-part program will take place over a course of roughly a month with one session a week on the weekends. During the program, the students will have opportunities to learn about Japanese society and culture, and leadership through this year’s theme of resiliency. The program features opportunities to meet with Japanese people through interactions with local high school students.

For more information, click here.

Application Deadline: June 11, 2022 (US Time)

TOMODACHI Toshizo Watanabe Leadership Program is for high school students from all over Japan, who are the next generation leaders, and aims to develop human resources who will contribute to U.S.-Japan relations in the future. Through homestays, school visits, interacting with the American students, as well as learning about American History, and being exposed to many different stories, participants will gain leadership skills and international sensibility.

For more information, click here.

Application Deadline: May 30, 2022