Update from Team TOMODACHI

January 2014

Lady Gaga Raises Funds for TOMODACHI

Lady Gaga raised approximately 2.26 million yen (estimated at $21,500.00) for the TOMODACHI Initiative through her second charity auction in support for those affected by the 2011 earthquake in Tohoku. The funds generated will go to the TOMODACHI Stella Adler Performing Arts Fellowship, which gives Japanese students the opportunity to pursue their artistic dreams through programs at specialized institutions in the United States. Areas of study may include music, art, film, dance, song, theater, fashion, design, and digital media. More »

The Latest on TOMODACHI Programs and Activities

TOMODACHI Students Ring in New Year as Part of the 2014 Rose Parade

As seen on television screens worldwide, six former TOMODACHI students participated in the 2014 Rose Parade in Pasadena, CA on New Year's Day. American Honda Motor Co., Ltd., the presenting sponsor of the parade, helped these students in southern California participate in the Rose Parade (the students are past participants of the TOMODACHI MUFG International Exchange Program). During the parade, four students held the opening flag while two other students rode the Honda float, where a video message from TOMODACHI students in Japan was played to convey their gratitude for the support given to Japan by the American people after the Great East Japan Earthquake and to wish everyone a happy new year. More »

Please click to watch the TOMODACHI Initiative Presentation Slideshow.

Winners of the TOMODACHI Award Announced at the 2nd University Venture Grand Prix Entrepreneurship Awards

On December 22, 2013, teams CODDRESS and MOLCURE emerged as the winners of the TOMODACHI Award at the 2nd Annual University Venture Grand Prix Entrepreneurship Awards organized by METI (the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) and the New Business Conference. In March 2014, these two teams will travel to Silicon Valley, California to meet with, learn from influential startups and venture capitals. More »

TOMODACHI Job Shadow Challenge Program

On December 23, 2013, thirty junior high school students from Iwaki City, Fukushima participated in a contest and workshop launched for the TOMODACHI Job Shadow Challenge Program. The students worked in pairs to develop a 5-minute presentation on a sightseeing tour concept to increase tourists to Fukushima prefecture. This program will send ten students with the best plans to Guam for a job shadow program for them to learn business skills in a hands-on way from March 30-April 2, 2014. More »

Recruitment for TOMODACHI Program Participants

Feb. 5	Orpheus Chamber Orchestra to engage with TOMODACHI Students in Sendai Concert (Sendai)
Feb. 15 - 23	California students from Del Norte High School visit Rikuzentakata as part of mission to return tsunami debris boat (Rikuzentakata, Iwate)
Feb. 15 - Mar. 1	Tohoku youth to participate in leadership program: Building the TOMODACHI Generation: A Partnership to Engage US and Japanese University Students in Social Problem Solving (Washington, DC)
Feb. 20 – 22	Japanese educators to travel to the U.S. to discuss teaching civic participation at universities: TOMODACHI Innovations in Civic Participation (ICP) Ashoka Conference (Boston, MA)
Feb. 21, 28	TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program – Kansai (Osaka)
Mar. 3 – 29	Young leaders program: TOMODACHI Social Innovation in Seattle (SIIS) Scholars Program (Seattle, WA)
Mar. 7 – 9	Leadership training for alumni of Summer 2013 TOMODACHI Programs: TOMODACHI BEYOND Tomorrow Global Leadership Academy 2014 (Tokyo)
Mar. 11	Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra Performance in New York (New York, NY)
Mar. 15 – Apr. 4	TOMODACHI Japan Society Junior Fellows Student Exchange Program
Mar. 17 – 23	TOMODACHI Award Winners of the University Venture Grand Prix Entrepreneurship Awards Visit Silicon Valley, CA (Silicon Valley, CA)
Mar. 22 – 30	TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program Trip (Washington, DC & New York, NY)

Recruitment for TOMODACHI Program Participants

Please forward and share these opportunities to students who may be interested.

NEW: TOMODACHI Suntory Music Scholarship for Fall 2014

The TOMODACHI Suntory Music Scholarship creates opportunities for young Japanese to attend three of the most prestigious music schools in the United States: The Juilliard School; Berklee College of Music; and San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Application deadlines are approaching so apply now! More »

NEW: TOMODACHI Japan Society Junior Fellows Program, July 1-24, 2014

The Japan Society is now accepting applications for the 2014 TOMODACHI Japan Society Junior Fellows Program! Please share this opportunity for American high school students who are interested in participating in a culturally immersive exchange to Japan. Application materials and program information can be found here. The application deadline is January 20, 2014.

TOMODACHI-UNIQLO Fellowship for Fall 2014

The TOMODACHI-UNIQLO Fellowship provides a world-class educational experience to Japan’s next generation of business and fashion leaders. Eligible Japanese students must apply now to receive financial support for pursuing graduate studies at three top-notch U.S. educational institutions: The Stanford Graduate School of Business; Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT); and Parsons The New School for Design. Individuals interested in the Fellowship must apply directly to each educational institution. More »

Hear the current TOMODACHI UNIQLO Fellows explain their experiences in their own words:

Alumni Program: TOMODACHI BEYOND Tomorrow Global Leadership Academy 2014

Applications are currently being accepted for the TOMODACHI BEYOND Tomorrow Global Leadership Academy. Seventy participants will be selected from students who had travelled to the United States on a TOMODACHI program in Summer 2014. Taking place from March 7-9, 2014 in Tokyo, students will discuss the global agenda and, as young leaders invested in US-Japan relations, how they can contribute to society. More »

Career Opportunity with TOMODACHI

TOMODACHI Alumni Coordinator, Full-Time (Tokyo-based)

The TOMODACHI Initiative is currently seeking a talented, dynamic, bilingual individual for the position of TOMODACHI Alumni Coordinator. The Alumni Coordinator will be responsible for the development and oversight of TOMODACHI alumni programming throughout Japan and, in coordination with U.S.-based staff, on programs in the United States, with the goal of building upon short-term exchange experiences to promote continued alumni engagement with the United States (or Japan, in the case of American alumni). More »

Update from Team TOMODACHI - January 2014
For donors, supporters, and friends of the TOMODACHI Initiative and the TOMODACHI Generation.

Website: www.usjapantomodachi.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/USJapanTOMODACHI
Twitter: @JapanTOMODACHI

Email: tomodachi@usjapancouncil.org

The TOMODACHI Initiative is a public-private partnership, born out of support for Japan’s recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake, that invests in the next generation of Japanese and American leaders through educational and cultural exchanges as well as entrepreneurship and leadership programs.