Ten young American professionals representing gender and sector diversity from across the United States traveled to Miyagi Prefecture and Tokyo in July as participants of the 2018 TOMODACHI-Mitsui & Co. Leadership Program now in its sixth year.

The delegates spent two days in Miyagi meeting with community leaders in the public and non-profit sectors, gaining valuable insight to revitalization initiatives implemented in the coastal cities of Onagawa and Ishinomaki. In Sendai, they met with government officials and leaders in the energy sector.

In Tokyo, delegates met and engaged a wide range of business leaders aligned with program’s pillars, “Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Leadership” . Ten counterpart Japanese delegates joined the Americans in Tokyo as they prepare to travel to Boston, Massachusetts and Washington D.C. in September. Read More>>

The TOMODACHI Disability Leadership Program in America was established to help young Japanese people with disabilities become stronger and more confident leaders of the next generation. This year, after a rigorous selection process, Kana Takahashi, Keiji Oka and Tomoshige Kabetani were chosen to participate in this intensive four-month leadership and advocacy training that takes place in Boston, Massachusetts from August to November 2018.

Prior to their trip to the U.S., the trainees visited Northrop Grumman Japan with Haruna Sakai, an Alumni of the TOMODACHI Disability Leadership Program in America 2017, and shared their goals for their experience in Boston. The trainees met with Stan Crow, Chief Executive, and staff members of Northrop Grumman Japan, receiving words of encouragement. 

Kana Takahashi was born with a visual impairment and raised in Fukuoka. She attended a mainstream elementary and high school. She spent her junior high school years at a school for the blind. From early on and based on her own experience, Kana has been interested in disability and inclusion, particularly in school. Read More>>

As part of the TOMODAHI NAJAS Grassroots Exchange Program, 2018 Chicago-Tagajo TOMODACHI Exchange Program was held, six Lane Tech High School students of Chicago, Illinois, and their two chaperones had the opportunity to visit Tagajo, Miyagi Prefecture from June 23-30, 2018. After arriving in Japan, each of the students spent the following day meeting their host families and shadowing morning classes with a paired Tagajo student. After being educated on Tagajo High School’s educational policies and disaster control by the principal, Mr. Sasaki, students toured areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. 

In addition to experiencing the daily life of a Japanese high school student, and typical home life, the Lane Tech students had the opportunity to explore the traditional sides of Japanese culture by wearing traditional Kimonos and getting Japanese-design manicures. Read More>>

The 2018 U.S.-Japan Council Annual Conference will be held in Tokyo from November 8 - 9 with the theme of “Partnering for Impact Today, Investing in a Sustainable Tomorrow.” This year, since 2015, USJC returns to Tokyo to discuss how the United States and Japan can build a sustainable future together. The Conference will explore ways to collaborate towards mutual goals like supporting women leaders, and face common challenges like aging populations and security issues in Asia. For more information and to register, click here.

The U.S.-Japan Council (USJC) and the TOMODACHI Initiative offer our condolences, support, and prayers to all of those affected by the floods and landslides in Western Japan happened this month.

The USJC and the TOMODACHI Initiative have ties to the communities and alumni in affected areas through the USJC’s Governors Circle program, and through many of our TOMODACHI Initiative leadership programs. The area is also where many Japanese Americans have their ancestral origins.

The USJC, the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i, the United States-Japan Foundation and our friends at other U.S.-Japan related organizations have established the “Japan Flood Friendship Fund (JFFF)” to aid those who were affected. 100% of the contributions will go to relief efforts through our network of nonprofit organizations that are working on the ground. For more details and to make a donation, click here.