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Update from Team TOMODACHI
March 2015
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Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida Meets with TOMODACHI Alumni, U.S. Ambassador Caroline Kennedy and USJC President Irene Hirano Inouye
On March 10, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida met with U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy, U.S.-Japan Council President Irene Hirano Inouye, and a small delegation of TOMODACHI Alumni. Following a warm welcome by Foreign Minister Kishida, the group discussed the fourth anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, and the support the United States provided through Operation Tomodachi and continues to provide through the TOMODACHI Initiative and its programs.
Representing the students from Tohoku, TOMODACHI alumna Natsumi Kinoshita emphasized the importance of exchange opportunities to instilling a global mindset among the younger generation. John Carlson, who represented the American students, stated he will never forget the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, and emphasized that the bond among the TOMODACHI Generation will be a long lasting asset to the U.S.-Japan bilateral relationship. More>>
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The Latest on TOMODACHI Programs and Activities
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TOMODACHI Alumnae Share Messages from Tohoku with First Ladies Michelle Obama and Akie Abe in Tokyo
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On March 19, ten TOMODACHI alumnae representing Tohoku and Tokyo attended a U.S.-Japan joint event promoting the educational initiative “Let Girls Learn” featuring First Ladies Michelle Obama and Akie Abe, U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy, and Director General Naoko Saiki. The alumnae, who had front row seats at the event, enjoyed listening to Mrs. Obama’s powerful and inspiring speech about the importance of girls’ education, including stories about her own childhood. One TOMODACHI alumna had an opportunity to join a private roundtable discussion with the First Ladies following the event. More>>
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TOMODACHI Alumni Present Community Development Projects at the United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai
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The Third United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR) brought together thousands of people from all over the world to Sendai, Miyagi prefecture from March 11 to 18, 2015. U.S.-Japan Council and TOMODACHI Initiative staff, partners, and alumni attended the conference in various capacities. TOMODACHI alumni participated in many WCDRR side events throughout the conference, such as the Youth Forum and the International Women's Grassroots Academy in Tohoku (supported through the TOMODACHI Alumni Leadership Program).
 On the opening day, 17 alumni presented at the “TOMODACHI RAW VOICE – from TOMODACHI to Miyagi, Miyagi to the world” side event and shared their community-building efforts with a crowd of approximately 80 people. TOMODACHI Executive Director, Laura Winthrop Abbot, also shared TOMODACHI as a case study at an APEC-sponsored panel called "Good Practices of Women’s Entrepreneurship in Local Communities in the Process of Disaster Reconstruction."
 U.S.-Japan Council President, Irene Hirano Inouye, also took part in the WCDRR as Vice-Chair of R3ADY Asia-Pacific. R3ADY Asia-Pacific’s side events included a discussion on partnerships for effective disaster management, which was the follow-up to a R3ADY roundtable and breakout session that was conducted in conjunction with the USJC Annual Conference in Honolulu. More>>
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Japanese University Students Visit the United States on the Reciprocal 2015 TOMODACHI Inouye Scholars Program, a Part of MOFA’s KAKEHASHI Project
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From March 3 to 14, one hundred college students from four Japanese universities visited Washington, DC and Los Angeles, CA, then divided into groups to visit their respective host cities (Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and Honolulu) on the TOMODACHI Inouye Scholars Program as part of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ (MOFA’s) KAKEHASHI Project. This reciprocal trip, led by U.S.-Japan Council members in each city, included sightseeing, presentations, and programming focused on the legacy of the late U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye.
In Washington DC, the participants attended an educational program about Senator Inouye and gained insightful knowledge about his personal and professional achievements. Following the program,, Ambassador Kenichiro Sasae invited the scholars and guests to his residence and expounded on the history and accomplishments of Senator Inouye in bridging the United States and Japan. More>>
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Young Leaders Present Visions for Tohoku as Part of the Building the TOMODACHI Generation Program
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The Building the TOMODACHI Generation Program brought together thirty-five Japanese and American college students to Washington, DC from February 14 to March 2 with support from the Washington Center and the USJI (U.S.-Japan Research Institute) to focus on building the non-profit and civil society sector. The students took part in team-building exercises, attended lectures and discussions, and met with U.S.-Japan Council members, TOMODACHI sponsors, and guests at several exclusive events. More>>
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 Kana Takagi, a junior at Keio University and participant of the program, currently interns at the TOMODACHI Initiative in Tokyo. She said, “After participating in the program, I became determined to build an infrastructure for the nonprofit sector in Japan. As one of the students who learned about the functionality of nonprofits, I am determined to continue to devote myself to U.S.-Japan relations.”
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Japanese NGO Leaders Learn Key Security Concepts and Planning Tools To Mitigate Risk and Reduce Threats on Overseas Humanitarian Missions
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On February 26, 2015, over 30 Japanese NGO leaders who work in potentially dangerous areas and regions gathered for a security workshop held under the TOMODACHI NGO Leadership Program supported by J.P. Morgan. Participants learned how to better prepare and reduce risks that are associated with working in challenging security environments. The workshop was organized by JAPAN PLATFORM and led by Randy Martin of Mercy Corps who discussed core concepts regarding the security of humanitarian aid workers, described best practices and memorable learning opportunities, and encouraged participants to share their experiences in the field. More>>
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U.S. Ambassador Kennedy Thanks Chef Daniel Boulud and Chef Nobu for the Charity Dinners with Proceeds to TOMODACHI
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On February 4, 2015, as the finale to the filming of the 4th episode of the documentary series, Nobu’s Japan, Chef Nobu Matsuhisa and guest chef Daniel Boulud hosted the documentary series’ fourth charity dinner event at Nobu Tokyo. In this episode, the chefs travelled to the snow-covered island of Sado off the coast of Niigata in the Sea of Japan to experience the island’s self-sufficient food culture. The chefs hunted pheasant, fished for yellowtail, and visited the local Hokusetsu brewery to study how life flourishes with just the food caught and grown on and around the island. While the chefs were preparing the food, U.S. Ambassador Caroline Kennedy stopped by to thank everyone for their support of the TOMODACHI Initiative. More>>
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Winners of the TOMODACHI Social Entrepreneurship Award Visit Silicon Valley
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From March 9 to 15, the winners of the 2015 TOMODACHI Social Entrepreneurship Award from the University Venture Grand Prix Competition hosted by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) traveled to Silicon Valley, California. The winning team, Team DREAMPHAROS from the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, met with various influential venture capitalists, local startups, corporations, nonprofits, and fellow student entrepreneurs. At Stanford University and U.C. Berkeley, they joined a "Design" workshop to brush up their business plan and product design. More>>
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TOMODACHI BEYOND Tomorrow Global Leadership Academy 2015
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The TOMODACHI BEYOND Tomorrow Global Leadership Academy 2015 took place in Tokyo from March 6 to 9, with support from Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BoAML). Sixty-three high school students from Tohoku who had visited the United States on a TOMODACHI program, as well as nine university students who had been assigned the role of team leaders, gathered to reflect on their experiences and to discuss the overall theme of “Millennium Development Goals: Post 2015.” Several BoAML employees volunteered their time and joined the students, acting as mentors and assisting in the flow of discussions.
After numerous deliberations, group work, lectures, and speeches, the participants presented their action plans for contributing to the the UN Millennium Development Goals at a luncheon to over 150 people, which included notable guests such as U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission Jason Hyland, Merrill Lynch Japan Securities Co., Ltd. President and Representative Director Tim Latimore, and former JAXA Astronaut Naoko Yamazaki. More>>
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Three Okinawa High School Science Competition Winners Visit Silicon Valley on the 2015 TOMODACHI-SCORE Study Tour
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From February 20 to March 2, three high school students from Okinawa, Japan who had won the third annual Science in Okinawa: Research for Enterprise (SCORE!) competition, visited San Francisco and Silicon Valley, California on the 2015 TOMODACHI-SCORE Study Tour. During the study tour, the students visited leading research institutions such as the California Academy of Sciences, Stanford University, and the University of California Berkeley. The students also discussed their research project with researchers working at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, and had opportunities to present their research to students at a local high school. More>>
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Upcoming Programs and Events
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Apr 5-15 Ten young Japanese professionals will visit Sacramento, San Francisco, and Denver on the TOMODACHI U.S.-Japan Clean Energy Local Partnership Program on the U.S. Embassy organized Voluntary Visitors Program
Apr 10-12 Fifteen American and fifteen Japanese university students from central California colleges and universities will gather in Silicon Valley for the TOMODACHI Daiwa House Leadership Conference - “Entrepreneurial Thinking for the Future of the U.S.-Japan Relationship”
May 30 Mentees and Mentors from Tokyo, Osaka, Naha, and Fukuoka will meet the annual TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program Conference in Tokyo
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Recruitment for Upcoming TOMODACHI Programs
Please forward and share these opportunities with people who may be interested.
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TOMODACHI Food Innovation for Regional Sustainability in Tohoku (FIRST) Program
 Recruiting Japanese students and young professionals: The TOMODACHI Food Innovation for Regional Sustainability in Tohoku (FIRST) Program invests in the future of food innovation in Japan, with a particular focus on the Tohoku region. Approximately ten participants from Tohoku will be selected to travel to Seattle, Washington from June 6 to June 19, 2015 to take part in a two-week training that amplifies their capacity to transform the food system in Tohoku and throughout Japan. Application Deadline: April 5, 2015. For more information, click here
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TOMODACHI NGO Leadership Program supported by J.P. Morgan: InterAction Forum Study Tour
Year three of this program will take ten Japanese NGO leaders to Washington, DC from June 21 – 28 to attend the Annual InterAction Forum. Application Deadline: April 9, 2015. For more information (Japanese only), click here
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TOMODACHI-Mitsui & Co. Leadership Program
 Generously funded by Mitsui & Co., Ltd., this program advocates bicultural exchange, provides young professional participants (under 35) with unique access to leaders in the U.S.-Japan arena, and offers them an opportunity to broaden their perspectives to enhance work or initiatives in their professional fields. For more information and to apply, click here
American Delegation will travel to Sendai and Tokyo in Japan from July 3-11, 2015. Application Deadline: April 10, 2015.
Japanese Delegation will travel to Detroit, Michigan and Washington, D.C. from September 13-21, 2015. Application Deadline: April 17, 2015. |
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TOMODACHI Toshiba Science & Technology Leadership Academy
 The TOMODACHI Toshiba Science & Technology Leadership Academy is an annual one-week, cross-cultural Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) exchange and leadership program for 16 high school students and eight teachers from Japan and the United States. In August 2015, program participants from both countries will work together in Tokyo to develop a disaster-resilient, smart community for the future.
Application Deadline: April 20, 2015 for Japan; May 4, 2015 for United States. For more information, click here
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TOMODACHI Internship Program
 This internship program, administered by Temple University, Japan Campus, enables American university students to participate in internships in Japan in a wide variety of sectors, including government, financial services, NPO/NGO, media, entertainment, fashion, journalism, IT, and consulting. Application Deadline for Internships in Spring 2016 is October 1, 2015. For more information, click here
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TOMODACHI Career Opportunities
U.S.-Japan Council, TOMODACHI Initiative
Marketing & Communications Manager/Specialist, Tokyo Office
Working under the direction of the Executive Director of the TOMODACHI Initiative in Japan, the Marketing & Communications Manager/Specialist (exact title to be confirmed based on experience of the candidate) plays a critical role in developing and implementing a comprehensive strategic marketing strategy to build and develop the profile and brand of the TOMODACHI Initiative among a diverse audience, including senior corporate executives, government leaders, recipients of support, other donors and the press. The Marketing & Communications Manager/Specialist will work closely with teams from the U.S.-Japan Council in the United States and Japan, and the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo in the implementation of this mission.
Preferred start date: April 13, 2015. For more information and to apply, click here
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