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Update from Team TOMODACHI
September 2014
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Tohoku High School Students Return from California After Participating in the TOMODACHI Summer 2014 MUFG International Exchange Program
From July 24 through August 7, 26 middle and high school students from the three prefectures that were affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake participated in the TOMODACHI Summer 2014 MUFG International Exchange Program. This 15-day program took place in Los Angeles, California, where the students attended English classes, interacted with people in the local community, visited local companies and universities and participated in a homestay.
 During the program, students had an opportunity to visit Tanaka Farms, an organic produce farm owned by a third-generation Japanese American who continues to support the restoration of the disaster-affected areas in Tohoku. Other institutions and companies that the students visited included the Japanese American National Museum, Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library, MUFG Union Bank, Yakult Co. and KTLA.
The extraordinary experiences the students gained through this program have encouraged them to shape new dreams and hopes. Saki Iwanuma, a high school student from Miyagi who participated in this program, said, "I want to have a world-wide perspective and become someone who can contribute something to many people around the world." More >>
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The Latest on TOMODACHI Programs and Activities
Japanese Delegates of the 2014 TOMODACHI-Mitsui & Co. Leadership Program Visit Silicon Valley and DC
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From September 7 to 14, ten Japanese delegates of the 2014 TOMODACHI-Mitsui & Co. Leadership Program traveled to Silicon Valley, California and Washington, DC. This unique TOMODACHI program, in which Japanese and American young professionals travel to each other's countries, is in its second year. Guided by the 2014 theme, “Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Industrial Development," this year's agenda focused on entrepreneurship, technology, trade and energy, and their respective roles in U.S.-Japan cooperation.
Yu Yoshida, a participant from Iwate prefecture said, “Being selected as one of the Japanese delegates and joining this program literally gave me a life-changing experience. After the participating on this program, I am thinking seriously about pursuing a master's course in the United States.” More>>
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McKinsey & Co. Presents TOMODACHI Initiative as a Model for Public-Private Partnerships
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On August 16, McKinsey & Company unveiled the results from their pro-bono strategic review of the TOMODACHI Initiative at an event with their Global Managing Director, Dominic Barton. Mr. Barton called the TOMODACHI Initiative a "real lighthouse" and hailed it as a unique model for public-private partnerships that should be emulated elsewhere.
Leaders of the public-private partnership, U.S.-Japan Council (USJC) President, Irene Hirano Inouye, and U.S. Embassy Tokyo Deputy Chief of Mission, Jason Hyland, were joined by leading TOMODACHI donors and USJC Members.
Following the presentation, five TOMODACHI program alumni joined the event and had an opportunity to mingle with corporate donors. Takahiko Shibata, student participant of the TOMODACHI Toshiba Science & Technology Leadership Program, said, “The TOMODACHI program really changed my life. All the experiences and memories during the program--from learning about the engineering design process to visiting various museums and facilities, having discussions beyond language barriers and the fun, in-depth talks with the participants--are my treasure. I'm so glad that I got to share my experience and how it has impacted me.” More>>
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TOMODACHI Alumni Meet the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues During the World Assembly for Women in Tokyo
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On September 11, TOMODACHI alumnae participated in a World Assembly for Women in Tokyo (WAW! Tokyo 2014) official side event hosted by MetLife Insurance K.K. (MetLife). Chairman, President, and CEO of MetLife, Sachin Shah gave opening remarks for the MetLife symposium which focused on the issue of female participation in the workforce. Guest speakers included U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues, Catherine Russell; Japan’s Ambassador for Women, Human Rights, and Humanitarian Affairs, Kuni Sato; and Executive Director of the Board of HSBC Asia-Pacific, Naina Lal Kidwai. TOMODACHI alumnae participated actively in the Q&A session, and posed challenging questions for the guest speakers on the critical issue of expanding female participation in the workforce, particularly in leadership roles. More>>
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University Students Attend the 4th U.S. Embassy-Keio SFC-TOMODACHI Entrepreneurship Seminar
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The 4th U.S. Embassy-Keio SFC-TOMODACHI Entrepreneurship Seminar was held from September 4-8 at Keio University’s Hiyoshi campus. Funded with support from The Boeing Company, this program helps to develop a new generation of entrepreneurs in Japan after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. During the course of the five-day program, university students had the opportunity to hear from many entrepreneurs, financiers and business leaders, and to learn about the basics of entrepreneurship.
Thirteen university teams consisting of 42 students participated in this program, including teams from Tohoku, Tokyo, Kansai and American students currently studying in Japan. After the program ended, a participant reflected that, “because previously we have not had a chance to talk in depth about why we have to turn our attention to our society and act upon it, the past four nights and five days have been a very valuable time in which we were able to face ourselves, and now we want to change our thoughts into action”. More>>
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TOMODACHI Partners with H-LAB to Deliver a Liberal Arts Style Education to Tohoku Students
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This August, 160 high school students participated in H-LAB, which was held across three locations in Japan: Tokyo, Obuse, and Mugi. This nine-day educational program provided Japanese high school students the opportunity to engage in an American-style liberal arts education, taught by Harvard and other U.S. university students. The TOMODACHI Initiative has supported H-LAB since 2013, sending several students from the Tohoku region each year as “Tohoku scholars” with the hope of adding a different perspective to the H-LAB community.
Runa Okuyama, a participant from Miyagi prefecture, noted, “people in H-LAB have different backgrounds, perspectives, and dreams; however, there was one thing that they shared in common … the positive attitude toward pursuing their dream, which motivated me to keep on working hard for my own dream.” More>>
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“TOMODACHI Frogs jr.” Students Travel to Silicon Valley Inspired to be Entrepreneurs
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From August 17 to 27, Japanese high school students from Okinawa traveled to the Silicon Valley, California area on the TOMODACHI-Frogs jr. Program, along with participants of the Ryukyufrogs Program. Participants visited Stanford University, Silicon Valley technology corporations such as Twitter and Google, as well as smaller start-up companies. The students engaged in sessions on entrepreneurship and ecosystems, met with venture capitalists, and shared experiences with U.S. university students. More>>
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TOMODACHI Exchange Takes Fukushima University Students to Seattle, Washington
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Eight Fukushima University students and their professor traveled to Seattle, Washington on September 8 as part of a week-long TOMODACHI Seattle-Fukushima Grassroots Exchange Program run in association with NAJAS. The students took in several sights in Seattle, visited corporations such as Starbucks and Microsoft for an insider's look at these iconic companies, and stayed with host families to experience American life.
The students also learned about the history of Japanese-Americans through visits to the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center and the Panama Hotel. At the museum, Japanese students learned about Japanese-American Internment camps during WWII, as well as the heroism of the Japanese-American soldier battalions. One Japanese student commented, “those who fought in the war had various backgrounds unbeknownst to me. What would those who fought the war hope for in our generation? I would like to share this experience with my peers when I return to Japan, and hopefully use this as a starting point for further research on this topic." More>>
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2014-15 TOMODACHI Bridging Scholars Announced and on their way to Japan!
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This fall, the TOMODACHI Initiative will be supporting ten scholars out of the 74 recipients of the United States-Japan Bridging Foundation’s (USJBF) 2014-2015 Bridging Scholarship. The ten TOMODACHI Bridging Scholars will receive stipends that will make their study abroad experience in Japan more financially feasible for the 2014-2015 academic year. The scholars will be studying in universities throughout Japan and in various majors including Japanese or international studies, mechanical engineering, anthropology and secondary education. More>>
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TOMODACHI Launches a Career Mentoring Program for High School Women in Fukushima
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From August 22 to 24, the inaugural TOMODACHI High School Women Career Mentoring Program in Fukushima kicked off with 120 high school women participating. International exchange students and young professional women meet with the students and discuss possibilities for the future and encouraged them to become leaders in the Fukushima area. Fifteen TOMODACHI alumni participated as mentors, and will continue to provide support and encouragement to these students throughout the next phases of this program.
Part one of this four-step mentoring program included a song and dance workshop with Young Americans, a group of talented performing arts students from the United States. During the three-day workshop, the women created a performance using English and music as tools for connecting. Part two of this program will be held in November, in which the women will meet with exchange students from around the world. More>>
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TOMODACHI Alumni Offered Unique Follow-On Opportunities in the U.S. this Summer
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Twenty high school-aged alumni of TOMODACHI programs had the opportunity to go to the United States to hone their English language skills during their summer vacation. Ten TOMODACHI alumni traveled to Claremont, California for leadership and management training sessions on the TOMODACHI Drucker for Future Japanese Leaders Program. Five TOMODACHI alumni were selected to participate in a four-week English language and culture program for high school students in Washington, DC on the TOMODACHI Summer English Language Study Program 2014 in partnership with AFS. Finally, a total of five Japanese students were selected for the 2014 TOMODACHI Fellows of the ELS University Preparation Summer Program where they attended university preparation courses and visited universities -- two students visited Malibu, California's Pepperdine University and three students attended the Lawrenceville School in New Jersey.
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Upcoming Programs and Events
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Oct 4 Japanese BS-TBS television program, Hito-Machi Kikou (People and City Travels), to feature the TOMODACHI Summer 2014 MUFG International Exchange Program and U.S.-Japan Council President Irene Hirano Inouye
Oct 6 Charity dinner with celebrity chefs Eric Ripert and Nobu Matsuhisa, with proceeds benefiting the TOMODACHI Initiative. A Discovery Channel series on the project is being filmed and will be aired in the near future. Read about first charity dinner, here
Oct 9-10 U.S.-Japan Council Annual Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii
Oct 25-31 J.P. Morgan NPO Leadership Program Humanitarian Response Workshop in Saitama
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Career Opportunity
TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program Coordinator (Part-time), Tokyo Office
Application Deadline: September 30, 2014
TOMODACHI Initiative is currently hiring a part-time TOMODACHI MetLife Women's Leadership Program (TMWLP) Coordinator. This Coordinator will be responsible for the implementation of programming for the TOMODACHI MetLife Women's Leadership Program throughout Japan, with its base in Tokyo. This program pairs Japanese female university students with Japanese female mid-career professionals to encourage networking among a select group of Japanese women who show promise as Japan’s next generation of leaders. The Coordinator will communicate regularly with program mentors and mentees regarding program activities and requirements, coordinate logistics for workshops in Japan along with U.S. Embassy staff, and travel with student participants on a ten-day trip to the United States. Read More>>
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Special Thanks to Our Newest Donors!
Supporter (contributed $10,000 to $100,000)
Nobu’s Japan
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