Q&A with TOMODACHI Program Participants and TOMODACHI Alumni: Momoko Tajima

Momoko Tajima is an alumna of the TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program. She is a current senior at Kyushu University studying law and international politics. She is particularly interested in deepening her understanding of the relationship between Japan and other countries in the areas of human rights protection and environmental issues from a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) perspective. She has been participating in the TOMODACHI Alumni Internship Program since June 2021. Her goals for the internship are to “network with TOMODACHI alumni to strengthen the relationship between students, professionals, cities and regions and to improve my ability to plan and create many opportunities and events to empower people.”

This interview was conducted virtually on July 13, 2021, by 2021 TOMODACHI Alumni Intern Maho Suzuki, based out of Tokyo, Japan.

Q1. What made you join the TOMODACHI program? What was the most impressive thing for you?

I have two main reasons for joining the program.

Firstly, I wanted to learn about leadership. Through my student council experiences in junior high school, high school, and participating in student organizations at Kyushu University, I knew that I was interested in learning how to collaborate with everyone and achieve a goal in a leadership position. I joined the program to discover what type of leader I could be. I had often thought about this because, despite the fact that I wanted to embody what I envisioned as an ideal leader, I often experienced difficulty bringing everyone together.

Secondly, I wanted to contemplate my own future by learning about work-life balance and how women build their careers. I have heard that it is easier to balance work and family recently, but I haven’t had much contact with people who are working, so I wanted to have a concrete idea of how to balance work and family life and learn how to build a career by listening to role models.

I have mostly participated in my university’s programs in the past, so participating in the TOMODACHI　program was my first experience stepping out into the community. In addition, I was very happy that I was able to meet and connect with passionate people outside of an academic environment who were working hard on many things in various fields.

With her fellow TOMODACHI alumni at the 2019-2020 TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program (Momoko is second from left)

Q2. Did you see any changes in yourself as a result of participating in the program?

I was able to reflect on my own leadership style objectively through the learning sessions and the conversation with my mentors.

Prior to participating in the program, I thought that a leader was a perfect person. As a result, when I was involved in student council activities in high school, I sometimes found it difficult to consult with my peers when thinking of a plan and ended up proceeding alone. When I asked my mentor for advice about this, she told me that it was important to be myself by telling my peers about my thoughts, weaknesses, and worries. This advice has led me to believe that a leader is not a perfect person; I now believe that a leader is someone who creates an environment in which leaders and others can easily consult with one another. It was also very important for me to realize that what I had been struggling with was something that professionals like my mentor also find difficult.

Q3. I was impressed by your active participation as an alumna in the Kyushu Region as part of the TOMODACHI RISE Leadership Program. How do you feel about TOMODACHI’s activities as a result of transitioning from a participant to an intern?

Last year, I participated passively through the role I was given [in the program] since the content and purpose of the event had already been decided. However, as an intern, I was able to take on a much more active role by attending the first planning meetings and helping with publicity via social media. That process allowed me to witness how the alumni from each respective region went through a process of trial-and-error while putting in a lot of thought and worrying about their work. I realized that there are many difficulties and challenges someone faces before completing something. Moreover, I was sincerely impressed by the fact that everyone had a clear vision and strong goals throughout the process.

I experienced the difficulty associated with creating something in my role as a facilitator for TOMO-KIN (a monthly coffee chat with TOMODACHI alumni) during my time as an intern.

Not only did I have to think of icebreakers and discussion topics to ensure that the participants would enjoy themselves at the event, but my role as an event facilitator also allowed me to learn how important it is to put a lot of effort into a single event by doing things such as devising a publicity campaign to attract participants. Despite these difficulties, I felt a great sense of accomplishment as the number of participants increased with each TOMO-KIN event. In addition, hearing alumni say that their lives changed as a result of the program gave me courage. This experience as an intern also gave me a chance to reflect on how I had felt when I participated in the TOMODACHI program for the first time two years ago.

Q4. What does TOMODACHI mean to you?

TOMODACHI is my motivation. Connecting with many people in TOMODACHI has always given me courage, inspiration, ideas, and knowledge to keep my goals in mind and make my dream come true. Moreover, I could connect with many people from different backgrounds who I would not be able to meet as a university student. Connecting with these people allowed me to understand how they have carved out careers for themselves and built their lives. This experience made me try to do things in new and different ways. As a result, I feel as though this is a place that encourages me to have high aspirations [for myself]; at the same time, this is also a place that encourages me to think about how to reach those goals.

With her fellow TOMODACHI alumni at the 2019-2020 TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program (Momoko is in the front row, second from right.)

Q5. What is your future goal? 

I would like to be involved in building better relationships between Japan and other countries as I have always admired the world. Specifically, I hope to create opportunities or places for all citizens to develop not only in terms of economic affluence but also in protecting their own lives, values, and the environment.

Q6. Do you have any advice for other alumni, students, and young professionals?

I think it is very difficult to be honest with yourself and stick to what you really want to do. I am sometimes strongly influenced by other people’s opinions, and often feel like I’m being carried away by the people around me. However, you are the only person who understands yourself best. That is why I believe that it is important to follow your heart, have strong aspirations, and work hard in order to achieve the goals you have set for yourself.

If you have not yet decided what you want to do, I recommend gaining experiences that broaden your horizons as I did through the TOMODACHI program.

I am really looking forward to meeting you all in the TOMODACHI community in the near future.