USJC Annual Conference: The Speakers of NGS 2024 Take the Stage

On October 31, the Public Symposium of the USJC Annual Conference was held at the Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel. This year’s conference, “Forging Our Future Together: The New Era of U.S.-Japan Relations”, was focused on the leadership required to address the most pressing challenges and opportunities of our future.

The closing plenary highlighted the TOMODACHI Alumni winners of the TOMO Voice Pitch Contest held at the Next Generation Summit. Moderated by Riley Masunaga, the panelists Miku Hayashida, Hikari Igarashi, and Shotaro Abe shared the inspiring action for positive change they are taking in their communities, to a crowd of over 700 people.

MJee Abara, TOMODACHI Kibou for Maui Program alumnus, shared his experiences from the Hawaii wildfires in 2023 and his time in Tohoku learning about the resilience of the region post-3.11. “I hope that my story can inspire others to stop asking others why not me, but what about me? What can I bring back to my community?”

Miku Narisawa, alumna of the TOMODACHI Rainbow for Japan Kids Program back in 2013 and Founder of Odyssey Nature Japan that created and who administered the TOMODACHI Kibou for Maui Program, provided the closing remarks. She shared her experience during the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and how she was inspired to start the TOMODACHI Kibou for Maui program helping students from Lahaina, Hawaii affected by the wildfires in 2023. “I learned the most important life lesson I have ever encountered: to live stronger for those who couldn’t make it and be a person who contributes rather than takes away from others,” she stated in the inspiring closing.