TOMODACHI Amway Japan Foundation Tohoku Future Leader Program 2025 Launches

The TOMODACHI Amway Japan Foundation Tohoku Future Leader Program 2025, which aims to cultivate the next generation of leaders in the Tohoku region, has begun in Kesennuma, Miyagi. 16 high school students from Kesennuma City have been selected to participate in this fulfilling seven-month program. Comprising pre-departure sessions, a study trip to the U.S., post-trip sessions, and the final presentation, the program aims to have high school students independently consider revitalization strategies through tourism, rediscovering charms of their region. Launched in 2019, this year marks the third iteration of the program. Expectations are high for the kinds of ideas the high school students, who will be the future leaders of Kesennuma, will generate.

 

Four pre-departure seminars are to be offered before the participants visit the U.S. The “Design Thinking” method will be utilized to deeply explore the social issues facing Kesennuma City and generate ideas that lead to regional revitalization. Participants had the opportunity to learn about current situations and challenges from both administrative and private sector perspectives. In the first pre-departure session, held on Sunday, January 13, 2025, a guest speaker from the Kesennuma City Tourism Division joined the seminar. In the second pre-departure session on Sunday, February 2, participants learned from the Kesennuma Chamber of Commerce and Industry.One of the participants, Taira Hoshi said, “I heard the phrase ‘a chain of new challenges’ from the guest speaker, and I felt that combining the traditional strength of the fishing industry with new tourism ventures is essential for the future of Kesennuma.”

The third pre-departure session,  held on February 9, included fieldwork. Participants visited the Moune Institute for Forest-Sato-Sea Studies (MIFOSS), the Kesennuma City East Japan Earthquake Remains and Memorial Museum, and Miyagi-ken Hokubu Katsuo Maguro Gyogyou Kumiai (Fisheries Cooperative Association). By experiencing Kesennuma’s current situation through the lenses of nature, the earthquake, and the fishing industry, participants explored the region’s strengths and potential solutions to its challenges. The Sanriku Shimpo newspaper also covered this seminar.The fourth pre-departure session and send-off ceremony will be held on March 9. Then, starting on March 25, the participants will embark on a two-week study trip to the U.S. It is exciting to witness how the experience gained from the pre-departure sessions and the study trip will be applied in future activities.