Highlights from Next Generation Summit 2025
On August 3, 2025, the TOMODACHI Next Generation Summit brought together over 170 people from all ages and backgrounds and fields, from high school students all the way to seasoned professionals for a dynamic day filled with inspiration, learning, and connection. Under the theme of “Voices Unleashed: Unlocking Potential, Creating Impact”, the summit centered on a powerful mission, which was to empower the next generation to lead with purpose, unlock their full potential and create lasting impact through a deeper cross-cultural understanding.
This year’s TOMO Voice Speech Contest spotlighted a topic that resonates with many TOMODACHI Alumni: the “Derukui Network”. Coming from a Japanese phrase, “Deru kui wa utareru”, or “The nail that sticks up gets hammered down”, six passionate and confident speakers picked up their mics to share their own stories. Kaoru Utada, Director of Programs and Partnerships at the U.S.-Japan Council encouraged the speakers saying “Let’s turn the famous term on its head by creating a DERUKUI NETWORK where sticking out isn’t punished — it’s supported. Where difference becomes strength.”
The spirit shared through TOMO Voice continued through the Tsunagari Hub, a “Natsumatsuri” themed space centered on international exchange. With interactive booths involving games and a stamp rally, the hub invited participants to explore different global opportunities while reconnecting with the original TOMODACHI mission. Partner organizations set up booths to share information about their programs and experiences. What made the space meaningful was not just this content, but the way where information was then made into dialogue. Here attendees lingered, asked questions and shared their own stories, transforming the space into one that people connected going back to the name “Tsunagari”, and creating that place of belonging.
The afternoon featured panels that addressed key issues : climate action, women’s empowerment and intergenerational understanding. The sustainability panel centered youth voices as drivers of real-world environmental change, showing participants the role that we can play in helping the environment even at a young age. Through the Women’s Empowerment Panel, speakers offered powerful insights into breaking societal expectations. TOMODACHI Sumitomo Scholarship Program alumnus Miki Shinoda shared how the session resonated with her : “As a young woman, I’ve always felt pressured to stay quiet. Hearing others name that struggle made me feel seen for the first time” showing the impact of empowerment can have on an individual. Meanwhile the Reverse-Mentorship Workshop Session flipped the traditional dynamism where young alumni guided open conversation where professionals instead listened under the theme of “polish your professional image.” Soma Ishikawa, a TOMODACHI Sumitomo Corporation Scholarship alumnus, reflected : “Even with people I’ve known before, this setting allowed us to connect on a deeper level and not just about what we do, but who we are even as young individuals.”
The day closed with a fireside chat between USJC President and CEO Audrey Yamamoto and Chargé d’Affaires Aaron Snipe. Their candid conversation emphasized that diplomacy is not just built through policy, but through the people involved. Mr. Snipe’s reflection on his personal relationships and experiences in his career left the audience with a powerful; reminder: impact begins with connection.
By the end of the reception, the feeling in the room had shifted, Conversations bloomed and deepened, networks now grown, and voices that were once held are now truly unleashed. Participants left reminded that leadership is not just about standing apart, but showing up, listening, and finding a way to shape the future together. Thank you to everyone who joined us for this event and you all truly made it a day to remember.