Nearly 200 Young Professionals and Industry Leaders Gathered for the Next Generation Summit

The TOMODACHI Next Generation Summit 2024 on September 29 held at the Tokyo American Club brought together a vibrant community of university students, young professionals, and industry leaders to explore the diverse voices shaping the future of U.S.-Japan relations. The event was centered around three key components, each designed to inspire action and foster meaningful connections.

The TSUNAGARI Hub was a career fair-style exhibition where participants engaged with industry leaders and impactful organizations, and explored study abroad opportunities. It featured nine booths: Prudential Financial, Boeing Japan, Cheerio Corporation, Dow Chemical Japan, U.S. Embassy Tokyo’s Education USA, Ministry of Education’s TOBITATE, U.S.-Japan Council Japan Region, U.S.-Japan Council’s Study Abroad Programs, and the TOMODACHI Regional Framework. This Hub provided a unique platform for attendees to network, discover opportunities aligned with their passions, and broaden their professional horizons.

The TOMO Voice Pitch Contest offered emerging leaders the opportunity to present innovative ideas for community action. Participants showcased creative solutions to societal challenges, competing for the chance to present their ideas on a larger stage at the upcoming U.S.-Japan Council Annual Conference. The competition highlighted the power of youth-led initiatives in driving positive change. Each pitch was incredibly inspiring and eye-opening. Miku Narisawa, TOMO Voice Speaker and founder of Odyssey Nature Japan shared her story and thoughts, stating, “… I believe that without a healthy nature and a sustainable environment, innovation won’t happen, and can’t protect the security of the country or food. Time is now to act and not wait for the next generation”. Congratulations to the three winners: Miku Hayashida, Shotaro Abe, and Hikari Igarashi! 

The Visionary Voices Panels hosted two discussions, each focusing on “workplace kaizen” (continuous improvement) and the empowerment of global talent, or “jinzai.” The first part of Visionary Voices, the Corporate Panel, brought together experienced corporate leaders from various industries to discuss their experiences, challenges, and successes with fostering continuous improvement in a corporate environment. The second panel, Next Generation Panel, brought together young thinkers to share their thoughts on the evolution of Japan’s workplace. Attendees gained insight into the transformation of Japan’s workplaces through innovation and integrating global talent into industries, offering valuable takeaways for participants eager to make a global impact. Visionary Voices Next Generation Panel speaker Sunwoo Park shared an inspiring message, stating, “We may think our journey has to be a perfect route, but I don’t think it needs to be perfect.  We just need to start. … everyone can have an opportunity, and we have TOMODACHI, each other, to support us.”

The Summit, open to all university students and young professionals, regardless of TOMODACHI program participation, emphasized the crucial role of the Next Generation in shaping U.S.-Japan relations. Inspiring talks from leaders in their fields underscored the potential of youth involvement in fostering stronger international ties. Attendees left with a clear vision of what is possible when young people take the lead in community empowerment and international relations.

We were honored to welcome several notable and high-level attendees at the Summit, including Deputy Chief of Mission Kemy Monahan from the U.S. Embassy Tokyo and Mr. Ota Manabu from Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who shared their insights with our participants. In her remarks, Deputy Chief of Mission Monahan emphasized the critical role of youth in strengthening U.S.-Japan ties, stating, ‘People-to-people relationships are the basis of the U.S.-Japan relationship and there’s nothing more important than the next generation in building those relationships.’

Kaede Yoshida, participant and alumna of 2024 TOMODACHI-Dow Women’s STEM Leadership and Research Program said, “The summit was an excellent opportunity to meet up with my friends from the TOMODACHI-Dow Women’s STEM Leadership and Research Program. Also, as part of the next generation, I was deeply inspired by people my age who were passionate about what they were doing and taking action to change society. Since I aspire to become a biological researcher in the future, it was a great opportunity to think about “what I can do” for a better future.”

This year’s summit successfully empowered participants to take control of their futures and laid the groundwork for continued discussion on global collaboration and community action. Thank you to everyone who joined us!