From Zoom to Room: Can TOMODACHI Alumni Build Lasting Bonds?
After months of connecting on Zoom as TOMODACHI regional representatives, we finally gathered in person, sharing an Airbnb for the U.S.-Japan Council conference. I’m Aika May Talavera, a TOMODACHI Core Committee Member for the Kyushu region and a Senior Social Media Intern who’s been an active member of the TOMODACHI alumni for two years. With over 10,000 alumni from 350 programs, TOMODACHI has created a vast network aimed at building connections across borders through cultural exchange and shared experiences. The opportunity to meet face-to-face with other regional representatives was the ultimate test of TOMODACHI’s mission. I had some doubts. Would we actually be able to create real friendships and foster deeper connections? I wasn’t so sure. But here’s what happened when the 12 of us finally met in person and experienced TOMODACHI’s vision.
Strength in Diversity
With representatives from seven regions in Japan and five in the United States, our group brought together a huge variety of experiences and perspectives. One of the most memorable moments came during a lighthearted conversation about cultural quirks. The US Regional Representative’s deep admiration of the convenience store was quite amusing to us Japanese Regional Representatives.The US RR lit up every time they stopped by Family Mart, especially for the famous fami chicken. To them this crispy, perfectly seasoned snack was life changing and it quickly became a daily ritual. We laughed and bonded over their enthusiasm over something so simple, that brought us so many conversation starters. It was a small but meaningful reminder that even the most ordinary things can become unforgettable experiences when shared across cultures.
Building Trust Across Cultures
“The theme of this year’s conference, Forging Our Future Together: The New Era of the U.S.-Japan Relations, resonated with our experiences as we navigated trust and connection across cultures. Meeting in person, I saw how trust could grow through simple acts—like open conversations about our goals, concerns, and the future of U.S.-Japan relations. For me, building trust wasn’t about agreeing on everything but about respecting our different viewpoints and being willing to learn from each other. Our discussions showed that, despite our different approaches, we were all committed to a shared purpose, which deepened our trust and made our group feel united. As Momoko Tajima, Kansai Regional Representative, expressed, ‘I got so much energy and motivation to contribute to my community and to make an impact for our better future by interacting with many people in the conference. I truly realized that there is such great support and people to act together, so my passion as a regional representative gets deeper and stronger.’ Her words captured the spirit of the conference, where we all felt re-energized and ready to make a difference in our communities.”
Creating a TOMODACHI Family
By the end of our stay, it was clear that we’d gone beyond just being ‘regional reps.’ We had created a TOMODACHI family. One night, we all sat around sharing stories about what brought us to TOMODACHI in the first place. Hearing everyone’s journey—the challenges, the ambitions, and the personal connections to U.S.-Japan relations—brought us closer. We weren’t just alumni with shared responsibilities anymore; we were a support network for each other. This experience reminded me that TOMODACHI is about building a community, one that can feel like family even when we come from different places. As Max Malmud, the Hawaii Regional Representative, shared, being part of this community “encouraged me to think from a global perspective inward to a personally local perspective, allowing me to reflect on the identities and values that shape my citizenship in my own communities under the global umbrella.”
Going “from Zoom to room” turned out to be more impactful than I ever could have imagined. The virtual meetings only scratched the surface of what was possible in person. Meeting face-to-face revealed the true potential of our connections. I felt that TOMODACHI’s mission came alive in that shared space, transforming us from alumni with a common purpose into friends with a lasting bond. We built genuine bonds that could withstand the distance once we returned to our regions—a TOMODACHI family, bound by shared values and a vision for the future.
Connecting/Musubi-ing Regional Ties
On October 29, TOMODACHI Regional Framework Representatives and Core Committee Members from Japan and the United States gathered at Birth Lab in Tokyo for a team-building workshop. The event brought together many who had only met through video call for a long-anticipated in-person gathering aimed to foster relationships, explore successful alumni engagement models, envision new possibilities for the community, and use creative expression to reflect on personal aspirations and shape the alumni network’s vision.
The workshop started with a presentation by guest speaker Madoka Yokota Kobayashi from the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy Tokyo. Ms. Kobayashi shared a case study of JAC-US (Japan Alumni Community of U.S. Exchange Programs), titled ‘Best Practices for Success in Alumni Engagement Strategies at the U.S. Embassy Tokyo.’ She highlighted four key factors: a clear mission and vision, dedicated core members/alumni motivation, strengthened connections through networking, and U.S. Embassy support/collaboration with consulates. She kindly remarked that the support of TOMODACHI was instrumental in the success of JAC-US along with support from the U.S. Embassy and U.S. Consulates. The presentation was followed by a short discussion of key takeaways from Ms. Kobayashi’s talk and the future potential of the TOMODACHI community.
The second half of the event was a musubi workshop led by Miki Yamada, founder of Warai Musubi (waraimusubi.com). The collaborative creation of “omusubi”, symbolizing connection and creation, was meant to bring each group closer together. Each group made omusubi art, each with its own theme. At the end, each group shared their omusubi art and key takeaways from the process. “I really liked the intentionality… because I could have just made musubi at home and it would have just been food, but because we did it with the intention of connecting with each other it makes for a more meaningful process,” shared Max Malmud, alumnus of the TOMODACHI KAKEHASHI Inouye Scholars Program as program leader and current Hawaii Regional Representative for the TOMODACHI Alumni Regional Framework.
