U.S. Training for the TOMODACHI Summer SoftBank Leadership Program 2.0

From July 26th to August 16th, 2023, the U.S. training of the TOMODACHI Summer SoftBank Leadership Program 2.0 was held, and seventeen Japanese high school and college students along with three community mentors participated in the training at the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley). The goal of this program is to encourage students to cultivate their civic leadership capacity, and to make a difference in their home communities.
The U.S. portion of the program culminated with a commencement ceremony attended by Consul General Yasushi Noguchi, Deputy Council General Hajime Kishimori, and Suzanne Basalla, President and Chief Executive Officer of the U.S.-Japan Council and other community members including TOMODACHI alumni now living in Berkeley. Read More>>
Photo Credit: Deputy Consul General Hajime Kishimori 

U.S. Training and Report Out Session for Building the TOMODACHI Generation: Morgan Stanley Ambassadors Program

From August 6th to 18th, 2023, the U.S. training of Building the TOMODACHI Generation: Morgan Stanley Ambassadors Program was held. Nine students from Japan and six U.S. students from universities across their respective countries gathered in Washington, D.C., where they studied civil society, cross-sector partnerships, and methods to leverage that understanding to address social challenges in Japan and the United States.
At the reporting session, one of the Japanese participants, Sora Daidoji, said, “I have gained knowledge on each sector's responsibilities and how they work with each other. Working with the U.S. students and other Japanese students on the team project, I got a clear sense of my strengths and weaknesses. I don’t have my future plans at this moment, but the global leadership skills and confidence I gained from this program will help me a lot in the future.” Read More>>

The U.S. Training for the TOMODACHI Toshizo Watanabe Leadership Program 2023

From August 9th to 19th, 2023, the TOMODACHI Toshizo Watanabe Leadership Program was held. Fourteen high school students selected from all over Japan participated in the program in California.
On the last day of the program, all participants gave speeches in English about what they learned in the program with the attendance of Consul Aya Ishii, Consulate of Japan in Los Angeles, and Suzanne Basalla, President and Chief Executive Officer of the U.S.-Japan Council. One of the participants, Chihiro Funaoka, said, "Through communicating with the people I met here in America, I gradually came to understand what leadership is like, which had been vague to me. Then I realized that my close friend (in Japan) possessed many of the qualities of leadership. What I learned from this program was that when you look around, there are wonderful people who could give advice and help you." Read More>>

U.S. Study Tour for the TOMODACHI J&J Disaster Nursing Training Program 2023

From August 5th to 18th, 2023, ten nursing students visited New York City, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C. for the first time in four years since 2019 during the TOMODACHI J&J Disaster Nursing Training Program 2023.
Mai Kumagai reflected the U.S. study tour in her speech by saying, “I learned that in times of disaster, focusing on a "support to recover their daily life" can lead to increasing resilience of disaster victims. I used to think that only the minimum needs should be met when thinking about a disaster relief, but in disaster nursing, the goal for the relief worker is to help the person return to his or her normal life, and that is what disaster nursing is.”
The ten students will attend the post-trip seminar in September in Hyogo, Japan to reflect upon their learning from their U.S. study tour, and be ready to give back to the community during their project presentation. Read More>>

TOMODACHI Alumni Regional Framework: Tohoku Regional Event

“Think about Tohoku” (TOMODACHI Tohoku Regional Event) was held on August 11th. Organized by Rimpei Takahashi, the TOMODACHI Alumni Regional Representative of the Tohoku Region, the event featured a series of enlightening programs highlighting the significance of disaster preparedness and memories of the Great East Japan Earthquake’s devastation.
A standout portion was the Disaster Prevention Program at Okawa Elementary School. Firsthand narratives deeply impacted attendees. One participant shared, “Hearing directly from those involved, I felt the enormity of the damage and the feelings of the bereaved families.” The speaker, Mr. Toshiro Sato’s dual perspective, both as a teacher and a relative of the earthquake victims, resonated deeply, emphasizing that “we must think with children at the center.” Read More>>

TOMODACHI Alumni Regional Framework: New York Regional Event

New York TOMODACHI alumni celebrated Japanese Heritage Night at Citi Field with the Mets on August 25th, 2023. Japanese American Association of New York, Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Japan Society, the U.S.-Japan Council, the Consul-General of Japan in New York, and the Japanese American National Museum collectively put together this event every year and showcase Japanese culture, such as Japanese folk dancing and music, at the stadium.
It was a night that Japanese Stars, Shohei Ohtani with Los Angeles Angels and Kodai Senga with New York Mets faced off at the Big Apple, and the participants were lucky to get close sightings of both stars. Read More>>

Highlighting Cross-Generational Mentorship (USJC Japan Region x TOMODACHI Event)

On August 24th, the U.S.-Japan Council (USJC) Japan Region launched its Icebreaker Series, focusing on “Building Cross-Generational Relationships.” The event, held in Tokyo, saw a gathering of USJC members, TOMODACHI alumni, and others keen on understanding the depth and value of mentorship.
A noteworthy segment of the panel included TOMODACHI alumni, Shoko Tomita and Saaya Toyoda, both of whom had participated in the TOMODACHI Regional Impact for Social
Empowerment (RISE) Program as a mentor and mentee pair. Read More>>

TOMODACHI Alumni Join 31st USJC Business Advisory Board Meeting

On August 30, the U.S.-Japan Council (USJC) hosted the 31st Business Advisory Board (BAB) Meeting at the Tokyo American Club. Under the leadership of Masaaki Tanaka, Vice Chair of the Board of Councilors, USJC welcomed Vice Minister for International Affairs ARIIZUMI Shigeru (Financial Services Agency (FSA), Government of Japan) as the featured speaker. His presentation, “ Japan’s Economic Future –From a Financial Sector Perspective,” attracted over 80 business leaders and eight Next Generation leaders, including TOMODACHI Initiative alumni and interns. Read More>>

[Invitation for TOMODACHI Alumni]
TOMO-KIN Fall 2023 with Guest Speaker
Mr. Ryo Akima, President, Apple Japan Inc.

TOMO-KIN is a casual gathering for the TOMODACHI alumni and Watanabe Scholars to get together and connect across industries, regions, and interests. More information about TOMO-KIN can be found here. Limited to the first 30 people. If you would like to join, sign up from this link. We will email the details to those who signed up. This is on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Guest Speaker: Mr. Ryo Akima, President, Apple Japan Inc. 
Date: October 5th (Thu) 
Event time: 19:00-20:30 Japan Time (Doors open: 18:30)
Format: In-person
Attire: Business casual
Venue: WeWork Hibiya Fort Tower (10F, 1 Chome-1-1 Nishishinbashi, Minato City, Tokyo 105-0003)

USJC Annual Conference 2023 Social Media Campaign 

Exclusive Opportunity for TOMODACHI Alumni!

We’re offering 10 TOMODACHI Alumni the chance to attend the U.S.-Japan Council Annual Conference for FREE (normally a $400 value), as part of the TOMODACHI Alumni Leadership Program supported by Prudential.

How to Enter:

• Like our Post on Instagram 

• Comment in our Post with a) your program name, b) the year you participated in, and c) answer the question: “What skill is necessary to build a sustainable, secure, and inclusive future together?” 

• Repost or Share in Stories from the TOMODACHI Alumni account onto your own account and be sure to tag us (@ tomoalumni).