TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program
In 2013, the TOMODACHI Initiative in partnership with MetLife Japan launched the TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program (TMWLP) to develop the next generation of global female leaders. TMWLP provides Japanese female university students with over 10 months of leadership development training and one-on-one mentoring from mid-career professional women. From 2013 to 2020, a total of 638 women (319 mentors and 319 mentees) have participated in TMWLP across five cities in Japan, including Tokyo, Osaka, Naha, Fukuoka, and Sapporo. In June 2018, the program launched the TMWLP Alumni Community to connect all the women who have participated in TMWLP since 2013. This digital platform allows TMWLP alumni the opportunity to support each other’s ongoing leadership journeys. As it grows, the TMWLP Alumni Community will build upon the collective strengths and shared experiences of TMWLP participants, allowing the impact of the program to endure well past the formal 10-month program. Each year, 100 women (50 mentors and 50 mentees) participate in TMWLP and it is expected to engage nearly 750 women by 2022. The program will continue to provide Japanese women with opportunities to grow, become agents of change in society, and collectively advance women’s empowerment in Japan.
2021-2022 TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program
The 2021-2022 TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program (TMWLP) Annual Conference was virtually held on May 21 and 22. This two-day conference, themed Own Your Life, Design Your Future consisted of leadership workshops, outstanding presentations, speeches, panels, group networking, and more. Read More>>
The first session of the eighth annual TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program (TMWLP), was conducted virtually this month across Osaka, Tokyo, Fukuoka, Naha, and Sapporo, marking the start of a 10-month journey. 50 female university students and 50 female mentors were pleased with the first session titled Making the Most of your Match: How to Build a Mentoring Relationship. Read More>>
2019-2020 TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program
September 6 through 27, 2019 marked the start of the 2019-2020 TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program (TMWLP) with opening sessions in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Naha. The first session of the program focused on laying the groundwork for a strong mentee-mentor relationship, the signature feature of this ten-month leadership development program that pairs 50 female Japanese university-level mentees with 50 mid-level career female mentors. Read More>>
TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program Virtual Workshops 2020
The 2019-2020 TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program culminated in a virtual panel discussion titled “Own your Life, Design your Future,” on Friday, May 1. This was the last of three virtual workshops organized by TMWLP in lieu of the traditional Annual Conference. Read more>>
2018-2019 TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program
August 31 through September 21, 2018, the 2018-2019 TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program (TMWLP) kicked-off with opening sessions in Sapporo, Tokyo, Osaka, and Naha. The first session focused on building a strong mentor-mentee relationship, the signature feature of this 10-month program that pairs 50 female Japanese undergraduate students with 50 Japanese mid-level career professional women. Read More >>
U.S. Trip
Fifty undergraduate female students from across Tokyo, Osaka, Naha, and Sapporo, participants of the TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program (TMWLP), traveled to Washington, D.C. and New York City from March 20 to 27, 2019.Each day of the trip was focused on one or two of the program’s five core leadership competencies: collaboration, resilience, global perspective, paying-it-forward, and self-awareness. Throughout the trip, the participants engaged in group and individual reflection under the guidance of an American mentor. Read More >>
TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program Annual Conference 2019
On May 26, 2019, the TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program (TMWLP) participants from Sapporo, Tokyo, Osaka, and Naha gathered in Tokyo for the program’s capstone annual conference. Under the theme of “Own Your Life, Design Your Future,” the conference brought together over 140 people, including program mentors and mentees, USJC representatives, MetLife leaders, and U.S. Embassy representatives. This year marked the sixth anniversary of the program, in which 538 women have taken part since 2013. Read More >>
2017-2018 TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program
September 1 through 22, 2017 marked the kick-off of the 2017-2018 TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program (TMWLP) in Naha, Fukuoka, Tokyo, and Osaka. This year, the first session focused on establishing a strong foundation for the one-on-one mentor-mentee relationships. The mentoring component of TMWLP is a unique and signature feature of this 10-month program in which each of 50 Japanese women currently pursuing undergraduate degrees are paired with a mid-level career professional women working in Japan. Read More >>
U.S. Trip
From March 21 – 29, 2018, 50 mentees who are part of the TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Programparticipated in activities and meetings in Washington D.C. and New York City where they met with influential women leaders and expanded their understanding of global leadership.
The kick-off in Washington D.C included a series of intensive skill-building workshops covering team work, giving presentations, networking, and building confidence. Read More >>
TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program Annual Conference 2018
On June 10, 2018, the 2017-2018 TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program (TMWLP) Annual Conference “Own Your Life, Design Your Future” united guests around a common goal to challenge the status quo. This year marked the 5th anniversary of the program, in which 438 women have taken part since 2013. To celebrate, the TMWLP Alumni Community was launched to provide support to program alumni. Read More >>
2016-2017 TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program
(Tokyo, Osaka, Naha, and Sapporo)
On September 16, 2016, 
the first session of the TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program (TMWLP) in Okinawa was launched. Several program alumni attended to share their experiences participating in the program. Alumni mentee Azumi Nakai shared how the program helped her gain confidence and even overcome depression through her exposure to so many inspirational women. Read More >>
U.S. Trip
From March 21 – 29, 2017 a select group of 50 female Japanese undergraduate university students from Tokyo, Osaka, Naha, and Sapporo traveled to Washington, D.C. and New York City to meet with influential women leaders as part of the TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program.
In Washington, D.C., the mentees (participants) met with female leaders from the government, corporate, nonprofit, and entrepreneurship sectors, including: Congressman Joaquin Castro; Susan Greenwell, Senior Vice President and Head of International Government Relations at MetLife; Eileen Pennington, Asia Foundation Associate Director; and Vanessa Kerry, Co-founder and CEO of Seed Global Health. On March 26, the mentees (participants) traveled to New York City, where they interacted with students and faculty from Barnard’s Athena Center for Leadership Studies and Columbia University, and participated in full day of activities at the headquarters of MetLife Insurance Company USA. They heard from Esther Lee, MetLife’s Executive Vice President and Global Chief Marketing Officer, and Irene Inouye Hirano, President of the U.S.-Japan Council. Read More >>
TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program Annual Conference 2017
On May 28, 2017, the 2016-2017 TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program (TMWLP) participants from Tokyo, Osaka, Naha, and Sapporo gathered in Tokyo for the capstone annual conference. Over 140 people attended this inspirational one-day event, which reached a broad audience that included program mentors and mentees, USJC representatives, MetLife leaders, and U.S. Embassy representatives. Read More>>
2015-2016 TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program
(Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Naha)
The TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program is a ten-month mentorship program which pairs highly-motivated Japanese female university students with female mid-career professionals to encourage networking. From 2015-2016, a total of 92 mentors and mentees were selected from Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Naha, and participated in five leadership sessions.
In April 2016 as a part of the program, mentees from Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Naha were invited to visit Washington, DC and New York City to meet with business leaders, government officials, and nonprofit leaders.
The following Leadership Sessions were held in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka and Naha:
- Making the Most of Your Match: How to Build a Mentoring Relationship
- Financial Literacy – Becoming Independent
- Leading From Your Strengths – Self Leadership
- Leading From Your Strengths – Building Networking Capital
- Building Women’s Leadership Confidence Through Awareness & Action
U.S. Trip
From March 22-30, 2016, the TMWLP mentees traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with leaders from various industries and to learn about different perspectives on women in the workforce. In small groups they visited different organizations, companies and government officials. The group then traveled to New York for meetings at MetLife headquarters, where they presented policy proposals for improving women’s empowerment. Read More>>
TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program Annual Conference 2016
On April 24, 2016, the 2015-2016 TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program (TMWLP) participants from Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Naha gathered in Tokyo for the capstone conference. The mentors and mentees were joined by MetLife executives for a total of over 140 who took part in the one-day inspirational event. The mentors and mentees celebrate their accomplishments and reflect on the last ten months while focusing on where the future will take them.
2014-2015 TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program
(Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Naha)
The second year of the TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program kicked off in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Naha in summer 2014 with eighty-two participants. Expanding to two new locations, the applicant pool for participants was larger, more diverse, and more competitive than the previous year. Participants of the 2014-2015 program represent a broad range of student majors and professional backgrounds, including science, health, business, journalism, foreign policy, and academia. Program participants will attend five meetings from June 2014 to February 2015 that will focus on topics including personal development, leadership training, networking skills, and financial literacy.
TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program – U.S. Trip
The TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program mentees participated in the annual U.S. Trip to Washington, DC and New York City from March 20 to 30, 2015. The program was designed to showcase women leaders in the US while inspiring and empowering the young participants. While in Washingotn, D.C., the 38 women met with individuals like Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI2) and leaders of a number of organizations, including the U.S. Department of State and the American Association of University Women. More>>
TWMLP Annual Conference 2015
On May 30, 2015, 82 Japanese female leaders gathered at the Cerulean Hotel in Shibuya, full of energy and excitement. They celebrated their accomplishments and reflected with their peers, mentors and mentees with special guest, Japan’s First Lady Mrs. Akie Abe on their last ten months as participants of the TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program. More>>
2013-2014 TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program
(Tokyo, Osaka)
As the capstone to the 10-month TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program in Tokyo and Osaka, twenty-five female Japanese university students traveled to the United States from March 22-31, 2014 for a visit showcasing examples of how American women achieve success in the modern economy. The program was designed to foster the leadership skills of Japanese women with the ultimate goals of advancing women’s economic empowerment and deepening Japan’s appreciation for American culture and ideals.
Voices of the TOMODACHI Generation
Several of the mentees who had been selected for the 2013-2014 TOMODACHI Women’s Leadership Program attended the Women in Business Summit, hosted by the U.S.-Japan Council and the American Chamber of Commerce Japan (ACCJ) on May 27, 2013. Find out what they learned at the summit:
“The summit really widen my perspective and changed my future.”
– Miho Tagai from Showa Women’s University
“The summit made my conception toward working turn 180 degrees around and I have found a purpose to achieve.”
– Yuki Ono from Hosei University
“I was highly motivated to develop my leadership skills as a woman.”
– Shoko Oniki from Soka University
Find out what the participants learned from the overall program:
“Leadership is not the power to lead others but the power to inspire and motivate others. I strongly believe that we, the TOMODACHI generation, can take true leadership: to inspire others to share the same vision as us, and make a great difference in the future of the United States, Japan and the world.”
– Asuka Kobayashi from Keio University
“We’ve learned through this visit to the United States that anything is possible. The United States and Japan may be different. But don’t you worry. When we say “you” we mean Americans and Japanese, men and women, young and old. Don’t worry about us because we are the future of Japan. In 50 years, our grandchildren will look back and say that their grandmothers were part of the TOMODACHI generation that changed Japan.”
– Kana Takagi from Keio University
“During the trip I experienced a lot and learned a lot. Nothing was more fun than forming ideas and making action from a clean sheet of paper. Back in Japan, positive changes are happening to me. I have a clear feeling that anywhere I go, this experience will always give me the drive to go forward without being afraid.”
– Misato Oi from Kyoto University
“Every session was inspiring and I learned a lot of important things. These eight days were really meaningful and I will never forget them.”
– Haruka Satake from Ritsumeikan University
