Us-Japan Council

THE U.S.-JAPAN COUNCIL DEVELOPS AND CONNECTS DIVERSE LEADERS TO CREATE A STRONG U.S.-JAPAN RELATIONSHIP. FOUNDED BY JAPANESE AMERICANS, THE COUNCIL BRINGS TOGETHER LEADERS OF THE UNITED STATES AND JAPAN FROM ACROSS BACKGROUNDS, SECTORS AND GENERATIONS TO PARTNER FOR A BETTER FUTURE FOR THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION AND BEYOND.

THE TOMODACHI INITIATIVE IS A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP LED BY USJC IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE U.S. EMBASSY IN TOKYO WITH SUPPORT BY THE GOVERNMENT OF JAPAN. TOMODACHI INVESTS IN THE NEXT GENERATION OF JAPANESE AND AMERICAN YOUTH THROUGH EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL EXCHANGES AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. FINANCIAL SUPPORT IS PROVIDED BY CORPORATIONS, ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS IN THE U.S. AND JAPAN. IN 2012, THE U.S.-JAPAN COUNCIL (JAPAN) WAS CREATED TO SUPPORT THE ADMINISTRATION OF TOMODACHI IN JAPAN. USJC (JAPAN) IS A REGISTERED PUBLIC INTEREST CORPORATION (KOEKI ZAIDAN HOJIN) AND MAINTAINS OFFICES IN TOKYO.IN 2021, WHILE THE IMPACTS OF COVID-19 REMAINED, TOMODACHI CONDUCTED A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS ONLINE, THOSE INCLUDING A NEWLY ESTABLISHED PROGRAM FOCUSING ON TOHOKU YOUTH, A JAPAN-U.S. EXCHANGE PROGRAM CONTINUED SINCE THE LAUNCH OF THE TOMODACHI INITIATIVE, AND ALUMNI PROGRAMS WITH A VARIETY OF THEMES. SINCE INCEPTION, ALMOST 10,000 YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE PARTICIPATED IN TOMODACHI PROGRAMS ACROSS MULTIPLE STATES AND PREFECTURES EXTENSIVE FOLLOW-UP SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED WITH THE ALUMNI, SHOWING THE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT THE PROGRAM HAS HAD ON THE LIVES OF PARTICIPANTS EVEN AFTER COMPLETION OF THE PROGRAM. MAJOR TOMODACHI PROGRAMS SUPPORTED BY USJC (US) IN 2021 INCLUDED:THE BUILDING THE TOMODACHI GENERATION: MORGAN STANLEY AMBASSADORS PROGRAM ALUMNI BOOT CAMP TOOK PLACE BETWEEN MARCH TO MAY 2021. 154 PEOPLE, INCLUDING STAFF, PARTICIPATED IN THE 8 SESSIONS FOR TOMODACHI ALUMNI. AN ONLINE PROGRAM OPEN TO ALL TOMODACHI ALUMNI WAS OFFERED IN 2021. A WIDE RANGE OF TOPICS WAS DISCUSSED IN THE SESSIONS INCLUDING CAREER SELECTION AND SKILLS THAT ARE USEFUL IN THE WORKPLACE. IN EACH SESSION, ACCOMPLISHED PROFESSIONALS WORKING IN THE U.S. AND JAPAN SHARED THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE WITH THE PARTICIPANTS.TOMODACHI PRUDENTIAL ALUMNI LEADERSHIP PROGRAM - THIS PROGRAM SUPPORTS AN ALUMNI NETWORK OF TOMODACHI PARTICIPANTS FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF A TOMODACHI PROGRAM. ALUMNI REMAIN CONNECTED TO A COMMUNITY THROUGH REGIONAL NETWORKS, ON-GOING PROGRAMS AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES. HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE THE EXPANDING REGIONAL PROGRAMS, A GLOBAL LEADERSHIP ACADEMY FOR TOHOKU REGION YOUTH FOCUSED ON DECISION MAKING IN TIMES OF CRISIS AND SUSTAINABILITY, AND THE NEXT GENERATION SUMMIT 2021 ("IDEAS TO ACTION: BREAKING BARRIERS FOR A SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY WITH ENDURING VALUE").TOMODACHI METLIFE WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP PROGRAM - 50 FEMALE JAPANESE UNDERGRADUATES AND JAPANESE MID-LEVEL, CAREER PROFESSIONAL WOMEN ARE PAIRED TO BUILD STRONG MENTOR-MENTEE RELATIONSHIPS OVER TEN-MONTHS. THE EIGHTH COHORT WAS LAUNCHED IN FALL 2021 AND THEIR VIRTUAL PROGRAM WILL CONTINUE IN 2022.TWO AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES WERE SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS YEAR'S TOMODACHI KAKEHASHI INOUYE SCHOLARS PROGRAM IN SEPTEMBER 2021. EACH UNIVERSITY WAS PAIRED WITH A JAPANESE UNIVERSITY IN ORDER TO FACILITATE THE EXCHANGE PROGRAM. HOWARD UNIVERSITY IN WASHINGTON D.C. WAS PAIRED WITH KEIWA COLLEGE IN NIIGATA PREFECTURE. TWENTY-EIGHT STUDENTS FROM OKLAHOMA'S NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY WAS ALSO PAIRED WITH HOKKAIDO UNIVERSITY AS A PART OF THIS YEAR'S PROGRAM.THE TOMODACHI STEM WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP AND RESEARCH PROGRAM KICKED OFF WITH VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING TO PREPARE STUDENTS TO JOIN RESEARCH GROUPS AT RICE UNIVERSITY AND LEHIGH UNIVERSITY.TOMODACHI'S INCLUSIVE PROGRAMMING CONTINUED DURING THE PANDEMIC THROUGH THE TOMODACHI STORY JAM FOR YOUTH WITH DISABILITIES PROGRAM. TEN JAPANESE AND AMERICAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS SHOWCASED VIDEO PROJECTS, WHICH HAD BEEN DEVELOPED OVER THE COURSE OF AN EIGHT-WEEK PROGRAM ON STORYTELLING.

THE GENERAL EDUCATION PROGRAM INCLUDES THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE/BILATERAL BOARDROOM, WATANABE ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPS, JAPANESE AMERICAN LEADERSHIP DELEGATION (JALD), EMERGING LEADERS PROGRAM, WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP, REGIONAL PROGRAMS IN THE U.S. AND JAPAN, NETWORKING AND OUTREACH ACTIVITIES, NETWORKING, AND COMMUNICATIONS.IN LIEU OF AN IN-PERSON ANNUAL CONFERENCE, USJC HELD TWO SIGNIFICANT BILATERAL BOARDROOM VIRTUAL EVENTS FOCUSED ON CLIMATE, ESG, AND PURPOSE-DRIVEN LEADERSHIP. SPEAKERS INCLUDED PROMINENT GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS LEADERS.THE COUNCIL ALSO PUT ON A NUMBER OF PUBLIC PROGRAMS THROUGH THE VIRTUAL WEBINAR FORMAT COVERING ISSUES SUCH AS JAPANESE AMERICAN ROLE MODELS, A JAPAN POLICY PERSPECTIVE SERIES ON GEOPOLITICAL ISSUES, WORKSHOPS ON WELLNESS, AND AUTHOR INTERVIEWS. SEVERAL WEBINARS FOCUSED ON CONNECTING GOVERNMENT SPEAKERS TO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY.THE SILICON VALLEY JAPAN PLATFORM (SVJP) IS AN INITIATIVE OF THE USJC AND THE ASIA PACIFIC INITIATIVE (API). SVJP AIMS TO CONNECT THE TECHNOLOGICAL DYNAMISM OF SILICON VALLEY WITH THE CURRENT AND FUTURE NEEDS OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN JAPAN THROUGH TRUSTING, COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS. IN 2021, SVJP CONTINUED WITH ONLINE PROGRAMMING AIMED TO ENGAGE CURRENT AND FUTURE CORPORATE MEMBERS AND THE SVJP COMMUNITY. TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR, SVJP WAS ABLE TO HOST TWO HYBRID EVENTS. IN NOVEMBER, SVJP'S FLAGSHIP EVENT, THE ANNUAL RETREAT, TOOK PLACE WITH HIGH-LEVEL EXECUTIVES FROM THEIR CORPORATE MEMBER COMMUNITY TRAVELING TO KYOTO FOR A TWO-DAY MEETING. SVJP INTRODUCED A NEWSLETTER WHICH SERVES AS A PLATFORM FOR SVJP COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO COLLECTIVELY LEARN MORE ABOUT THE THEMES OF SVJP PROGRAMMING. IT PROVIDES A MIX OF NEWS, INTERVIEWS, AND DEEP DIVES INTO KEY TOPICS SURROUNDING BUSINESS, TECHNOLOGY AND JAPAN.EMERGING LEADERS PROGRAM (ELP) - ELP IDENTIFIES, CULTIVATES AND EMPOWERS A NEW GENERATION OF JAPANESE AMERICAN LEADERS. IN ITS TWELFTH YEAR, THE 2021 PROGRAM BROUGHT TOGETHER 13 YOUNG JAPANESE AMERICAN PROFESSIONALS FOR A SERIES OF VIRTUAL ENGAGEMENTS. THE COHORT PARTICIPATED IN A LEADERSHIP ORIENTATION PROGRAM AND NETWORKED WITH SENIOR JAPANESE AMERICAN LEADERS. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, ALUMNI ORGANIZED EVENTS TO ALLOW MEMBERS OF THE ELP COMMUNITY TO CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER, INCLUDING THE KAIWA SERIES PROGRAM TO LEARN LEADERSHIP SKILLS FROM ROLE MODELS, A FINANCIAL SEMINAR, A KOHAKU UTA-GASSEN SINGING/LIP-SYNCING COMPETITION AND A SHINNENKAI TO CELEBRATE THE NEW YEAR.JAPANESE AMERICAN LEADERSHIP DELEGATION PROGRAM (JALD): PROGRAM PROVIDES 10 JAPANESE AMERICAN LEADERS TO TRAVEL TO TOKYO TO ENGAGE WITH JAPANESE LEADERS ACROSS SECTORS. THE PROGRAM WAS ON HOLD IN 2021.WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP: USJC ORGANIZED SEVERAL PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP IN THE UNITED STATES AND JAPAN. MEMBERSHIP ACTIVITIES: THE USJC CONVENED REGIONAL NETWORKS TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR JAPANESE AND AMERICANS TO COME TOGETHER TO HEAR SPEAKERS AND EXPLORE AREAS OF POTENTIAL COLLABORATION IN 11 REGIONS. MOST OF THESE GATHERINGS WERE VIRTUAL AND OPEN TO ATTENDEES OUTSIDE OF THE REGION. ADDITIONALLY THE COUNCIL CONVENED A NUMBER OF AFFINITY GROUP GATHERINGS. AS A KEY FEATURE, THE COUNCIL HELD A VIRTUAL MEMBERS FORUM FOR ALL MEMBERS.WATANABE ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPS: THE PROGRAM PROVIDES FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDENTS FOR A SEMESTER OR YEAR-LONG STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM. DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, SOME OF THE SCHOLARSHIPS WERE UNABLE TO BE REALIZED OR DEFERRED. ON-LINE LEADERSHIP PROGRAMMING WAS MADE AVAILABLE TO THE SCHOLARS TO SUPPLEMENT THEIR SCHOOLING.GOVERNMENT AND LEGISLATIVE NETWORKING: AN ANNUAL CONSULS GENERAL- JAPANESE AMERICAN LEADERS MEETING IS SPONSORED BY THE JAPANESE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND ORGANIZED BY THE USJC AND THE EMBASSY OF JAPAN. JAPANESE AMERICAN LEADERS ARE SELECTED BY THEIR RESPECTIVE CONSULS GENERAL FOR A DISCUSSION WITH JAPANESE GOVERNMENT LEADERS. THIS PROGRAM WAS SUSPENDED IN 2021 DUE TO THE PANDEMIC. COMMUNICATIONS - USJC MAINTAINS AN INFORMATIVE WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE IN ENGLISH AND JAPANESE PROVIDING INFORMATION ON CURRENT PROGRAMS, MEMBER NEWS, CURRENT EVENTS AND TOPICS OF IMPORTANCE TO THE US-JAPAN RELATIONSHIP. USJC PUBLISHES A BI-WEEKLY ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER AND ISSUES REGULAR PRESS RELEASES ABOUT PROGRAMS AND EVENTS IN JAPAN AND THE SILICON VALLEY.