On November 14, 2014, the American and Japanese participants of the 2014 TOMODACHI US-Japan Youth Exchange Program gathered in Tokyo to present their experiences on the program. The American students from Washington, D.C. were at the end of their two-week program in Japan, and had recently returned from the disaster-affected areas of Tohoku, where they had learned about needs on the ground from local nonprofits.
Participants shared their stories in front of US Embassy Tokyo Deputy Chief of Mission Jason Hyland and US-Japan Council President Irene Hirano Inouye. Senior Vice President of Global Relations for Mitsubishi Corporation, Satohiro Akimoto, representing the TOMODACHI Fund for Exchanges donor companies (Toyota Motor Corporation, Mitsubishi Corporation, and Hitachi, Ltd) shared his own story of coming to the United States for the first time and how that experience greatly impacted his own life. "I know the impact this kind of exchange can have on the life of young people, because I am a product of that. We are glad we can support programs such as these," stated Mr. Akimoto.
The program began with the Japanese students from Keio Shonan Fujisawa High School talking about their program in Washington, D.C. this past summer. Students were inspired to consider the power of words during a "poetry slam" workshop, overcame stereotypes about homelessness through volunteering, and were empowered to express themselves through the "#Everyday DC" photography workshop.
"I was very inspired to learn once again that 'words are powerful,'" said one of the participants from Keio Shonan Fujisawa High School, who realized the importance of having the confidence to speak up.
From their experience in the United States, the Keio students expressed that this program was their first step in being a part of the TOMODACHI Generation.
The American students from Washington, D.C., fresh from their trip to Sendai and Minamisanriku, shared their overall impressions of Japan, but focused on reflections from their trip to Tohoku.
They were deeply moved by the stories of those who survived the earthquake and tsunami as well as the work being done to help the economic recovery in the region. They visited organizations such as SEELS and Kids' Door, where they taught English to the students there. They visited the Watari-cho museum and learned about the history of the town. In Minami-sanriku, they heard stories from fishermen working to rebuild the industry and made pizza and danced with local high schools students. They made crafts out of silk cocoons and presented them to the donors and major program supporters as a token of thanks.
Finally, American student Luke Nogueira recounted meeting the Mayor of Minamisanriku who survived the tsunami. Luke told the audience: "His story inspired me, knowing that someone like him is out there."
The visit to Tohoku held a lot of meaning for the American students. For Sierra Queen, her time in Tohoku inspired her to begin thinking about how Japan might fit into her future: "I already had a positive image about Japan from anime and manga, but my experience in Tohoku changed that dramatically. I started considering studying in Japan, and it would be great if I get a chance to study in Tohoku again in college."
The American students announced a plan for an exhibit in March 2015 in Washington, D.C., to talk about their visit to Japan and to reflect on what they learned in Tohoku.
The program concluded with remarks given by Hirofumi Yokoi, Chief Executive Officer of the Akira Foundation, the organization responsible for coordinating the program in Japan. "We hope you have achieved the goals set for yourself two weeks ago. We understand how the TOMODACHI program can change lives, especially for the youth participants."
To learn more about the TOMODACHI program, visit: http://usjapantomodachi.org/
Firsthand stories from the participant blog can be found at: http://usjapanfuture.org/
The TOMODACHI program is also on Instagram: US_Japan_Future