The U.S.-Japan Council (Japan) was awarded the Certificate of Appreciation by Mayor Takenori Noda of Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture for the TOMODACHI Initiative’s ongoing efforts to support the city’s reconstruction and revitalization after the Great East Japan Earthquake. Over 40 of our TOMODACHI program alumni are from Kamaishi, and we are impressed by the impact generated by these alumni connecting both of our countries.
As part of the TOMODACHI-Mitsui & Co. Leadership Program, the American delegation, which was composed of young professionals from both the public and private sectors, visited the city of Kamaishi in 2017. The delegation was welcomed by Kazunari Ishii, an alumnus of the previous year’s program and the manager of the international affairs division of the Kamaishi City office. Mr. Ishii shared Kamaishi City’s plan to revitalize both the economy and the social development of the city through innovative ideas to attract tourists and create local employment opportunities utilizing the shared economy.
A project dedicated to enhancing partnerships for disaster prevention and furthering reconstruction in Iwate Prefecture was organized by the governor’s office in 2019. As part of that project, a public symposium was held in Kamaishi. Ms. Kurumi Sato, an alumna of the TOMODACHI J&J Disaster Nursing Training Program, shared her experiences and the knowledge she had gained from the program, representing the next generation of leaders that we foster through TOMODACHI.
As we reflect on the past decade, we are so proud and appreciative of the strong relationship we have built with Kamaishi and the people in the Tohoku region. We remain committed to the future of Tohoku and building a stronger partnership between the United States and Japan with the TOMODACHI Generation.