On October 31st, the 10th TOMODACHI MUFG International Exchange Program kicked off with a virtual program orientation. Mr. Kanetsugu Mike, Chairman at Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, and USJC President & CEO Suzanne Basalla welcomed the new cohort of high school students from the Tohoku region and encouraged them as they embarked on an educational and exchange program with Southern California that includes virtual homestays and workshops on Japanese American history and DE&I by the Japanese American National Museum.
Mr. Mike emphasized that by giving future generations the tools to nurture personal relationships between Japan and the United States, “this grassroots program is meant to help our two nations develop young leaders who respect other cultures and become the bedrock of our international partnership.”
Launched in 2012, the MUFG International Exchange Program is an exchange program between Japanese students who were affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake and high school students in Southern California, and aims to strengthen the ties between the United States and Japan students through cultural exchange activities and homestays.