On August 24, the USJC Japan region hosted U.S.-Japan Council (USJC) members, TOMODACHI alumni and friends for the first installment of its Icebreaker Series: Building Cross-Generational Relationships. Two mentor-mentee pairs from USJC and TOMODACHI spoke about a multitude of topics, from finding a mentor, establishing a relationship and the benefits of mentorship. Following the event, participants from USJC and TOMODACHI networked and shared their takeaways from the night.
Some key takeaways included the importance of learning with your mentor instead of under your mentor, finding a mentor who is the kind of person you want to become, and the fact that asking for help is a leadership skill.
The Japan region extends special thanks to the four panelists, Council Leader Janelle Sasaki (EY), USJC Associate Kelly Nuibe (Temple University Japan Campus), Shoko Tomita (The Tokyo New Business Conference), and Saaya Toyoda for taking the time out of their busy schedules to prepare and join the event, as well as the wonderful moderator USJC Associate Alisa Schackmann (Boeing Japan) for guiding the conversation. The Icebreaker Series aims to create more connection points between USJC and TOMODACHI.
Thank you to USJC Associate Melynie Yoneda (Thomson Reuters) for the above content!