TOMODACHI Initiative
The U.S.-Japan Council (Japan) works to deepen long-term friendship between Japan and the US by offering cultural and educational programs through the TOMODACHI Initiative. Following the Great East Japan Earthquake, the US Armed Forces and the Japan Self-Defense Forces worked together to conduct Operation Tomodachi to provide emergency humanitarian aid to disaster-affected areas. The TOMODACHI Initiative was founded on this spirit of friendship and cooperation and aims to strengthen cultural and economic ties between Japan and the US while furthering the positive relationship shared by the two countries. With cooperation from the US government (the US Embassy in Tokyo), the TOMODACHI Initiative is supported by the Japanese government as well as Japanese and US corporations, organizations and individuals as programs to invest in future generations in both Japan and the US. It offers programs for educational and cultural exchanges as well as leadership training to foster TOMODACHI generations in both countries.
FamilyMart has been supporting the initiative since the fall of 2013 by donating funds from the FamilyMart Connecting Dreams Foundation Donation to offer programs supporting the next generation of children in disaster-affected areas.
Activities supported by the FamilyMart Connecting Dreams Foundation Donation
TOMODACHI High School Women Career Mentoring Program in Fukushima
The TOMODACHI Career Mentoring Program for Female High School Students offers career development support to second-year high school students in Fukushima Prefecture. The program holds sessions for students to meet older women, who they would usually not have the chance of meeting, coming from various generations, nationalities and backgrounds. The aim is for the students to broaden their perspectives and find the strength to pave their own paths to their futures. The program is composed of four steps and students spend roughly half a year changing and finding their future selves.
