November 9, 2018

PRESS RELEASE
U.S.-Japan Council (Japan)
Amway Japan Foundation

Amway Japan Foundation Joins TOMODACHI Initiative
Investing in the Next Generation Leaders to Revitalize Tohoku
through Tourism
The Amway Japan Foundation (Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director Kafuu Toh, hereinafter referred as
the Amway Japan Foundation) and the U.S.-Japan Council TOMODACHI Initiative (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo,Representative Director and President Irene Hirano Inouye, hereinafter referred as TOMODACHI), announced theestablishment of the “TOMODACHI Amway Japan Foundation Tohoku Future Leader Program”.
The announcement was made during the U.S.-Japan Council Annual Conference held between November 8th(Thurs) and 9th (Friday), attended by distinguished guests including U.S. Ambassador to Japan William F. Hagerty
and government and business leaders central to the U.S.-Japan relationship.
The “TOMODACHI Amway Japan Foundation Tohoku Future Leader Program” is designed to emphasize thelocal charms of Tohoku and is a part of the Amway Japan Foundation’s Tohoku reconstruction project “RememberHOPE.” It will be offered for three years from 2019 to 2021. In its inaugural year, 2019, the program will support
high school students residing in the town of Minami Sanriku in Miyagi Prefecture, where “Remember HOPE” hasalready been providing aid. The program participants will travel to the United States during an upcoming spring
break in 2019 and will learn about the best practices of regional approaches for inbound tourism in the UnitedStates. The participants will then utilize their learning in the United States to revitalize their town further, based ona theme chosen by Minami Sanriku officials relating to tourism and the town’s resources.
To commemorate this partnership, Peter Strydom, Chair, Amway Japan Foundation commented, “We haveestablished Amway Community Houses in Tohoku to provide spaces for people to come together and rebuild thebonds of community. Now that more than seven years have passed since the disaster, the reconstruction of Tohoku
has entered a new phase. Through this program, we will support Tohoku youth, the leaders of the future, to develop
leadership skills and generate innovative ideas to achieve the sustainable revitalization of their region.”
Further, Irene Hirano Inouye, the Representative Director and President of U.S.-Japan Council commented, “We
are extremely grateful for the Amway Japan Foundation’s support for the vision of TOMODACHI. Since its
inception, TOMODACHI, as a groundbreaking public-private partnership, has continued to contribute to thedevelopment of next generation leaders in Japan, including those in Tohoku. We hope that the participants will
broaden their perspectives in the United States through this new program in partnership with the Japan Amway
Foundation. We will support them as they take action and grow as leaders contributing to the further revitalizationof Tohoku.”◆About Amway Japan Foundation※1
Amway Japan G.K. started Remember HOPE in 2012 as a social contribution program supporting the rebuilding of
the bonds of community in areas impacted by March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. In 2013, the company
established the Amway Japan One by One Foundation (renamed the Amway Japan Foundation in 2016 ) to ensure
the transparency and sustainability of its activities. The Foundation continues creating places and opportunities for
local people to gather in the three disaster-stricken prefectures (Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima). Remember HOPE
will open its 5th Amway Community House, designed by world-famous architect Kengo Kuma, in Rikuzentakata,Iwate, in 2019.
Location: 10th floor, Amway Japan G.K. 7-1, Udagawa-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0042 Japan
Representative Director: Kafuu Toh◆About the TOMODACHI Iniviative※2
The TOMODACHI Initiative is a public-private partnership between the U.S.-Japan Council and the U.S. Embassyin Tokyo, with support from the Government of Japan. Born out of support for Japan’s recovery from the Great
East Japan Earthquake, TOMODACHI invests in the next generation of Japanese and American leaders througheducational and cultural exchanges as well as leadership programs. The initiative seeks to foster a “TOMODACHI
Generation” of young American and Japanese leaders who are committed to and engaged in strengthening
U.S.-Japan relations, appreciate each other’s countries and cultures, and possess the global skills and mindsets
needed to contribute to and thrive in a more cooperative, prosperous, and secure world.
www.tomodachi.org

For inquiries
Amway Japan Foundation
Tel: 03-5428-7177／Fax: 03-5428-7965／Email: AJ.AMWAY.PR_team@Amway.com
U.S.-Japan Council (Japan) TOMODACHI Initiative Tel: 03-4510-3400／
Email: tomodachi@usjapancouncil.org

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