JAL and KYOCERA are to support the TOMODACHI Hironomachi delegation to the 24th Japan-America Grassroots Summit in the San Diego region, supporting Fukushima prefectural middle school students’ participation in the Japan-America Grassroots Summit and musical chorus performance.

Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. and Kyocera Corporation announced today that they will jointly support the TOMODACHI Hironomachi Delegation to the 24th Japan-America Grassroots Summit in the San Diego region from September 23-30, 2014 as part of the larger TOMODACHI Initiative.

In 2011, a humanitarian relief mission, called “Operation Tomodachi,” (the word tomodachi means friend in Japanese) was launched by the U.S. military and Japan Self-Defense Forces immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake to provide assistance and encouragement to the disaster victims. The TOMODACHI Initiative is a public-private partnership led by the U.S. Embassy in Japan and the U.S.-Japan Council to invest in the next generation of Japanese and Americans and to strengthen U.S.-Japan relations, based on the same spirit of cooperation and friendship as “Operation Tomodachi.”

Due to an alignment of goals with the Initiative, JAL and Kyocera jointly supported the “TOMODACHI in San Diego 2013” program in March 2013, which flew seven students from the tsunami-hit city of Kesennuma, Miyagi prefecture, to San Diego, California, home to numerous U.S. Marine and Navy bases. The students were able to personally convey their feelings of deep gratitude toward those who had participated in “Operation Tomodachi.”

This year, JAL and Kyocera will sponsor the TOMODACHI Hironomachi Delegation to the 24th Japan-America Grassroots Summit in the San Diego Region, which supports the mission of the TOMODACHI Initiative to provide children with experiences that will help them grow as individuals. In this program, 15 middle school students from the town of Hirono (Futaba-gun, Fukushima prefecture) who are members of a chorus club will visit San Diego to take part in the Japan-America Grassroots Summit, which enhances mutual understanding and relationships between the two countries. The students will also give a chorus performance and visit local schools while participating in a homestay program.

The city of San Diego holds special significance for both sponsor companies. In 2012, JAL inaugurated the first direct flight from Asia to San Diego. “America’s Finest City” is also the site of one of Kyocera’s manufacturing facilities and the U.S. holding company, Kyocera International Inc., which was established in 1971.

JAL and Kyocera are cooperating with hopes that all the participants in this year’s exchange program will be able to gain meaningful experiences. An outline of the program is as follows:

TOMODACHI Hironomachi Delegation to the 24th Japan-America Grassroots Summit in the San Diego Region

1. Date
September 23 (Tue.) – 30 (Tue.), 2014
2. Participants:15 middle school students from Hirono town, Futaba-gun, Fukushima prefecture, Japan
3. Costs Covered: Costs of the program will be mainly covered by JAL, Kyocera and other sponsors
4. Program schedule (tentative)

The TOMODACHI Initiative

The TOMODACHI Initiative is a public-private partnership led by the United States Embassy in Tokyo and the U.S.-Japan Council, born out of support for Japan’s recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake, that invests in the next generation of Japanese and American leaders through educational and cultural exchanges as well as leadership programs.

The Japan-America Grassroots Summit

The Japan-America Grassroots Summit is an annual large-scale meeting of Japanese and American citizens, held alternately in Japan and America by the John Manjiro-Whitfield Commemorative Center for International Exchange (CIE). The summit aims to strengthen the peaceful relationship between Japan and America by fostering grassroots friendships..