We Are Tomodachi Spring 2018

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16From its beginning in 2014, participants in the “Walk in U.S., Talk on Japan” program have highlighted Japan’s attractiveness and appeal to audiences in cities across the United States. The program is rooted in the belief that exchanges between Japanese people and a broad and diverse range of Americans—focused on regional cities where there are fewer opportunities to know and appreciate Japan—can nurture the Japan-U.S. friendship at a grassroots level.In “Walk in U.S., Talk on Japan,” former Japanese ambassadors or other public figures lead delegations of three or four selected members, and visit local areas throughout the U.S. for grassroots interactions. In meetings with university and high school students, government officials, business people, and others, these delegates share their own stories about Japan as well as what is currently going on in Japanese society.So far, 69 people from various backgrounds and ranging in age from 18 to 82 have participated in the program. Each of the 20 delegations sent out thus far has “walked and talked” for about one week in what is now a cumulative total of 79 U.S. cities in 35 different states. Meetings with “Walk in U.S., Talk on Japan”Liu visited Norfolk, Richmond, Nashville, Clarksville, and Honolulu in January 2018 as part of a delegation led by former ambassador to the U.S. Ichiro Fujisaki. The group visited six universities and two high schools, spoke with two governors, and interacted with many other government officials and business people during a week-long trip to the U.S.Total: 20 delegations to 79 cities in 35 states in the U.S. (and 2 cities in Canada)FY 2014FY 2015FY 2016FY 2017local students and business people begin with a speech by the delegation leader, followed by speeches of members. The events then continue with lively discussions and a Q&A session with the audience about various topics, ranging from pop culture to national security to the economy.Dr. Xiaoyan Liu, born in Shanghai, was the first non-Japanese participant in the “Walk in U.S., Talk on Japan”