TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program was launched in 2013 in partnership with the TOMODACHI Initiative and MetLife Japan. It aims to develop the next generation of globally active women leaders.

     Over a ten-month period, the program provides highly motivated Japanese female university students with training sessions to hone their leadership skills. This year’s program is being held virtually in Tokyo, Osaka, Naha, and Sapporo.

    Participants learn about women’s leadership development, cross-cultural ambassadorship, and compare university experiences between Japan and the United States. 

    To expose participants to role models on their path towards becoming leaders, each student is assigned an active mid-career female professional as a mentor for one-on-one support and to develop network-building opportunities. The program is designed to develop a set of leadership competencies, identified as critical for successful leaders.

    For the program’s annual visit to Washington DC, MetLife works with public diplomacy non-profits such as Cultural Vistas and the U.S.-Japan Council to arrange site visits for the program.