Transforming loss into leadership: Empowering Japanese youth to rebuild after historic disaster
Over 10 summers, students impacted by the 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster in Tohoku came to CED to develop strategies for recovery using the Y-PLAN framework.
In 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake off Japan’s northeast coast triggered a massive tsunami and the Fukushima nuclear disaster, devastating the Tohoku region. The scale of destruction was overwhelming — entire towns were washed away and hundreds of thousands were displaced.
In response, the U.S.–Japan Council launched the Tomodachi SoftBank Leadership Program at Berkeley, a decade-long initiative that brought more than 1,000 high school students from Tohoku to the College of Environmental Design. The support of SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, who studied economics at UC Berkeley, was crucial to making the program a reality. At CED, students engaged in civic learning, city planning, and community resilience strategies to rebuild their hometowns and shape their futures.
A Vision for the Future: Learning in Berkeley, Leading in Tohoku
— John Roos, U.S. Ambassador to Japan, 2009–2013
At the heart of this initiative was Y-PLAN (Youth – Plan, Learn, Act Now), a civic learning framework developed by Deborah McKoy, research professor in the Department of City & Regional Planning and executive director of the Center for Cities + Schools at CED.
For more than 20 years, Y-PLAN has empowered young people to tackle real-world challenges, equipping them with the tools to reimagine and transform their communities. Through this framework, Tohoku students explored urban planning, environmental resilience, and community development, working alongside architects, engineers, educators, and policymakers to envision a more just and sustainable future for their hometowns.
“The friendships and mentorship we built at Berkeley gave us strength — knowing we weren’t alone in this journey,” said Sakura, a 2015 program participant.
Transforming Loss Into Leadership
During the three-week studio at CED, students first studied urban planning challenges in Bay Area cities like Oakland and Richmond, exploring issues such as homelessness, sea level rise, earthquakes, and wildfires. They worked with city officials, urban planners, and community leaders, gaining practical experience in data collection, policy-making, and city planning.
In the second phase, students applied their learning to develop action plans for Tohoku’s recovery, working with mentors in Japan to implement their projects. Over the years, their efforts have resulted in powerful initiatives, including:
- Addressing the Fukushima stigma – One project worked to destigmatize nuclear decontamination workers, while another helped educate consumers on the safety of Fukushima-grown produce.
- Revitalizing agricultural traditions – Students reconnected youth with the region’s farming heritage, from Ichino soba-making workshops to apple-picking events designed to strengthen ties between generations.
- Preserving community memory – One student used Kamishibai, a traditional Japanese storytelling art, to ensure that younger generations understood the lived experiences of the 2011 disaster survivors.
- Enhancing life in temporary housing – Others worked to make temporary housing more livable by adding artistic elements, such as decorative tile murals.
“Y-PLAN accelerated moving from ideas to action. During a hands-on program in North Richmond, they saw firsthand how communities tackle challenges, which gave them a clearer vision of their own impact. This experience empowered them to adapt and take action without overthinking — driving real change back home,” says Taike Goto, a project mentor.
For Deborah McKoy, the program was about more than just rebuilding — it was about youth agency and resilience. “Shaped by their lived experience, these young leaders from Tohoku inherently understand the vital role of social infrastructure and community cohesion. As they hone their communication and community planning skills, they not only deepen their expertise but also enrich our collective understanding of resilience,” she says.
A Lasting Impact: Tomodachi Alums Leading Change
While the Tomodachi program at Berkeley has concluded, its impact continues. Suzanne Basalla, former president of the U.S.–Japan Council, says, “A decade later, we’re seeing alums become decision-makers in Japan, influencing policies, mentoring new generations, and expanding this work beyond Tohoku.”
Ikeda-san, head of SoftBank’s Corporate Social Responsibility division, says, “The Berkeley program [gave] young people the vision and skills to rebuild their communities, equipping them with the mindset and tools to take action back home.”
Building on a decade of insights and impact from Tomodachi, the Center for Cities + Schools is growing this work into the future through a new Y-PLAN Global initiative. By bringing this model to communities seeking to engage youth in revitalization, it aims to support resilience, recovery, and a strengthened sense of agency among young people as they confront the increasing challenges of natural disasters and urban change. At the same time, the center is exploring emerging technologies, including AI, as strategies to deepen critical connections between people and places, ensuring that the lessons of the past decade inform more inclusive, adaptive, and future-ready communities worldwide.