TOKYO, JAPAN, December 13, 2013 - Honda Motor Co., Ltd. ("Honda") today announced the launch of "TOMODACHI Honda Cultural Exchange Program," marking the beginning of a Honda partnership with the U.S.-Japan Council as one of the Strategic Partners of the TOMODACHI Initiative, a public-private partnership that invests in the next generation of Japanese and American leaders through educational and cultural exchanges, as well as leadership and entrepreneurship programs.

In partnership with the U.S.-Japan Council, a non-profit organization, Honda plans to create the "TOMODACHI Honda Cultural Exchange Program" which will be implemented during the three-year period between 2015 and 2017. As a kick off to this Cultural Exchange Program, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., which is the Presenting Sponsor of the 2014 Rose Parade in Pasadena, California, televised in 220 locations worldwide, has made it possible for former TOMODACHI students in Southern California to actively participate in the Parade. Students will be carrying the banner introducing the Honda float and will be riding on the Honda float where a video message of gratitude will be conveyed for the love and support given to Japan by the American people after the Great East Japan Earthquake.

For 2015, Honda's TOMODACHI Initiative efforts will showcase the company's unique way of supporting education and U.S.-Japan efforts to develop future generations with an experiential learning program of Music as a Universal Language. Guided by the slogan The Power of Dreams, the three-year partnership will continue to forge friendships and understanding between the people of the United States and Japan while giving the people of the Tohoku region the opportunity to thank those who are helping them rebuild.

Students from the TOMODACHI Initiative will join Honda in a joint effort to experience various music, cultures, and dreams of opportunity for the next generation of leaders, by showcasing an education experience leading to the presentation of America's New Year's Celebration, the historic Rose Parade.

Along the way, Honda is providing an opportunity to help educate both countries about the TOMODACHI Initiative and inspire the students to rebuild their dreams and strengthen hope for the future.

This Cultural Exchange Program will be implemented for three consecutive years.
"Honda has long-appreciated our special relationship with the American people and the success of our company is due in part to the deep roots we have established in America," said Fumihiko Ike, Chairman and Representative Director, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. "In addition to supporting the important reconstruction effort of the Tohoku region, the TOMODACHI Initiative helped turn the devastation of the Great East Japan Earthquake into an opportunity to further the friendship between the U.S. and Japan. We want to see this effort continue to grow in the future."

"We are delighted to hear that Honda Motor Co., Ltd. has partnered with the TOMODACHI Initiative," said the U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy. "Honda's generous funding to TOMODACHI will connect young Japanese and American people through leadership education in science and technology, building a strong, enduring U.S.-Japan relationship. I thank them for their generosity and support."

About the TOMODACHI Initiative
The TOMODACHI Initiative is a public-private partnership, 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 entrepreneurship and leadership programs. We seek 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.

TOMODACHI Initiative website: http://usjapantomodachi.org