Second Delegation of the Uehiro-Carnegie for Future Generations Study Tour Visits Japan

In early September 2026, a Carnegie Council delegation of eight participants visited Japan for the annual Uehiro-Carnegie Endowment for Future Generations Study Tour. Thanks to our partners at the Uehiro Foundation on Ethics and Education in Tokyo, the delegation had the opportunity to meet with academics, researchers, and practitioners. This year’s tour included visits to Tokyo, Kyoto, and Hiroshima.

"What made the Japan study tour so extraordinary was its diversity. It brought together questions that are often discussed separately but are, in reality, deeply connected: nuclear proliferation and the consequences of technological power, artificial intelligence and its governance, the preservation of human dignity, the erosion of humanism in parts of the world, and the exhaustion of ethical leadership in today’s time," said Harsh Suri, a Carnegie Ethics Fellow and part of this year’s delegation. "The Uehiro Foundation’s belief that Hiroshima’s legacy must be carried forward not through anger, but through education and a commitment to ensuring such tragedies never happen again, deeply moved me. Visiting Hiroshima, Tokyo, and Kyoto; learning from Japanese experts and Buddhist leaders; and engaging with an extraordinary cohort reminded me that ethical leadership begins with humility, reflection, and the courage to act. I leave Japan believing that ethical leadership requires the courage to begin, even when others may not yet follow, and the responsibility to carry the lessons of history into the decisions that shape our future."

Throughout the tour, delegates explored topics including end-of-life care in an aging society, artificial intelligence and humanity, and peacebuilding. The itinerary featured seminars at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) and Kyoto University, a private tour at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, and a courtesy visit with the mayor of Hiroshima.

"Through our study tour, Japan showed me that ethical leadership is not always about having the right answers; it is increasingly about learning how to remain responsible when the answers are uncertain," said Tinatin Japaridze, a member of the study tour delegation. "From Tokyo to Kyoto and on to Hiroshima, our conversations and experiences showed me how memory, foresight, resilience, and long-term thinking can shape the way we prepare for futures we cannot fully predict. I came away with a deeper conviction that uncertainty cannot always be resolved—we have to learn how to navigate it with humility, responsibility, and human judgment. More than anything, the study tour gave me new ways of thinking about what that responsibility can look like, and lasting relationships with incredible individuals we met in Japan with whom I hope to continue exploring these questions."

Reflections from the second delegation will be published later this year. We will continue to explore other opportunities for future study tours. In the meantime, you can read last year’s reflections by clicking here.

About the Uehiro-Carnegie Endowment for Future Generations Study Tour

The Uehiro-Carnegie Endowment for Future Generations Study Tour brings together young leaders from Carnegie Council’s greater community to deepen their understanding of our founding principles: international cooperation, democracy, fidelity, and humanitarianism. Through a weeklong cross-cultural exchange, delegates engage with practitioners and visit multiple sites to learn about ethics and leadership. This study tour builds on Carnegie Council’s commitment to the next generation of leaders to use the power of ethics and education to build a better world.

Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs is an independent and nonpartisan nonprofit. The views expressed within this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of Carnegie Council.