TOMODACHI Japan-U.S. Exchange Program Paves Way for Intl Researcher to Assist Tohoku Fisheries

By Akiko Inoue / Japan News Staff Writer

2:00 JST, March 17, 2026

SENDAI — Bryson Torgovitsky, 25, is an American PhD candidate in marine science at Tohoku University. The TOMODACHI program, which he participated in twice during high school — in 2017 and 2018 — paved the way for him to become what he is now: an international researcher. He hopes to assist local fisheries in Tohoku, which was once devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake, and which he visited for the TOMODACHI program about a decade ago.

Growing up in Washington D.C., Torgovitsky’s connection to Japan traces back to childhood. As a boy who loved dinosaurs and nature documentaries, he became obsessed with the Japanese monster movie Godzilla.

Still, as far as Japan was concerned, “the place existed but [was] so far.” When the 2011 earthquake hit Tohoku, 10-year-old Torgovitsky only saw the disaster on TV, and felt like “it was so distant.”

The major turning point came in 2017, when he first participated in the TOMODACHI program to visit disaster-hit areas including Kesennuma and Minami-Sanriku in Miyagi Prefecture, where the huge tsunami had wiped away the coastal towns.

“It was very humbling,” he said, recalling the experience. At that time, six years after the disaster, the areas still bore traces of the aftermath and were in the midst of reconstruction.

He was shocked to imagine the striking contrast of the beautiful gentle ocean in front of him with the “hell on Earth” of that same harbor. “Their [residents’] livelihood” was on fire while homes were being destroyed. One of most striking moments he remembers was in Minami-Sanriku, listening to the former mayor tell his story of surviving the tsunami at the top of the municipality building.

Through hearing stories and seeing the actual places, the disaster became “personal in the sense that it was now directly in front of us and real,” evoking “a very strong feeling” in him.

There, he also saw the international researchers involved in reconstruction efforts. This experience inspired him “to study marine biology in Japan.” “Seeing that was an actual job opportunity or something that can be done” set his path for the future.

He completed a Master’s degree at the University of New Hampshire, where he studied marine biology. He was then accepted to Tohoku University to continue his studies. In 2023, he set foot in Japan for the third time as a doctoral candidate.

His research theme is Japanese fisheries from the perspective of the impacts of climate change and recovery from the effects of the disaster, which often involves working with local fisheries, communities and talking to people in the coastal area.

“I would like to assist [local fisheries] with topics like management so they can keep doing [what they are doing],” he said of his goal here, adding that he is “assisting the fisheries in Tohoku to operate as Japanese fisheries and be able to support their own system, communities.”

Apart from his career, Torgovitsky believes the TOMODACHI program also taught him another valuable lesson, through the interactions with people from different backgrounds. He explained that “at that younger age in high school, starting college, is when people are really open to learning how to interact with others … how to be your own person, present yourself.”

“Having opportunities like [the] TOMODACHI [program] to practice that with people outside of your normal comfort zone … is really important,” he stressed.

With only one semester left in his doctoral program, Torgovitsky sees himself staying in Japan for a while. While he will likely pursue the path opened up as an international researcher, he is certain his connection to Japan will continue throughout his life.