On March 12, 2025, Haruka Kokaze, Workplace Mental Health Research Associate and Lead
Japan Strategy Analyst at Columbia University’s Mental Health + Work Design Lab and One
Mind, and recipient of the 2024 Mitsui USA Foundation-JMSA Scholarship, organized and led a
webinar titled “Mental Health Matters: The Corporate Role in Supporting Japanese Expatriates
and Their Families.” Hosted as part of the Nippon Club and JMSA Health Series, the event shed
light on the complex and often overlooked mental health challenges faced by Japanese
expatriates and their families living in the United States.
Ms. Kokaze and Dr. Kathy Pike, Director of Columbia University’s Mental Health + Work Design
Lab and CEO of One Mind, presented research and data illustrating how cultural adjustment
stress, language barriers, social isolation, and limited access to culturally competent mental
health care can significantly impact the well-being of expatriates, their spouses, and children.
These challenges not only affect personal and family life but also contribute to reduced job
performance, lower employee engagement, and premature repatriation. Currently, only 6
percent of Japanese employees report feeling engaged at work, a figure far below the global
average. By combining academic insights, personal narratives, and practical strategies, the
webinar equipped Japanese subsidiaries in the United States with evidence-based tools for
creating more supportive and resilient workplaces.
Developed under the mentorship of Dr. Robert Yanagisawa and in collaboration with Dr. Pike,
the program wove together personal stories and professional expertise. Dr. Yanagisawa spoke
about his experience growing up in a Japanese expatriate family in the United States. Dr. Pike
shared reflections from her time living in Japan as an American expatriate. Ms. Kokaze offered
her perspective as the daughter of Japanese expatriates who lived across New York, Houston,
and London, highlighting the deep emotional and cultural complexity faced by many expatriate
families.
The program also included a recorded message from a human resources leader at Mitsui USA,
who reaffirmed the company’s commitment to mental health in the workplace and emphasized
the importance of ongoing engagement on this issue.
More than 70 participants joined the webinar from across the United States, Japan, Brazil,
Singapore, and Australia. Attendees represented Japanese multinational corporations,
academic institutions, and nonprofit organizations engaged in expatriate support and community
wellbeing.
Audience feedback reflected both the emotional resonance and practical relevance of the
session. One longtime expatriate spouse shared that for over 20 years, she had never been
offered formal support through her spouse’s workplace while navigating child-rearing and career
disruption. Another participant, who immigrated to the United States as a teenager, expressed
appreciation for the awareness being raised and emphasized the importance of destigmatizing
access to support. Several attendees noted that the session helped them feel seen and
understood, some for the first time. A mental health professional in New York described witnessing the long-term effects of childhood stress in Japanese expatriate clients and praised
the session for fostering shared understanding.
Through this event, Ms. Kokaze and her collaborators demonstrated the transformative potential
of integrating research, storytelling, and corporate leadership to promote mental health and
well-being across borders and generations.