Events & Engagements

Performance | Hosted by Carnegie Hall 

Location: New York, NY

As part of expanding One Mind at Work’s Japan Coalition and deepening our commitment to the intersection of music, arts, and mental health, we are delighted to have been invited to serve as a local partner for An Evening of Traditional Japanese Arts at Carnegie Hall on November 14, 2025. The evening featured Kabuki, a classical Japanese dance-drama renowned for its stylized movements, elaborate makeup, and richly detailed costumes. Originating in the 17th century, Kabuki uniquely blends music, drama, and dance to tell stories ranging from historic epics to contemporary tales.

Seminar | Co-hosted by One Mind, MUFG Americas Holdings Corporation & Japanese Medical Society of America

Location: New York, NY

Ms. Haruka Kokaze spoke in a hybrid seminar with Dr. Maki Kano-Lueckerath focused on advancing mental health support for Japanese expatriates, their families, and locally hired employees in the United States. Drawing on research, lived experience, and organizational data, the session highlighted the unique mental and physical health challenges faced by expatriate communities, including work related stress, language barriers, unfamiliar healthcare and educational systems, closed social networks, and the cumulative impact of environmental transitions. The seminar introduced a practical, multi level approach to stress management and emphasized the critical role of organizational leadership in supporting expatriate mental health as a business imperative. Grounded in evidence-based frameworks such as the Mental Health at Work Index, the discussion underscored how effective mental health strategies can enhance employee performance, productivity, and engagement. The session concluded with a call for continued collaboration among corporations, healthcare professionals, and community partners to strengthen systems of support for expatriates, their families, and locally hired employees in the United States.

(Left to Right: Haruka Kokaze, Lead Japan Strategy Analyst, One Mind at Work, Noriko Furuhata, Vice President, Office of Chief of Staff for the Americas, MUFG Americas Holdings Corporation, Maki Kano Lueckerath, President, Japanese Medical Society of America)

Symposium | Hosted by World Association of Cultural Psychiatry & Pacific Rim College of Psychiatrists

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Ms. Haruka Kokaze spoke at the PRCP and WACP Joint Congress 2025 symposium, Global Perspectives on Mental Health Challenges and Resilience Among Migrant and Expatriate Populations.The session highlighted the complex interplay of social determinants, cultural contexts, and systemic frameworks shaping the mental health of expatriate populations across the United States, Canada, and countries throughout Asia. Her presentation focused on advancing corporate mental health strategies to better support Japanese expatriates, their families, and locally hired employees in the United States. She outlined the unique challenges faced by Japanese expatriate families, including cultural and workplace adaptation stress, language barriers, limited access to appropriate and responsive care, and heightened isolation. Ms. Kokaze emphasized that these challenges affect not only employees, but also spouses and children, with direct implications for job performance, retention, and assignment success. The discussion underscored that effective support must extend beyond individuals to include families and locally hired employees in order to build healthy, high-performing teams. The session also introduced evidence based frameworks such as the Mental Health at Work Index and shared insights from the global Index dataset, which highlighted the critical role of managers and employee input in translating organizational strategy into meaningful, day to day support. The presentation reinforced the importance of global collaboration in advancing mental health and well-being for Japanese expatriates, their families, and workforces worldwide.

Speakers:
– Haruka Kokaze, Lead Japan Strategy Analyst, One Mind at Work, Maki Kano Lueckerath
– President, Japanese Medical Society of America

View presentation recording

Workshop | Hosted by Stanford School of Medicine

Location: New York, NY

Description Coming Soon

Workshop | Hosted by Stanford School of Medicine & GPI

Location: Stanford, CA

Description Coming Soon

Panel Discussion | Hosted by Silicon Valley Japan Platform

Location: Los Altos, CA

Ms. Haruka Kokaze moderated a discussion on how digital technologies are shaping the future of mental health care. The session aligned with the goals of the One Mind Accelerator, which supports early-stage, mission-driven startups with mentorship, network access, mental health resources, and capital to build category-defining companies that transform care. The discussion focused on how new tools can be introduced into workplace and care settings while maintaining quality, responsibility, and a human centered approach. Dr. Prentice Tom shared insights on how the Kintsugi’s technologies can expand access to mental health support while remaining grounded in clinical care. He also discussed the company’s voice biomarker technology, which analyzes short segments of speech to identify potential signs of depression and anxiety. The session explored how these tools may support more proactive, personalized, and scalable approaches to mental health, along with key considerations related to implementation, trust, and appropriate use across organizational and clinical settings, including Japanese subsidiaries in the United States as well as Japanese and global companies in Japan.

Panel Discussion | Hosted by Visa Inc.

Location: New York, NY

Ms. Haruka Kokaze participated in a panel discussion hosted by the corporation’s Visa Asians Standing Together (VAST) and LatinX Employee Resource Groups in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month. Moderated by Mr. Stanley Zhan, Manager, Risk Management, the conversation explored how cultural background can influence perspectives on mental well-being and how personal values intersect with workplace expectations. The discussion also highlighted approaches organizations use to support healthier work environments, including access to resources and the importance of inclusive and respectful team cultures. The session further examined practical ways to navigate conversations about well-being across teams and the role employee groups can play in fostering shared understanding and support in the workplace.

(Left to Right: Haruka Kokaze, One Mind, Stanley Zhan, Manager – Risk Management, Visa Inc.)

Lecture | Hosted by PASONA Group Inc.

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Ms. Haruka Kokaze hosted a lecture at PASONA Group Inc.’s Overseas Human Resources Study Group, which was attended by over 70 representatives from Japanese companies. The session emphasized the growing importance of corporate engagement in employee wellbeing across global workplaces. Ms. Kokaze discussed the unique challenges faced by Japanese expatriates and their families, including cultural adjustment, language barriers, and limited access to appropriate and responsive care. She also introduced global frameworks and best practices that companies can adopt to foster mentally healthy workplaces and strengthen wellbeing initiatives worldwide. The lecture concluded by encouraging greater collaboration between Japanese headquarters and overseas offices to create supportive environments for employees working abroad.

Ms. Kokaze has published 17 articles on workforce mental health in Japanese on PASONA N A, Inc.’s Virtual HR Business Partner, a subscription based support portal for business leaders at Japanese subsidiaries in the United States navigating key business challenges. If you are interested in learning more, click here.