YUAI

YUAI and ÖJAB have been cooperating since 1965 to foster intercultural dialogue among young people.

The non-profit organization Austrian-Japanese Youth Exchange (Ger.: Österreichisch-Japanischer Jugendaustausch – ÖJJ), supported by ÖJAB as a member organization, conducts the following exchange programs with YUAI:

Every March: 6 Japanese Students Visit Austria

Each year in March, six Japanese students selected through an application process by YUAI travel to Austria. In addition to sightseeing in Vienna and Salzburg, ÖJAB presents its areas of activity and arranges visits to a nursing home, its vocational education institute, and a facility for refugees. Meetings are also organized at the Federal Chancellery and the United Nations. Through conversations and discussions at these locations, the Japanese students gain deep insights into current social and societal challenges in Europe and, in turn, share possible solutions from Japan.

Every Two Years in Summer: 12 People Travel to Japan

Since 2024, the YUAI Foundation has hosted a group of twelve people from Austria every other summer and organizes a two-week program. The group explores Tokyo and other regions of Japan. Encounters and discussions with young YUAI members, officials, and YUAI President Yukio Hatoyama focus on the importance of peace and mutual appreciation as keys to strong international relations.

This group trip is a combined youth and expert exchange: 10 participants are young people affiliated with ÖJJ member organizations who meet the ÖJJ criteria. 2 participants are experts or officials from ÖJAB who engage in professional exchange with YUAI.

The next trip to YUAI is planned for summer 2026. Once the travel dates and details are confirmed, they will be published on the ÖJAB website. – Contact: japan@oejab.at

YUAI and Its Philosophy

The YUAI Foundation (Koueki Zaidan Houjin YUAI) was founded in 1953 as a non-profit association, operated for decades as a youth organization in Japan, and has been a public-interest foundation since 2019. YUAI conducts youth activities in Japan, international exchange programs, and public awareness initiatives.

Its philosophy is based on the ethics of Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi (1894–1972), who envisioned a “brotherly society” built on respect for one’s own dignity and that of others. Since its founding, YUAI has been supported by the influential Hatoyama family and operates independently of political parties. The current president is Yukio Hatoyama, former Prime Minister of Japan.

YUAI and ÖJAB – A Shared History

In 1961, ÖJAB founding president Dr. Bruno Buchwieser learned about YUAI during a meeting with Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi, who was visiting the opening of a Europahaus-Wien residence. He discovered that Japan had an organization promoting global “brotherhood” similar to ÖJAB. In 1963, a YUAI delegation met ÖJAB in Vienna, and in 1965, both organizations signed an agreement to become sister organizations and collaborate closely.

Since then, YUAI and ÖJAB have organized various youth exchanges and conferences between Japan and Austria. The association Austrian-Japanese Youth Exchange was founded in Vienna as a result of this partnership.

From 1991 to 2016, YUAI hosted classical German song competitions in Tokyo. The winners traveled to Vienna and performed at the “ÖJAB Song and Chamber Music Evening” often in support of ÖJAB’s development cooperation. In return, one or two ÖJAB members or young musicians traveled to Japan.

In June 2015, YUAI and ÖJAB reaffirmed their sister organization partnership during a jubilee celebration in Vienna.