Eight Japanese students took a crash course in what it’s like to be an American, learning about our culture as they shared theirs.
Students from Tomiura Junior High School in Japan arrived on Friday, Oct. 2, for a seven-day sister school exchange program with Washington Middle School students in Oconto Falls. Students have been traveling between the two schools for over 20 years, yet each year is a fresh experience for everyone involved.
“It’s always fun to see the things we take for granted through new eyes, like the pumpkin farm and Halloween,” said JoAnn Peters, WMS teacher and coordinator of the program.
“Our day-to-day things we take for granted, they’re really impressed by,” said Lucas Cromell, WMS assistant principal.
The assistant principal from Tomiura stayed at Cromell’s home during his visit and snapped photographs of ordinary things all over the house, including the refrigerator — larger than theirs in Japan and the entrance to the basement, another novelty.
The outdoors also held the interest of the Japanese visitors.
“Your place, your nature is very wide,” said Yoshie Komatsu, an English teacher at Tomiura serving as a chaperone. Komatsu said she has visited the U.S. several times and was interested in learning more about our way of life and school life.
“To spend time with host families is quite an experience,” said Komatsu, who spent the week at the home of WMS teacher Cindy Cho.
WMS seventh-grader Brant Rowland, who hosted Yuki Sakuma, said they had fun fishing together on the family’s pond in Little Suamico, especially when Sakuma caught a northern pike. Rowland introduced Sakuma to a number of new things, such as Lambeau Field, the wildlife display at Cabela’s and a meal of wild goose, shot by the Rowland family.
Rowland said the language barrier posed some problems.
“We’re still working on that,” he said Thursday, while working on a drawing with Sakuma in art class. Translation apps were really helpful, he added.
“Once you get past that (language barrier), you get to have lots of fun with them. I really wish they could spend another week here,” he said.
“Even though the communication isn’t there, they’re still able to become friends and interact, and that’s something really neat,” Cromell said.
Rowland said what impressed him was Sukuma’s politeness and organizational skills, exemplified in the neatness in which he packed his suitcase.
“It’s very different from the average American student,” Rowland said.
WMS students in general have limited familiarity with Asian cultures; only French and Spanish are taught at WMS, so the exchange program provides a chance for students to interact with kids their own age from a different part of the world.
“It really gives them a chance to get some exposure to some areas they’re not familiar with,” Cromell said.
Cromell, who visited Japan last year with the sister school program, said he was shocked by how welcoming and genuinely interested the Japanese people were during his visit there.
“I wasn’t able to communicate very well but still made lifelong friends I communicate with today,” he said.
Komatsu said a highlight for her was spending time in nature. The group visited Delzer’s Pumpkin Farm on an outing sponsored by the city, picnicked at Copper Culture State Park and experienced a voyageur canoe trip down the Wolf River offered by Navarino Nature Center.
“In Japan we don’t hunt like you do here, so that is interesting, or (go) canoeing,” she said.
She said the WMS students impressed her with their good behavior and their interest in talking with the Japanese students. The pumpkin pie they made together was really good, too, she said.
“They don’t have canned pumpkin in Japan, so that was something new for them,” Peters explained.
Now over 20 years into the program, countless families have connected.
“Our friendship has continued a long time. It’s great,” Komatsu said.
“I think the biggest benefit is learning about the different cultures and becoming more accepting of the differences and also finding the similarities,” Peters said.
In fall, Washington Middle School plans to send a delegation of students to Japan. Host students this year were Laikyn St. Louis, Sophia Wons, Carina Wirtley, Aaliyah Fowler, Lyndsey Luebke, Scott Russell, Brant Rowland and Tucker Moynihan.
Categories
