Photos courtesy of Jessica Henry
Over the summer, ten high school students, five of which were from Hastings High, had the opportunity to participate in an exchange program where they visited our sister city, Ozu, Japan. They explored all over the country and learned about the different culture, food, and lifestyle in Japan.
The application process to be selected to go on the trip wasn’t easy. The students had to write an essay and then participate in an interview concerning why they were interested in going on the trip. The handful of students who were accepted left May 17 and returned on the 29th. Jessica Henry, a member of the Hastings International Exchange Program (HIEO), organized the trip and traveled with the students.
“Planning and organizing the trip was really a year-long process. Throughout the planning process I worked with the leaders of our local HIEO committee, the Japanese OIEO, and Matt Seivert,” Henry said.
The students were much more than tourists. They had the chance to live with a family and experience what they do every day.
“As for the trip, we all learned about the Japanese culture. They lived with a Japanese family so they were immersed in the experience. This is actually a great way to travel. You eat what they eat, you shop with them, you talk to them. You learn a lot more this way,” Henry said.
Unlike most of the students, senior Annie Wu learned to speak Japanese before the trip, which gave her a different perspective of Japan.
“The language barrier is a big obstacle to overcome in a foreign country, so being able to communicate and see deeper into their culture made it a wonderful experience,” Wu said.
Immediately after arriving in Japan, the Hastings natives noticed how welcoming and surprised all of the Japanese citizens were of the American visitors. The students were often asked to pose for pictures because it was a rare occurrence to see Americans in Japan.
“In America, we have such a diverse culture compared to Japan where everyone is of the same heritage, so it’s really cool because you start to realize and really think about why our country is called a melting pot,” sophomore Anna Wibbels said.
While there, they visited many meaningful landmarks and cities such as Nagasaki, Mount Aso, Fukuoka, and Daikenjabo.
“It was really sad and crazy to see the U.S. as an enemy in World War II. We visited a museum that walked us through the events of the bombing of Nagasaki and a lot of us ended up crying, it was really emotional,” Wibbels said.
Sophomore Diana Brailita was another student who went on the trip.
“It was amazing that we could actually go to these landmarks that you learn about in History class,” Brailita said.
The American high schoolers also had the opportunity to attend two Japanese school days, and they were all amazed at the vast differences.
“When we visited Japanese schools, one thing that really stood out to me was how responsible the kids were. They would each be assigned to clean a room instead of having janitors, and there was one hour in the day that was designated for cleaning. We also had the chance to sit in on a few classes over things like fashion, karate, and making a bonsai garden,” Brailita said.
The culture there has many small things that are not carried through in the American society. For instance, all people must always take off their slippers made especially for wear around the house before going into the bathroom and swap them with slippers meant just for the bathroom.
Each country expresses their style of food and their tradition involved with it in a unique and different way.
“While in Japan, I definitely learned a lot more about the culture through the food than I expected. Each meal is prepared carefully and is very authentic. I was nervous that I would come back to America and not like Japanese food as much because it wouldn’t taste nearly as good as the meals in Japan,” Wibbels said.
When returning to their homes, the kids left behind the amazing food, culture, and people, but took home some of the best memories of their life.
“I think that I and most everyone else learned that by embracing other cultures you expand your own horizons and learn that there are so many different ways to live,” Wibbels said.
