We meet again: Sister City students visit town

A group of 12 students from McMinnville?s sister city Mikawa-Machi, Japan spent a busy few days in the community last week as part of the Sister Cities exchange program. The program allows students to travel between Japan and the U.S. in alternate years to learn first hand about the culture of their host country. Last year a group of Warren County students went to Japan, so this year the Japanese students made the journey here. The students stayed with American families and get involved with everyday activities like school, shopping and various community events.

The exchange program began in 1993. This year 12 students, along with two adult chaperones, including interpreter Kaori Ihi, made the trip. The group arrived in McMinnville on Monday, July 31 and began their whirlwind tour of the area, accompanied by members of their host families. Mayor Royce Davenport was on hand to formally welcome the group to McMinnville.

Included on the hectic tour schedule were visits to Cumberland Caverns, Gilley Pool, WCMS and Bobby Ray Memorial School, the Appalachian Craft Center, Center Hill Lake, Yorozu Automotive, and a banquet at the Country Club. Side trips to Cool Springs Galleria and a visit to the Aquarium and IMAX theater in Chattanooga rounded out the trip.

During their visit to Bobby Ray Elementary the students got a taste of how American schools operate, which is quite different, in many ways, to Japanese schools, according to interpreter Kaori Ihi.. For one thing, students don?t move from classroom to classroom in Japan, the teachers do. Also, students clean their classrooms themselves and at the end of the school day.

The exchange program is not only a learning experience for the Japanese students, but for the host families as well, as host student Kathryn McKinley pointed out. Kathryn?s family hosted a student named Miho Shida.

?It?s been really fun,? Kathryn said. ?She knows a lot of English and she?s just so much fun to be around. The first night she looked up words for me and she told me I was talkative in Japanese, but she said she was talkative too.?

Rachel Walker, who hosted Mina Igarashi, said she got a chance to return a favor.

?It?s been great,? Rachel said. ?Because I got the privilege of going over to Japan last year and she hosted me, so now I get to host her. We?ve had a lot of fun.?

Miho, with Kathryn doing some quick translation of the question, gave her impression of America.

?Good,? said Miho, ?the bomb!?

According to Kathryn the activities also included some good old-fashioned yard rolling between some of the host families, which the Japanese students found hilarious.

During the tour of Bobby Ray, the students were treated to a song from the American students they had translated and performed in Japanese. The Japanese students turned in their own performance at the banquet, including a ?charades? program where they acted out American movies, animals and major league sports.

The group also presented a traditional Japanese dance routine to their music.

?It?s very much like your country music,? said Ihi, ?Everyone knows it in the community. We have festivals in the community and we have drinks, food and enjoy dancing.?

The students wore ?happi coats? that they took off and made their host students wear. they had them participate in the dance to learn their special dance steps. Afterwards, gifts were exchanged, which is a Japanese tradition.