🌍 Hello World 🌍
We are so happy to announce that our cultural exchange program “Machinaka Cultural Exchange Program” has started in Kanto!!!
*Our program is held with thorough countermeasures against infectious diseases such as wearing masks, ventilation, washing hands and disinfect with alcohol. Please find more details here.
I am Miwa, a Community Manager of the Kanto area.
I am excited to write what I interviewed Yayako, the middle school student who stayed with an American family.
I met Yayako and her father at a station to go to her host family’s home together.
She told me that she was nervous, but excited to meet her host family at first. But she got so nervous as soon as she met them that even her father was quite surprised with how she was.
She barely could answer to the questions that they asked her!
I was a little worried, but what her father said on the way back to the station released my anxiety.
I didn’t know that my daughter is that shy. She normally gets along with anyone quite well, so I thought it would be fine with the host family. But I am really excited to know how much it can change tomorrow!
So I think you can imagine how glad I was when I saw her big smile the next day!!!
Kelly, the host mother told me that they had baked cookies, cooked dinner together and playing games.
And she told me that Yayako and her children had played table soccer for a few hours and they become great friends!
I was so thrilled when Kelly told me;
We had so much fun playing a target game with cards. At first Yayako was kind of perplexed because the cards flew all over the room and tried to pick them up. But I saw her face sparkling when I said to her “Don’t worry! You can make a mess, we can all clean it up together！”
I think it was a great moment for both of Kelly and Yayako. Japanese children are normally told to play without littering. But she opened herself more than earlier when Kelly said to her “you can make a mess, this is just a game”!!!
After we left, Yayako said with a sparkling smile,
I had so much fun and wanted to stay longer! I will practice English harder and come back here!
Kelly and Jeff and their children ARE a great host family with so much hospitality, but they didn’t have to do something extraordinary or too special. They just enjoyed normal stuff with Yayako, but everything she did with them was so much fun and a great experience.
HelloWorld is a way to interact with locals, in which you and your children can experience Japanese culture!
If you have any questions at all or would like to learn more about the specifics about our program, we encourage you to get in touch with us.
*Our program is held with thorough countermeasures against infectious diseases such as wearing masks, ventilation, washing hands and disinfect with alcohol. Please find more details here.
